From 90446859a85ac06f86edfa430608d7f7caf10ce8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Lyle Mantooth Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2023 23:11:40 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] Ezekiel 42:1-20 --- content/bible_journal/ezekiel_42:1-20.md | 49 ++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 49 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/bible_journal/ezekiel_42:1-20.md diff --git a/content/bible_journal/ezekiel_42:1-20.md b/content/bible_journal/ezekiel_42:1-20.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1537105 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/bible_journal/ezekiel_42:1-20.md @@ -0,0 +1,49 @@ ++++ +title = "Ezekiel 42:1–20" +date = "2023-07-05" ++++ + +### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ezekiel42.1-20) + +Having measured the temple and its contents, Ezekiel is guided back to the +outer court, this time on the north side. There, he and his guide inspect the +chambers in the wall separating the two courts. Unlike the rooms against the +temple, these chambers get narrower as you go higher, because the gallery +connecting them gets wider. They don't have pillars supporting the upper +stories, and thus look more like a stepped pyramid. I believe verse 8 is saying +that these chambers only take about half as much room as those against the +temple. The temple chambers ran the whole length of the building, but these +don't go around the entire court's wall. Additionally, they were only on the +north and south sides of the court. As might be expected, the southern chambers +are identical to the northern ones. + +In verses 13 and 14, the angel explains for us the purpose of these chambers. +After the various sacrifices were offered to the Lord, the priests would be +able to eat portions of them in these chambers. Additionally, they would use +these chambers to change into and out of the holy vestements, a practice dating +back to when the priesthood was established for Aaron and his sons. When +ministering before the Lord they were to wear the holy garments made to an +exact standard and for this purpose, and when they left, they would wear +different clothes so as not to defile the ones for religious work. + +After this the angel takes Ezekiel outside the temple complex through the east +gate and starts to measure the outer walls. And now I have a problem. I +happened to look at a different translation than I usually do, and it didn't +say "500 cubits" the way the ESV does. So I started comparing multiple +translations together, and of the ones I checked, most of them don't say "500 +cubits". Instead, they say "500 reeds by the measuring reed", or something to +that effect. So which is it? According to chapter 40, the reed the angel is +using measures 6 long cubits, which is pretty close to 10 feet long. The +standard cubit was about 18 inches long. Helpfully, the CSB actually puts the +translated measurement of 875 feet into the text, instead of something like +5,000 feet. Considering there are only 100 cubits between the gates of the +inner and outer courts, on each of the three sides that have gates, it seems +fair to conclude that the real measurement is 500 cubits and not 500 lengths of +the reed doing the measuring. Looking up "Temple Mount" on [Open Street +Map](https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/5862584#map=17/31.77799/35.23563) +also fits this measument better. Maybe there was some other meaning for "reed", +but it's not obvious from an English translation. + +* * * + +You provide for Your people and care for them with eternal love.