Ezekiel 40

KJV · Chapter 40/48

1In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the Lord was upon me, and brought me thither.

2In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.

3And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

4And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.

5And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.

6Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the stairs thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad; and the other threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad.

7And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed.

8He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed.

9Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward.

10And the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side.

11And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.

12The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.

13He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another: the breadth was five and twenty cubits, door against door.

14He made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate.

15And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits.

16And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and windows were round about inward: and upon each post were palm trees.

17Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement.

18And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement.

19Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northward.

20And the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof, and the breadth thereof.

21And the little chambers thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

22And their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure of the gate that looketh toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them.

23And the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate an hundred cubits.

24After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures.

25And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

26And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them: and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the posts thereof.

27And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits.

28And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;

29And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.

30And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.

31And the arches thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof: and the going up to it had eight steps.

32And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures.

33And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, were according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.

34And the arches thereof were toward the outward court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.

35And he brought me to the north gate, and measured it according to these measures;

36The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

37And the posts thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.

38And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering.

39And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering.

40And at the side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other side, which was at the porch of the gate, were two tables.

41Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew their sacrifices.

42And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and an half long, and a cubit and an half broad, and one cubit high: whereupon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice.

43And within were hooks, an hand broad, fastened round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering.

44And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.

45And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.

46And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the Lord to minister unto him.

47So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar that was before the house.

48And he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side.

49The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

In a detailed vision, Ezekiel is led by a man with the appearance of bronze through a magnificent future temple, with an angel carefully measuring every gate, chamber, and courtyard with a measuring rod.

Explanation

This chapter opens the book's final major section (chapters 40-48), an elaborate vision of a restored temple with extremely precise measurements. More than a literal architectural blueprint, this vision communicated concrete hope to an exiled people who had completely lost their temple: God still had plans to dwell among his people in an organized, holy, and lasting way. The command for Ezekiel to 'set his heart' on everything he sees and report it to the house of Israel (v.4) suggests that the main purpose was not merely informational but transformational — producing genuine shame for past sins and real hope for the future. Regardless of whether the vision is taken as a literal blueprint, a spiritual symbol, or both, its central message is the permanence of God's desire to dwell near his people.

