The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 313

from the elbow to the end of tho longest one reed or six cubits square, roofed (vor. finger-which was eruploye,i in the building 11), and sepamted from ea.oh oLher by a of the Soloruonic temple (2 Chron. iii. 3). space of five cubits squ1ue, open overhead Assuming the cubit to have been eighteen and closed towards tho north or south as inches, the height and breadth of the wall the case might be by a side wall. T!Jese wonld be nine feet-no great elevation, and « lodges," or "cells," were intended for the presenting a striking contrast to the colossal Levite sentinels who kept guard over the proportions of city walls in Babylon and in house (see eh. xliv. 11, 14; and comp. 1 Greece (see Herod., i. 170; 'Records of the Kings xiv. 28; 2 Chron. xii. 11). Beyond Past,' vol. v. 127, 1st series), and even of the the cells stretched the threshold of the gate walls of the first temple in Jerusalem (see by the porch (Hebrew, 071N; the LXX., al11.dµ.: Josephus, 'Wars,' v. 1); but in this, per- Vulgate, vestibulum, "a. portico") of the gate haps, lay a special significance, since, as the within; literally,/rom the ho11,11e; i.e. the gate citv-like temple stood in no need of walls fronting one coming from the temple, hence ,rnd bulwarks for defence, the lowness of its the gate looking "towar,ls the houso." walls would permit it the more easily to be n:~:112, "from the house," does not qualify seen, would, in fact, make it a conspicuous the threshold as if to indicate that this was object to all who might approach it for an iuterior threshold in contrast to the WOI"llhip. former, or exterior, but "the gate," its Ver. 6.-The east gate. The gate whioh intention being to state that the porch in looketh toward the east; literally, tohose front of which extended the second face wa.s toward the east. '.rhat tliis was "threshold" was the vestibule or portico not the gate in which tl10 angel had been before the gate which conducted inwards :first observed standing seems implied in the towards the temple, or on which one statement that he came to it. That he first stepped on his way from the temple. began with it is satisfactorily accounted for Vers. 8, 9.-The divergent meas1uements by remembering that the east gate was the of this porch, which are given in these verses, principal entrance, and stood dil"ectly in led the LXX. and the Vulgate to reject front of the porch of the temple proper. ver. 8 a.s spurious, and it is certainly want- The same reasons will explain the fuluess ing in some Hebrew manuscripts. Hitzig, of description accorded to it rather than Ewald, and Smend have accordingly ex- to the others. It was ascended by &tail"s, punged it from the text-a.n altogether or steps, of which the number aeven is unnecessary proceeding. The seeming omitted, though it is mentioned in con- discrepancy may be removed by supposing nection with the north (ver. 22) and south either, with Kliefoth, that ver. 8 furnishes (ver. 26) gates. "The significance was the measurement of the porch from east to obvious," writea Plnmptre. "Men must as- west.. and ver. 9 its mea.surement from north cend in hea.rt and mind as they enter the to south, with the measurements in addition sanctuary, and the seven steps represented of the posts (c•'?•~, from ~:~, "a ram," hence the completeness at last of that as~enaion." anything curved or twisted), i.e. pilla.rs or The steps lay outside the we.II, and at jambs; or, with Keil, that ver. 8 states the their head had a threahold (1P, proverly an depth from east to west, and ver. 9 the "expansion," or "spreading out") one reed length from north to south. The "posts," broa.d, i.e. measuring inwards from ea.et to which were sixty eubits high (ver. 14), were west, the thickness of the wall. Its ex- two cubits sq ua.re at the ba.se. tension from south to north, afterwards Ver. 10.-Having reached the furthest stated, was ten cubits, or :fifteen feet (ver. 11), limit westward, the guide rotra.ces his steps The last clause, improperly rendered, and backward in an easterly direction, noting the other tbxellhold (Authorized and Revised that on the side of the covered wu.y opposite Versions), or" the back threshold" (Ewa.Id), of the gate whicl, = one reed, should be translated, e'Den one threshol,d, (Revised Ver- to that already examined the so.me arrauge- ments existed as to "lodges" and "posts," the latter of which (D'?'!:l) are here first sion margin), or the first threshol,d,, as distin- mentioned in connection with the guard- guished from the secoud, to be afterwards rooms, a.nd must be understood ns signifying specified (ver. 7); comp. Gen. i. 5, "the fuot (one) day." " pillars " or "jambs" in front of the walls. Theil" measurements, which were equal, Ver. 7.-A.nd every little chamber. Pro- were probably as in ver. 9, two oubils ceeding inward beneath a covered porch, aqua.re. the exact wid!h of the gate and threshold, Ver. 11.-The breadth of the entry i.e. ten cubits, the prophet's guide, after (literally, opening) of the gate, ten oubita. having passed tlie threshold, conducted him Obviously this measurement was taken from to aseriesof 1.-0dges, c:i:ti;,,or "guard-chambers," north to south of the gate-entrance (ver. 6), su. in number, three on each si,Je (ver. 10), a.nd repre~euted the whole breadth of the  CH, xr .. 1-40.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 323