Albert Barnes

I saw that the temple had a raised base all around it, forming the foundation of the side rooms. It was the full length of a rod, six long cubits.

“The foundations of the side chambers - Therefore the height of the side-chambers from the floor was six cubits there being three stories, which corresponds sufficiently with the twenty cubits which was the height of the temple.”

The width of the temple courtyard on the east, including the front of the temple, was a hundred cubits.

“Toward the east - The separate place was measured on its eastern side, for the western was not approachable for the purpose of measurement.”

Next he measured the length of the building facing the temple courtyard at the rear of the temple, including its galleries on each side; it was a hundred cubits.

“The description of certain details is introduced by a summary statement of what had been already done.”

as well as the thresholds and the beveled windows and the galleries all around with their three levels opposite the threshold, were overlaid with wood on all sides.

“Galleries - The upper story of the side-chambers was probably built in the form of an open gallery.”

The outer sanctuary had a rectangular doorframe, and the doorframe of the sanctuary was similar.

“The posts - Not the word used before (see Eze 40:9 note). These “posts” are rather pilasters forming part of the inner walls. The appearance ... other - i.”

There was an altar of wood three cubits high and two cubits square. Its corners, base, and sides were of wood.

“The altar of wood - The altar for incense (marginal reference); “altar of gold” (see 1Ki 7:48). Walls - The corner pieces of the altar, rising into projections called in Exodus horns, here corners. Table - “table and altar” were convertible terms Mal 1:7.”

Then the man led me out northward into the outer court, and he brought me to the group of chambers opposite the temple courtyard and the outer wall on the…

“Utter court - Outward court, so Eze 42:3. Into the chamber ... before the building - to the chambers (See L, Plan II)... over against etc.”

The building with the door facing north was a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide.

“He brought me “before” a row of chambers 100 cubits long, east and west. “The door” of which lay on the north side of the chambers.”

Gallery faced gallery in three levels opposite the twenty cubits that belonged to the inner court and opposite the pavement that belonged to the outer court.

“These “chambers” (compare Eze 46:19) did not reach to the western wall; between it and them lay a court for cooking (M), probably forty cubits by thirty; such court with its approaches filled up the corner of fifty cubits square, as in the case of…”

In front of the chambers was an inner walkway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits long. Their doors were on the north.

“Or, In the front “of the chambers” was a gangway “of ten cubits” breadth (leading) “inward,” a path “of one cubit, and their doors toward the north.””

Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space from the chambers on the lower and middle floors of the building.

“Render: “And the upper chambers were” shortened, for galleries took off from them, from “the lower” and from “the middle-most, chambers, of the building.””

For they were arranged in three stories, and unlike the courts, they had no pillars. So the upper chambers were set back further than the lower and middle floors.

“The front of the higher stories was not supported on pillars, but there was a narrowing from “the lowest” (chambers) “and” from “the middlemost” (chambers) “from the ground.””

An outer wall in front of the chambers was fifty cubits long and ran parallel to the chambers and the outer court.

“The “wall” here must be one from north to south, fencing off from the outer court the passage along the east side of the chambers, and therefore fifty cubits long.”

For the chambers on the outer court were fifty cubits long, while those facing the temple were a hundred cubits long.

“The length - From north to south. Before the temple - This describes their position in a general way; more precisely they lay over against partly the “separate place” and partly the “temple-court” Eze 42:1.”

And below these chambers was the entrance on the east side as one enters them from the outer court.

“The entry from these chambers to the temple-court was by a passage lying to the east fenced off by the “wall” Eze 42:7.”

On the south side along the length of the wall of the outer court were chambers adjoining the courtyard and opposite the building,

“Render it: Breadth-wise (was) the wall Eze 42:7 toward the east; in front of the separate place and of the building (were) the chambers: i.”

with a passageway in front of them, just like the chambers that were on the north. They had the same length and width, with similar exits and dimensions.

“Translate: And along the front of them - like (literally as the appearance of) the chambers which were toward the north, as long as they and as broad as they, and (like) all their goings out, and like their fashions, and like their doors, even…”

Then the man said to me, “The north and south chambers facing the temple courtyard are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the LORD will eat the most…

“In Lev 10:13 it was prescribed that the priests should eat of the sacrifices in the “holy place.” This was originally before the altar in the inner court - now separate chambers are assigned, and these become “the holy place” for this purpose.”

Now when the man had finished measuring the interior of the temple area, he led me out by the gate that faced east, and he measured the area all around:

“The Precincts. The temple and its courts were surrounded by an area of exact dimensions 3,000 cubits (1,500 yards) square. See Plan IV.”

While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple,

“The man - A “man.” Probably an angel different from “the man” who had hitherto accompanied the seer. That angel guided, measured, and explained; this is present only to guide.”

and He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the…

“He said - i. e., God “said.” Both the Septuagint and the Vulgate break this verse into two, so as to make the first half the solemn words of dedication.”

These are the measurements of the altar in long cubits (a cubit and a handbreadth): Its gutter shall be a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of…

“The altar of sacrifice which stood in the inner court, not the altar of incense described Eze 41:22.”

The space from the gutter on the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the ledge one cubit wide.

“The bottom - The basement just described is now called “the bottom upon the ground.” The altar (independently of the bottom) was composed of two stages called “settles,” the base of the “upper settle” (M) being less than that of the “lower” (L).”

The altar hearth shall be four cubits high, and four horns shall project upward from the hearth.

“The altar ... the altar - See the margin. The two words may denote, the first a square block (N) placed upon the upper settle, the second a slab (O), the thickness of which is not given, from which rose four horns Exo 27:2; and…”

The ledge shall also be square, fourteen cubits long and fourteen cubits wide, with a rim of half a cubit and a gutter of a cubit all around it.

“The settle - The “lower settle” (L), projecting beyond the “upper settle” (M) one cubit on every side. His stairs - Jewish tradition says that the approach to the altar was by an inclined plane, because to go up “by steps” was forbidden Exo 20:26.”