The Man with a Measuring Rod
(Zechariah 2:1–5)

1In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was captured, on this very day, the hand of YHWH was upon me, and He took me there. 2In visions of God, He brought me to the land of Israel, and made me rest on a very high mountain; and on it was like the structure of a city on the south.

3And He brought me there, and behold, a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, and He had a cord of flax in his hand, and a rod for measuring, and he was standing in the gateway. 4And the man said to me: “Son of man, look with your eyes, and with your ears hear, and set your heart to all that I am going to show you; for that I might show it to you, you were brought here. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel!”

The East Gate

5And behold, a wall on the outside of the temple all around, and in the hand of the man was a rod measuring six cubits,† by a cubit and a handbreadth. And he measured the width of the structure, one rod, and the height, one rod.

6And he went to the gateway of which its face was toward the east, and he went up on its steps and measured the threshold of the gateway, one rod deep, even one threshold, one rod deep. 7And the gate chamber was one rod long, and one rod wide; and between the gate chambers five cubits;† and the threshold of the gateway by the porch of the gate inside was one rod. 8And He measured the porch of the gate inside, one rod. 9And he measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits;† and the gateposts, two cubits;† and the porch of the gateway was on the inside.

10And the chambers of the gateway toward the east were three on this side, and three on this side; a single measure unto the three, and a single measure was unto the gateposts on this side and on this side. 11And He measured the width of the entrance of the gateway, ten cubits,† and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.†

12And there was a space before the face of the gate chambers, one cubit and one cubit on this side, and the chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on this side. 13And he measured the gateway from the roof of the one chamber to the roof of the, and the width was twenty-five cubits,† door over against door.

14And He measured the porticos,† sixty cubits high,† and to the gatepost of the court was the gateway all around. 15And from the front of the gate at the entrance to the front of the porch of the inner gate was fifty cubits.†

16And were beveled windows in the gate chambers,† and in their side pillars on the inside of the gateway all around, and likewise in the porticos; and were windows all around on the inside, and on each side pillar were palm trees.

The Outer Court

17And he brought me into the outer court, and behold, chambers, and a pavement made for the court all around; thirty chambers were toward the pavement. 18And the pavement was by the side of the gateways corresponding to the length of the gateways; this was the lower pavement.

19And he measured the width from the front of the lower gateway to the front of the inner court on the outside, a hundred cubits† toward the east and the north.

The North Gate

20And the gateway of the outer court that had its face toward the north, he also measured its length and its width. 21And its chambers were three on this side and three on this side; and for its side pillars and its porticos it was according to the measure of the first gate—fifty cubits its length, and its width five and twenty by the cubit. 22And its windows, and its porticos, and its palm trees, were according to the measure of the gateway that had its face toward the east; and with seven steps they ascend on it, and its portico was opposite them.

23And a gate was for the inner court opposite the gateway to the north, like that to the east; and he measured from gateway to gateway a hundred cubits.

The South Gate

24And he brought me toward the south, and behold, a gateway toward the south, and he measured its side pillars and its porticos according to these measurements. 25And windows were for it and for its porticos all around, like these windows—fifty cubits was its length, and its width five and twenty cubits. 26And seven steps were its ascent, and its portico was in front of them; and palm trees were unto it, one on this side, and one on this side, on its side pillars.

27And a gateway was for the inner court toward the south, and he measured from gateway to gateway toward the south, a hundred cubits.

The Gates of the Inner Court

28And he brought me to the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate according to these measurements. 29And its gate chambers and its side pillars and its porticos were also according to these measurements. Windows were for it and for its porticos all around—fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits wide. And porticos were all around, five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits wide.† 31And its porticos were toward the outer court; palm trees were on its side pillars, and eight steps were its ascent.

32And he brought me into the inner court toward the east, and he measured the gateway according to these measurements. 33And its gate chambers and its side pillars and its porticos were also according to these measurements. And windows were for it and for its porticos all around, fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits wide. 34And its porticos were toward the outer court; palm trees were on its side pillars on this side and on this side, and eight steps were its ascent.

