The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 333

doubtless be fe.stenerl to the temple wall by cubits to the story" (Ewald); literally, si:i means of "lerlges," "holds," "rebates," cubits to the armpit. This can hardly mean as in the temple of Solomon; in the latter six oubits en.oh equal to the distauoe from CRse. as Ewald translates, there would be the elbow to the wrist, whioh would be n "a light passage between the wall of the new definition of the length of the reed ; house and the side chambers around." but, e.s Hli.verniok and Kliefoth propose, Ver. 7.-In the side chambers a.n en- must be ta.ken as an arohitecture.l term larging took place as they went up, i.e. the indicative of the point where one portion of floornge of the serond story exceeded that the building joined on to another. Accord- of the first, and the floorage of the third ingly, by most interpreters the six cubits that of the second; though how this was are considered to be a statement of the effected can only be conjectured. If the height of the ceiling above the floor in each chambers were built against the temple story, which would give e.n elevation of wall, then probably the wall at each story eighteen cubits for the three stories; but went in, say a cubit or a cubit and a half probably they mark only the height of the from the outside, so RB to admit the beams; temple and side chamber basis above the or, if the chambers were built against an ground. Kliefoth includes both views, and outside wall, a similar recession of the obtains e.n altitude of twenty-four cubits wall from the inside may have taken place. from the ground to the temple roof. In either case, the (interior) breadth of the Ver. 9.-The thickneSB of the we.ll, whioh house, .:.e. of the side chambers, would be was for the side ohambers on the outside, is upward, a.nd would increase from the lowest next mentioned as having been live oubits, chamber to the highest by the midet. i.e. the same as the breadth of the wall Plumptre, after Kliefoth, suggests that the of the porch (oh. xl. 48), but one cubit increasing size of the chambers in the three thinner than that of the temple (ver. 5). stories may have been due to projecting The clause which follows is obscure. By galleries. Ewald, ta.king "honse" as "the that which wa., left, the Authorized e.nd temple," supposes that it gradually became Revised Versions understand the plaoe of bigger, i.11. broader, as it rose, which oould the side chambers that were within-oi:, be the case only if the side chambers were that belonged to the home (Revised Version) built against the temple wa.ll, and the in- -without intending to assert that the creased width of the stories was seemed by whole space left, which was five cubits projecting galleries or corridors. Greater (ver. 11), was oconpied by the side cham- obscurity attaches to the second clause, bers, whioh were only fonr cubits broad and a winding about still upward to the (ver. 5). Accepting these measurements, Iii.de cha.mbers, which the Authorized Ver- Kliefoth and Keil regard the free space as Bion and some expositors regard as an a walk of five cubits broad on the outside indication that Ezekiel's temple had a of the side chambers. Ewald, and Dr. spiral ste.i.rcase like that in Solomon's Currey, in the 'Speaker's Commentary,' temple (see 1 Kings vi 8); and probably place the five cubits between the temple 10me such mode of passing from story to story wall and the side chambers. did exist in Ezekiel' s temple ; yet the clanee, Ver. 10.-Ewald and Smend, following when properly rendered, does not refer to the LXX., combine vers.; 9 and 10 thus: this. The Revised Version ree.de, "And "And that which was left between the side the Bide chambers were broader as they chambers of the house and the cells (along encompassed the hmue higher and higher; the inner court wall) was twenty cubits for the encompassing of the house went round a.bout the house on every side." higher e.nd higher round about the hones ; Interpreters who reject this combination of therefore the breadth of the house continued the verses explain ver. 10 as a statement of upward; e.nd so one went up (most likely the distance between the outside wall of the by a spiral stair) from the lowest chamber side chambers and the cells of the inner to the highest by the middle chamber." court. Between the two lay the wideness Ver. 8 explains that " the house" did not of twenty oubits; i.e. a free space of such stand upon the level ground, but, like many breadth on the north, south, and west sides temple buildings in antiquity (see Schurer, of the house. in Riebm's • Handworterbnch,' art. "Tem- Ver. 11.-The place tha.t was left hu pc:l Se.lomo "), upon a height-or, raised been differently explained (see above on basement (Revised Version)-rouud about, ver. 9): but on any hypothesis the side which agrees with the statement in ob. xl. chambers opened on the free space towards 49 that the temple was approached by the north and towards the south1 i.e. one means of a stair. In consequence of this, row of chambers was entered by a door from the foundations of the side chambers were the south, another by a door from the north, e. ~ reed of m great cubit• ; or, of ,w The corridor into which the chambers cc:¼u to tlu joining (Revised Venion); "idx opened-whether between them and tho cu. XLt.1-26,] TRt BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL.