Seventh-day Adventist Bible CommentaryEzekiel 41

The temple. Here designating the holy place (p. 716, L; see 1 Kings 6:17; 7:50). Posts. That is, the jambs. These were on either side of the entrance and were 6 cu. (10 ft. 21/2 in.; 3.1 m.) thick, the same as the walls (v. 5).

Sides of the door. This is the measurement from the door to the wall. Forty cubits. These dimensions are identical with those of the holy place in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 6:2, 20), except that Ezekiel employed the long cubit (see on Eze. 40:5).

Then went he. The angel goes alone into the holy of holies (see Heb. 9:7). Post. Or, “jamb,” of the door between the holy place and the most holy place, here only 2 cu. (3 ft. 4.8 in.; 1 m.) thick compared with 6 cu. (10 ft. 21/2 in.; 3.1 m.) at the entrance into the holy place (v. 1). Door, six cubits. That is, the doorway, the clear space between the posts. Breadth of the door. According to the LXX the 7-cu. measurement (about 14 ft.) is that of the length of the 2-cu. wall from the doorway to the side walls. Two of these walls plus the 6-cu. doorway would fit the width of the room.

Most holy place. A perfect 20-cu. square (p. 716, K), of the same dimensions as in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 6:20).

Wall of the house. The thickness here given (10 ft. 21/2 in.; 3.1 m.) is the same as that of the wall of the outer court (ch. 40:5). Such a thickness is in accord with the massive proportions of ancient Oriental architecture.

The side chambers. These chambers were constructed in much the same way as those in Solomon’s Temple. The breadth of 4 cu. evidently refers to the first-floor chambers.

Increased. For details concerning the recessed wall and the increasing dimensions of these chambers see on 1 Kings 6:5, 6. Since there is disagreement as to whether there were 30 rooms on each floor or 30 on all three floors, no partitions are indicated on the diagram (p. 716, f).

Height of the house. That is, the raised foundation upon which the house rested. This platform seems to have extended 5 cu. (81/2 ft.; 2.6 m.) beyond the outer wall of the chambers (vs. 9, 11), forming a walk outside the chambers (p. 716, e). Great cubits. Heb. ’aṣṣilah, meaning “joint.” Its significance here is not clear. It is probably some architectural term.

The wall. The outer wall of the side chambers, a cubit less in thickness than the main load-bearing walls of the temple proper. That which was left. See on v. 8.

Between the chambers. That is, the chambers described in ch. 42:1–14. There was an open space (p. 716, S) of 20 cu. (34 ft.; 10.4 m.) extending beyond the platform on the three sides on which the chambers were located.

Place that was left. That is, the platform.

Building. The purpose of this building (p. 716, O) is not given. It may correspond to the Parbar of the earlier Temple (see 1 Chron. 26:18). Separate place. Heb. gizrah, from a root gazar, “to cut,” hence “a space cut off.” This was the space (p. 716, S) at the west end of the temple between the temple and the building (p. 716, O), and probably also the space along the north and south of the temple (see on v. 10).

The house. This is the outside measurement of the temple (170 ft.; 51.8 m.) including the porch (see vs. 1–5). The building. The measurement here is the same, from the back wall of the temple to the outside of the west wall of the building O (p. 716).

The breadth. This measurement is the same, including the total width of the temple and the separate place on either side (p. 716, S, S).

Length of the building. This is the outside measurement of the building O, including its 5-cu. walls.

The galleries. The meaning of the Hebrew word thus translated is uncertain. The reading “galleries” is conjectural. With the inner temple. Better, “and the inner temple.” What follows is a description of the temple itself, not of the building behind the temple.

Cieled with wood. The Hebrew here is somewhat vague. According to the LXX there is a description here of the paneling of the vestibule (see ch. 40:48), and of the holy and most holy places.

Cherubims and palm trees. Compare the artistic carvings in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 6:29).

Above the door. The paneling apparently covered the entire interior wall (see 1 Kings 6:18).

The posts. The Hebrew of this verse is obscure.

The altar of wood. This seems to correspond to the altar of incense in the tabernacle (Ex. 30:1–3) and the altar of gold in the former Temple (1 Kings 7:48), although the fact that it is also called “table” has led some to identify it with the table of shewbread.

Two doors. The one was at the entrance to the holy place and the other at the entrance to the most holy place.

Two turning leaves. The doors were similar to those in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 6:31–35).

Thick. Heb. ‘ab, a word occurring only here and in 1 Kings 7:6. It appears to be an architectural term, the meaning of which is now lost.

Narrow windows. Probably better, “latticed windows” (see on 1 Kings 6:4).