35And he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it according to these measurements— 36its gate chambers its side pillars and its porticos. And windows were for it all around; its length was fifty cubits, and its width five and twenty cubits. 37And its porticos† were toward the outer court; palm trees were on its side pillars on this side and on this side, and eight steps were its ascent.

Eight Tables for Sacrifices

38And a chamber and its entrance were by the porticos† of the gateways, where they washed the burnt offering. 39And in the portico of the gateway were two tables on this side and two tables on this side, to slaughter on them the burnt offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering.

40And at the shoulder on the outside, as one goes up to the entrance of the north gateway, were two tables; and on the other side of the portico of the gateway were two tables. 41Four tables were on this side, and four tables on this side, by the side of the gateway—eight tables, and on them they slaughtered.

42And four tables were for the burnt offering, hewn stones one cubit and a half long, and one cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high;† and on them they laid the instruments with which they slaughtered the burnt offering and the sacrifice.

43And hooks,† one handbreadth,† were fastened on the inside all around; and on the tables was the flesh of the sacrifices.

Chambers for Ministry

44And on the outside of the inner gate were two chambers in the inner court,† at the side of the gateway to the north; and their faces were toward the south, one at the side of the south† gate were facing toward the north.

45And he said to me, “This chamber that faces toward the south is for the priests keeping guard of the temple. 46And the chamber that faces toward the north is for the priests keeping guard of the altar; they are the sons of Zadok, those coming near from all the sons of Levi, unto YHWH to minister to Him.”

The Inner Court

47And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits wide, being square; and the altar was before the face of the temple.

48And he brought me to the portico of the temple, and he measured the doorposts of the portico, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on this side; and the width of the gateway was fourteen cubits and its sidewalls were three cubits on this side, and three cubits on this side.† 49The length of the portico was twenty cubits,† and the width was twelve cubits,† and by the ten steps that they went up to it;† and pillars were by the doorposts, one on this side, and one on this side.

Footnotes:

5 6 long cubits, the length of the reed used for measuring, is approximately 10.5 feet or 3.2 meters; similarly in verses 6, 7, and 12. The long cubit of about 21 inches or 53.3 centimeters is the basic unit of length throughout Ezekiel 40 to 48.
7 5 (long) cubits is approximately 8.75 feet or 2.7 meters; also in verses 30 and 48.
9 8 (long) cubits is approximately 14 feet or 4.3 meters.
9 2 (long) cubits is approximately 3.5 feet or 1.1 meters.
11 10 (long) cubits is approximately 17.5 feet or 5.3 meters.
11 13 (long) cubits is approximately 22.75 feet or 6.9 meters.
13 25 (long) cubits is approximately 43.75 feet or 13.3 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 30, 33, and 36.
14 Hebrew jambs
14 60 (long) cubits is approximately 105 feet or 32 meters.
15 50 (long) cubits is approximately 87.5 feet or 26.7 meters; also in verses 21, 25, 29, 33, and 36.
16 Or gateposts or jambs or projecting walls; here and throughout Ezekiel 40 and 41.
19 100 (long) cubits is approximately 175 feet or 53.3 meters; also in verses 23, 27, and 47.
30 The porticoes were approximately 43.75 feet long and 8.75 feet deep (13.3 meters long and 2.7 meters deep).
37 LXX and Vulgate (see also verses 26, 31, and 34); Hebrew jambs or dividing wall
38 Hebrew by the jambs; see verse 14
42 The tables were approximately 2.6 feet in length and width, and 1.75 feet high (79.2 centimeters in length and width, and 53.3 centimeters high).
43 Or shelves
43 A handbreadth is approximately 2.9 inches or 7.4 centimeters long.
44 LXX; Hebrew within the inner court were chambers for the singers
44 LXX; Hebrew the east
48 LXX; the gateway was approximately 24.5 feet or 7.5 meters wide, with sidewalls approximately 5.25 feet or 1.6 meters wide on either side. Hebrew and the width of the gateway was three cubits on either side.
49 20 (long) cubits is approximately 35 feet or 10.7 meters.
49 LXX; 12 (long) cubits is approximately 21 feet or 6.4 meters; Hebrew eleven cubits deep; that is, approximately 19.25 feet or 5.9 meters.
49 LXX; Hebrew and by the steps that went up to it