Fun facts

  • The detailed measurements of this temple, if taken literally, result in a structure considerably larger than Solomon's temple, leading many scholars to interpret it as a symbolic vision or a prophecy of a temple still to come.
  • The 'measuring reed' of six cubits (each cubit about half a meter) mentioned here is one of the rare biblical references to precise measuring instruments, reflecting real architectural practices of the ancient world.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Ezekiel 40:1Fourteen years after Jerusalem’s fall, still in exile, Ezekiel receives the book’s longest vision: a temple, measured in detail, that did not yet exist. Measuring something that exists only in a vision is a way of sealing a promise, like drawing the blueprint of a house before it is built.
  2. Ezekiel 40:2The vision carries Ezekiel to a very high mountain in Israel, from which he sees what looks like a city built there — the start of the long temple vision that runs through chapter 48.
  3. Ezekiel 40:3The guide in the vision has the appearance of bronze and carries a linen cord and a measuring rod — he will lead Ezekiel through the whole complex, taking the measurements of every part.
  4. Ezekiel 40:4The guide’s instruction frames the following chapters: Ezekiel must pay close attention so he can later tell all of it to Israel — it is a message to deliver, not a blueprint to build right away.
  5. Ezekiel 40:5Defines the unit of measure used throughout the vision: a special cubit, longer than the ordinary cubit, used to measure the wall surrounding the whole temple complex.
  6. Ezekiel 40:6The measuring begins at the east gate, the main entrance — climbing steps to reach it already shows the temple stood on elevated ground, reinforcing its central importance.
  7. Ezekiel 40:7The “little chambers” are small rooms inside the gate itself, probably used by guards — a detail showing how access to the temple was controlled in stages.
  8. Ezekiel 40:8Measures the porch, the area right past the entrance, one more of the many architectural details that make up this meticulous description of the complex.
  9. Ezekiel 40:9Measures another section of the porch and the posts that supported the gate — the posts come up again and again because they visually marked every entrance to the temple.
  10. Ezekiel 40:10The chambers of the east gate come in groups of three on each side, all the same size — this strict symmetry is a hallmark of this whole vision of the restored temple.
  11. Ezekiel 40:11Measures the width and length of the gate’s own entrance — measurements that will repeat, with small variations, at every gate of the complex.
  12. Ezekiel 40:12A small space in front of each chamber marked a kind of boundary between the gate’s corridor and the inner rooms.
  13. Ezekiel 40:13Measures the gate from end to end, roof to roof — a way of recording the total width of this elaborate entrance structure.
  14. Ezekiel 40:14Measures the posts and the area around the gate — every architectural element gets recorded with precision, like a complete technical survey.
  15. Ezekiel 40:15Measures the distance between the gate’s outer entrance and the inner porch — the temple gate was not a simple passage, but a deep structure with several spaces.
  16. Ezekiel 40:16Windows in the chambers and palm trees carved into the posts — the palm-tree decoration also appeared in Solomon’s temple, a motif tied to the idea of abundance and life.
  17. Ezekiel 40:17The guide takes Ezekiel to the outer court, where thirty chambers stood around a paved floor — a space likely reserved for worshippers.
  18. Ezekiel 40:18The paved floor of the court sat at the lower level, aligned with the length of the gates — a detail that helps picture the complex’s different levels.
  19. Ezekiel 40:19Measures the distance between the outer gate and the inner court, one hundred cubits, showing the complex ran much deeper than a single entrance.
  20. Ezekiel 40:20After the east side, the guide moves on to measure the north gate of the outer court, repeating the same detailed process as before.
  21. Ezekiel 40:21The chambers and posts of the north gate have exactly the same measurements as the east gate — the repetition reinforces that the whole complex followed a strict, symmetrical pattern.
  22. Ezekiel 40:22Windows, porches, and palm trees at the north gate repeat the pattern of the east gate; seven steps led up to it, marking the rise in the ground.
  23. Ezekiel 40:23The gate of the inner court lined up with the outer gates, a hundred cubits away — the temple’s design follows a clearly defined axis in every direction.
  24. Ezekiel 40:24The guide now measures the south gate of the outer court, the third entrance described, following the same pattern of measurements as the other two.
  25. Ezekiel 40:25The windows around the porches of the south gate match the measurements of the earlier gates — uniformity is the whole point of this description.
  26. Ezekiel 40:26Seven steps and palm trees on the posts repeat, once again, the decorative pattern already seen at the other gates of the outer court.
  27. Ezekiel 40:27There is also a matching gate in the inner court on the south side, a hundred cubits from the outer one — completing the pattern in the three directions described (there is no west gate, at the back of the temple).
  28. Ezekiel 40:28The guide takes Ezekiel into the inner court through the south gate, now beginning to measure the structures closest to the temple itself.
  29. Ezekiel 40:29Chambers, posts, and porch of the inner south gate follow the same pattern of measurements already set for the outer gates.
  30. Ezekiel 40:30The porches of the inner gates were smaller than those of the outer gates — a detail that visually distinguishes the complex’s two layers.
  31. Ezekiel 40:31This inner gate’s porch faced the outer court, with eight steps, one more than the outer gates — suggesting a gradual ascent toward the temple.
  32. Ezekiel 40:32Now it is the turn of the inner east gate, lined up with the outer gate already measured, following the same careful pattern.
  33. Ezekiel 40:33Chambers, posts, porch, and windows of this inner east gate repeat the same fifty-by-twenty-five-cubit measurements seen at the other gates.
  34. Ezekiel 40:34The porch facing the outer court and the eight steps reappear here, confirming the pattern already established for the inner court’s gates.
  35. Ezekiel 40:35The guide finally measures the inner north gate, completing the circuit of the three entrances closest to the temple.
  36. Ezekiel 40:36Chambers, posts, and windows of this last gate follow exactly the same fifty-by-twenty-five-cubit measurement as the others.
  37. Ezekiel 40:37Posts facing the outer court, carved palm trees, and eight steps close out the repeated description of the three inner-court gates.
  38. Ezekiel 40:38A chamber near the gate’s posts had a specific practical function: washing the animals before the burnt offering, the sacrifice consumed entirely by fire.
  39. Ezekiel 40:39Tables on both sides of the gate’s porch were used for slaughtering the sacrificial animals — the architecture already set aside a specific space for each stage of the ritual.
  40. Ezekiel 40:40More tables outside, near the ascent to the north gate, and others inside the porch — the text counts, table by table, the whole structure used for the sacrifices.
  41. Ezekiel 40:41In all there were eight tables beside the gate, all meant for slaughtering the offered animals — a concrete ritual workspace, not just a symbol.
  42. Ezekiel 40:42Four of these tables, made of hewn stone and smaller in size, were set aside specifically for the burnt offering, along with the instruments used in the process.
  43. Ezekiel 40:43A technical detail about the stones in this area and the spot where the offering’s meat was placed — another sign that the vision describes a space meant for real use.
  44. Ezekiel 40:44Outside the inner gate there were chambers set aside for the singers — showing that worship at the temple involved music, with its own dedicated space for those in charge of it.
  45. Ezekiel 40:45The mention of the “sons of Zadok” as the priests responsible for the altar points to a real historical dispute between different priestly lines — the Zadokites were regarded, in this tradition, as the legitimate priests, a theme that returns with more force in chapter 44.
  46. Ezekiel 40:46The chamber facing north was reserved for priests descended from Zadok, a priestly line remembered for its faithfulness at earlier points in Israel’s history.
  47. Ezekiel 40:47Measures the inner court as a perfect square, a hundred by a hundred cubits, with the altar positioned right in front of the temple — the geometric and symbolic center of the whole complex.
  48. Ezekiel 40:48The guide now measures the porch of the temple itself, its posts and the width of the gate — the last set of measurements before finally entering the main building.
  49. Ezekiel 40:49Closes the chapter with the measurements of the temple’s porch, steps, and columns — in the next chapter the vision finally enters the sacred building itself.

Chapters

Our apps

Our apps →

Bible in Stories

The Bible told as a story, with audio and videos.

📱 Get the app

World in Stories

True stories of humanity that sound made up.

Feito! Pequenas Vitórias

A light daily routine for people who lose track of the day.