Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1712)

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E Z E K I E L.

CHAP. XLII.

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This chapter continues and concludes the describing and measuring of

this mystical temple, which it is very hard to understand the

particular architecture of, and yet more hard to comprehend the

mystical meaning of. Here is,

I. A description of the chambers that were about the courts, their

situation and structure

(ver. 1-13),

and the uses for which they were designed,

ver. 13, 14.

II. A survey of the whole compass of ground which was taken up with the

house, and the courts belonging to it,

ver. 15-20.

The Vision of the Temple.	B. C. 574.

     

1 Then he brought me forth into the utter court, the way toward

the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over

against the separate place, and which was before the building

toward the north.

  2 Before the length of a hundred cubits was the north door,

and the breadth was fifty cubits.

  3 Over against the twenty cubits which were for the inner

court, and over against the pavement which was for the utter

court, was gallery against gallery in three stories.

  4 And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits breadth

inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors toward the north.

  5 Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were

higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the

building.

  6 For they were in three stories, but had not pillars as

the pillars of the courts: therefore the building was

straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the

ground.

  7 And the wall that was without over against the chambers,

toward the utter court on the forepart of the chambers, the

length thereof was fifty cubits.

  8 For the length of the chambers that were in the utter court

was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were a hundred

cubits.

  9 And from under these chambers was the entry on the east

side, as one goeth into them from the utter court.

  10 The chambers were in the thickness of the wall of the

court toward the east, over against the separate place, and over

against the building.

  11 And the way before them was like the appearance of the

chambers which were toward the north, as long as they, and as

broad as they: and all their goings out were both according to

their fashions, and according to their doors.

  12 And according to the doors of the chambers that were

toward the south was a door in the head of the way, even the

way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth

into them.

  13 Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south

chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy

chambers, where the priests that approach unto the LORD shall eat

the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things,

and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass

offering; for the place is holy.

  14 When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out

of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall

lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy;

and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those

things which are for the people.

     

The prophet has taken a very exact view of the temple and the buildings

belonging to it, and is now brought again into the outer court, to

observe the chambers that were in that square.

     

I. Here is a description of these chambers, which (as that which went

before) seems to us very perplexed and intricate, through our

unacquaintedness with the Hebrew language and the rules of architecture

at that time. We shall only observe, in general,

1. That about the temple, which was the place of public worship, there

were private chambers, to teach us that our attendance upon God in

solemn ordinances will not excuse us from the duties of the closet. We

must not only worship in the courts of God’s house, but must, both

before and after our attendance there, enter into our chambers, enter

into our closets, and read and meditate, and pray to our Father in

secret; and a great deal of comfort the people of God have found in

their communion with God in solitude.

2. That these chambers were many; there were three stories of

them, and, though the higher stories were not so large as the lower,

yet they served as well for retirement,

v. 5, 6.

There were many, that there might be conveniences for all such devout

people as Anna the prophetess, who departed not from the temple

night or day,
Luke ii. 37.

In my Father’s house are many mansions. In his house on earth

there are so; multitudes by faith have taken lodgings in his sanctuary,

and yet there is room.

3. That these chambers, though they were private, yet were near the

temple, within view of it, within reach of it, to teach us to prefer

public worship before private (the Lord loves the gates of Zion more

than all the dwellings of Jacob, and so must we), and to refer our

private worship to the public. Our religious performances in our

chambers must be to prepare us for the exercises of devotion in public,

and to further us in our improvement of them, as our opportunities are.

4. That before these chambers there were walks of five yards

broad

(v. 4),

in which those that had lodgings in these chambers might meet for

conversation, might walk and talk together for their mutual

edification, might communicate their knowledge and experiences. For we

are not to spend all our time between the church and the chamber,

though a great deal of time may be spent to very good purpose in both.

But man is made for society, and Christians for the communion of

saints; and the duties of that communion we must make conscience of,

and the privileges and pleasures of that communion we must take the

comfort of. It is promised to Joshua, who was high priest in the second

temple, that God will give him places to walk in among those that

stand by,
Zech. iii. 7.

     

II. Here is the use of these chambers appointed,

v. 13, 14.

1. They were for the priests that approach unto the Lord, that

they may be always near their business and may not be non-residents.

Therefore they are called holy chambers, because they

were for use of those that ministered in holy things during their

ministration. Those that have public work to do for God and the souls

of men have need to be much in private, to fit themselves for it.

Ministers should spend much time in their chambers, in reading,

meditation, and prayer, that their profiting may appear; and

they ought to be provided with conveniences for this purpose.

2. There the priests were to deposit the most holy things, those

parts of the offerings which fell to their share; and there they were

to eat them, they and their families, in a religious manner, for

the place is holy; and thus they must make a difference between

those feasts upon the sacrifice and other meals.

3. There (among other uses) they were to lay their vestments, which God

had appointed them to wear when they ministered at the altar, their

linen ephods, coats, girdles, and bonnets. We read of the providing of

priests garments after their return out of captivity,

Neh. vii. 70, 72.

When they had ended their service at the altar they must lay by those

garments, to signify that the use of them should continue only during

that dispensation; but they must put on other garments, such as

other people wear, when they approached to those things which were

for the people, that is, to do that part of their service which

related to the people, to teach them the law and to answer their

enquiries. Their holy garments must be laid up, that they may be

kept clean and decent for the credit of their service.

The Vision of the Temple.	B. C. 574.

     

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.

  16 He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five

hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.

  17 He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the

measuring reed round about.

  18 He measured the south side, five hundred reeds, with the

measuring reed.

  19 He turned about to the west side, and measured five

hundred reeds with the measuring reed.

  20 He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about,

five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a

separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.

     

We have attended the measuring of this mystical temple and are now to

see how far the holy ground on which we tread extends; and that also is

here measured, and found to take in a great compass. Observe,

1. What the dimensions of it were. It extended each way 500 reeds

(v. 16-19),

each reed above three yards and a half, so that it reached every way

about an English measured mile, which, the ground lying square, was

above four miles round. Thus large were the suburbs (as I may call

them) of this mystical temple, signifying the great extent of the

church in gospel-times, when all nations should be discipled and the

kingdoms of the world made Christ’s kingdoms. Room should be made in

God’s courts for the numerous forces of the Gentiles that shall flow

into them, as was foretold,

Isa. xlix. 18; lx. 4.

It is in part fulfilled already in the accession of the Gentiles to the

church; and we trust it shall have a more full accomplishment when the

fulness of the Gentiles shall come in and all Israel shall be

saved.

2. Why the dimensions of it were made thus large. It was to make a

separation, by putting a very large distance between the

sanctuary and the profane place; and therefore there

was a wall surrounding it, to keep off those that were unclean and to

separate between the previous and the vile. Note, A difference

is to be put between common and sacred things, between God’s name and

other names, between his day and other days, his book and other books,

his institutions and other observances; and a distance is to be put

between our worldly and religious actions, so as still to go about the

worship of God with a solemn pause.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1712)

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