Ezekiel 42:15
Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
Ezekiel's temple vision (chapters 40-48) far exceeds Solomon's temple in size and glory. The measurements given here (500 reeds × 500 reeds, approximately 3,000 feet per side if using the long cubit) would create a temple complex larger than the entire ancient city of Jerusalem. This has led interpreters to see the vision as either idealized (showing what the second temple should have been), eschatological (the millennial temple), or symbolic (representing the church or new creation). Regardless, the exiles would understand: God's future dwelling with His people will be greater than anything in the past. The eastern gate's prominence connects to God's glory departing eastward before judgment (10:18-19, 11:23) and returning from the east in restoration (43:1-5). The same direction Babylon lay—God would return from the direction of exile.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the transition from measuring the inner house to the outer perimeter teach about God's holistic concern for His dwelling?
- How does the vastness of this temple complex shape your vision of God's ultimate plan for dwelling with His people?
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Analysis & Commentary
Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about. The bayit hapenimiy (בַּיִת הַפְּנִימִי, "inner house") refers to the temple proper—the holy place and most holy place, now fully measured. The angelic guide now leads Ezekiel to measure the outer perimeter, moving toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, the main entrance where God's glory would enter (43:1-4).
The verb kalah (כָּלָה, "made an end") signals completion of the interior measurements—every detail recorded, nothing overlooked. God's concern for precision teaches that worship according to divine specifications matters. The phrase measured it round about (saviv saviv, סָבִיב סָבִיב—emphatic repetition) indicates comprehensive measurement of the entire temple complex perimeter. This extensive measuring demonstrated the temple's vast scale, dwarfing even Solomon's temple, signaling the eschatological glory of God's future dwelling among His people.