Add parallel Print Page Options

Chapter 41

Then he brought me into the sanctuary and measured the pilasters. They were six cubits wide on each side. The width of the entrance was ten cubits, and the walls on either side of the entrance were five cubits each. Then he measured the length of the nave, which was fifty cubits, while its width was twenty cubits.

Then he went into the inner room and measured the pilasters at the entrance; they were two cubits. The width of the entrance was six cubits, and the walls at either side of the entrance were seven cubits. Beyond the nave, he measured the length of the inner sanctuary, which was twenty cubits, and its width, which was also twenty cubits, after which he said to me, “This is the Holy of Holies.”

Then he measured the wall of the temple, which was six cubits thick. The width of the side chambers was four cubits all around the temple. The side chambers were on three levels, one above the other, with thirty chambers on each level. There were ledges all around the wall of the temple that were designed to serve as supports for the side chambers, but there were no supports in the wall of the temple itself.

The passageway leading upward to the side chambers became broader from story to story, for the structure surrounding the temple was constructed in successive stages, so that the width of the cells increased from one story to the next. One ascended from the lowest story to the highest story by means of the middle one.

I also noted that there was a raised pavement encircling the temple all around. This formed the foundation of the side chambers, measuring a full rod, six cubits high. The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits. Between the cells of the temple 10 and the chambers of the court, there was an open space, twenty cubits wide, surrounding the temple on every side.

11 The side chambers had entrances to the open space, one entrance on the north side and one on the south side. The width of the free space was five cubits all around. 12 On the western side, the building that faced the temple yard was seventy cubits wide. The wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length was ninety cubits.

13 Then, he measured the temple, whose length was one hundred cubits. 14 The temple courtyard and the buildings with its walls were also one hundred cubits. 15 Next, he measured the length of the building facing the courtyard, and together with its walls on either side, it came to one hundred cubits.

The Temple Interior. The inner nave of the temple and the inner room and outer vestibule 16 were paneled with precious wood from the floor up to the windows and thresholds, and the windows were covered with latticework. 17 The wood extended up to the lintel of the door, even to the outer sanctuary. And on all the walls throughout the inner room and the nave there was a pattern 18 that depicted cherubim and palm trees, with one palm tree between every pair of cherubim.

Each cherub had two faces: 19 a human face turned toward the palm tree on one side, and the face of a young lion turned toward the palm tree on the other side. 20 From the floor to the lintel above the door, the cherubim and the palm trees were carved on the wall. 21 The doorposts of the temple were square.

In front of the sanctuary, there was something that resembled 22 an altar of wood, three cubits high and two cubits long. Its corners, its base, and its sides were of wood. He said to me, “This is the table of the Lord.” 23 The nave and the holy place each had a double door. 24 The double doors each had two hinged leaves, two leaves for each door.

25 Carved upon the doors of the nave were cherubim and palm trees, like those carved in the walls. Also, there was a wooden lattice over the vestibule. 26 On both sides of the vestibule were recessed windows and palm trees.

41 Then the man brought me to the main hall(A) and measured the jambs; the width of the jambs was six cubits[a] on each side.[b] The entrance was ten cubits[c] wide, and the projecting walls on each side of it were five cubits[d] wide. He also measured the main hall; it was forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide.[e](B)

Then he went into the inner sanctuary and measured the jambs of the entrance; each was two cubits[f] wide. The entrance was six cubits wide, and the projecting walls on each side of it were seven cubits[g] wide. And he measured the length of the inner sanctuary; it was twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits across the end of the main hall.(C) He said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place.(D)

Then he measured the wall of the temple; it was six cubits thick, and each side room around the temple was four cubits[h] wide. The side rooms were on three levels, one above another, thirty(E) on each level. There were ledges all around the wall of the temple to serve as supports for the side rooms, so that the supports were not inserted into the wall of the temple.(F) The side rooms all around the temple were wider at each successive level. The structure surrounding the temple was built in ascending stages, so that the rooms widened as one went upward. A stairway(G) went up from the lowest floor to the top floor through the middle floor.

I saw that the temple had a raised base all around it, forming the foundation of the side rooms. It was the length of the rod, six long cubits. The outer wall of the side rooms was five cubits thick. The open area between the side rooms of the temple 10 and the priests’ rooms was twenty cubits wide all around the temple. 11 There were entrances to the side rooms from the open area, one on the north and another on the south; and the base adjoining the open area was five cubits wide all around.

12 The building facing the temple courtyard on the west side was seventy cubits[i] wide. The wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length was ninety cubits.[j]

13 Then he measured the temple; it was a hundred cubits[k] long, and the temple courtyard and the building with its walls were also a hundred cubits long. 14 The width of the temple courtyard on the east, including the front of the temple, was a hundred cubits.(H)

15 Then he measured the length of the building facing the courtyard at the rear of the temple, including its galleries(I) on each side; it was a hundred cubits.

The main hall, the inner sanctuary and the portico facing the court, 16 as well as the thresholds and the narrow windows(J) and galleries around the three of them—everything beyond and including the threshold was covered with wood. The floor, the wall up to the windows, and the windows were covered.(K) 17 In the space above the outside of the entrance to the inner sanctuary and on the walls at regular intervals all around the inner and outer sanctuary 18 were carved(L) cherubim(M) and palm trees.(N) Palm trees alternated with cherubim. Each cherub had two faces:(O) 19 the face of a human being toward the palm tree on one side and the face of a lion toward the palm tree on the other. They were carved all around the whole temple.(P) 20 From the floor to the area above the entrance, cherubim and palm trees were carved on the wall of the main hall.

21 The main hall(Q) had a rectangular doorframe, and the one at the front of the Most Holy Place was similar. 22 There was a wooden altar(R) three cubits[l] high and two cubits square[m]; its corners, its base[n] and its sides were of wood. The man said to me, “This is the table(S) that is before the Lord.” 23 Both the main hall(T) and the Most Holy Place had double doors.(U) 24 Each door had two leaves—two hinged leaves(V) for each door. 25 And on the doors of the main hall were carved cherubim and palm trees like those carved on the walls, and there was a wooden overhang on the front of the portico. 26 On the sidewalls of the portico were narrow windows with palm trees carved on each side. The side rooms of the temple also had overhangs.(W)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 41:1 That is, about 11 feet or about 3.2 meters; also in verses 3, 5 and 8
  2. Ezekiel 41:1 One Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts side, the width of the tent
  3. Ezekiel 41:2 That is, about 18 feet or about 5.3 meters
  4. Ezekiel 41:2 That is, about 8 3/4 feet or about 2.7 meters; also in verses 9, 11 and 12
  5. Ezekiel 41:2 That is, about 70 feet long and 35 feet wide or about 21 meters long and 11 meters wide
  6. Ezekiel 41:3 That is, about 3 1/2 feet or about 1.1 meters; also in verse 22
  7. Ezekiel 41:3 That is, about 12 feet or about 3.7 meters
  8. Ezekiel 41:5 That is, about 7 feet or about 2.1 meters
  9. Ezekiel 41:12 That is, about 123 feet or about 37 meters
  10. Ezekiel 41:12 That is, about 158 feet or about 48 meters
  11. Ezekiel 41:13 That is, about 175 feet or about 53 meters; also in verses 14 and 15
  12. Ezekiel 41:22 That is, about 5 1/4 feet or about 1.5 meters
  13. Ezekiel 41:22 Septuagint; Hebrew long
  14. Ezekiel 41:22 Septuagint; Hebrew length