Ezekiel 40:14

14. Eze_40:14 is obscure. In the first place “he made” is suspicious, everywhere else it is “he measured.” In the second place the number 60 cubits is incomprehensible. The idea that the “posts” were prolonged into pillars of such a height is altogether improbable. Besides, the “posts” are accurately distinguished from pillars, for which another word is employed (Eze_40:49). It is to be observed that the measurer first passes in from E. to W. along one side of the gateway, mentioning the different things with their dimensions of which it was composed. Having reached the porch at the inner end he returns, noting that the two sides of the gateway were in all respects alike. Then from Eze_40:11 onwards he gives measurements of the breadth of various parts of the gateway, the entrance (Eze_40:11), the contraction opposite the guardrooms (Eze_40:12), and finally the breadth of the whole gate building (v, 13). While, however, the breadth of all other parts of the gateway has been given, that of the “porch” at the inner end has not been mentioned, though its length from E. to W., Fig. 1, mn, was stated to be 8 cubits (Eze_40:8-9). It is probable, therefore, that Eze_40:14 supplies this measurement. Render: and he measured the porch, 20 cubits—reading porch (ailam), for posts (ailim), and 20 for 60, in both cases with LXX. The 20 are inside measurement, N. to S.; 22 might have been expected, for the back wall of the guardrooms was 1½ cubits, but a chamber like the porch used for assemblies and feasts (Eze_44:3) might well have a wall of 2½ cubits thick, as in point of fact the wall to the W. was two cubits (Eze_40:9).

even unto the post … gate] At any rate with present pointing: and unto (touching on) the post was the court … gate. It is probable, however, that “post” is either repetition of unto, and should be struck out, or else that it is a consequence of the false reading “posts” in first clause, and should be read “porch” as there (so in Eze_40:37). The latter is more probable: and unto (adjoining) the porch was the court, round about the gate. The omission of prep. before “gate” is difficult, but cf. acc. 1Ki_6:5, and the more remarkable case Eze_43:17. LXX. read differently, and Syr. wants the clause.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eze 40:14 He made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate.

Ver. 14. Even unto the post,] i.e., The height was the same everywhere. See these things best set forth by pictures at the end of Castalio’s and Lavater’s annotations on the text.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He made also posts of threescore cubits,.... Jerom thinks, that between the outward wall which surrounded this building, and the building itself, these posts or pillars were placed for ornament, which took up the space of sixty cubits; but rather these design the posts or columns of the gate, which supported the arch over it, on which were rooms or stories, and these were sixty cubits high; for of their height is this measure to be understood. So the Targum,

"and he made posts, sixty cubits was their height;''

in the Targum, in the Polyglot Bible by Montanus, it is,

"and he made sixty posts, their height a cubit:''

and to this agree Jarchi and Kimchi; these were thirty five yards high, the height of the temple ordered to be built by Cyrus, Ezr 6:3. The man that measured is said to "make" these posts, he being the builder as well as the measurer of this edifice; and might be said to make these as, by measuring, he pointed out the size and proportion of them: these posts may design the true members of Gospel churches, such who are pillars in the house of God; of which see more on Eze 40:16, compare the phrase of "making" these posts or pillars with Rev 3:12,

even unto the post of the court round about the gate; that is, there was the same measure to every post or pillar in every court, at every gate round about; at the southern and northern gates, as at this eastern one; they were all exactly of the same measure as the posts in this; so Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Cubits high, or else the elevation is nowhere specified. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He made; measured, and thereby showed what kind of posts they should be.

Posts of threescore cubits: if this might be interpreted by Cyrus’s edict for building this fabric sixty cubits high, it would be a clear confirmation of the Divine mission of the prophet, and the certainty of a future performance of the good he promised in God’s name, when it appears so evident that he had so long before declared to what height the building should be raised by license from Cyrus. But more like it is that it refers to the height of this gate, built up two stories above the arch, and the posts in their height are only mentioned, but imply all the rest of the building over the east gate. These high columns or posts on the inner front of this gate were so disposed, that the last on each side was very near to the first post, or pillar of the court on either side of the gate; and so the posts, and buildings laid on those posts, joined on each side of this gate.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

14. R.V. reads, “He made also posts, threescore cubits; and the court reached unto the post, the gate being round about.” Davidson and Toy, following LXX., read “porch, or vestibule” (ailam) for posts (ailim), and “twenty” for threescore.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He made also posts. In using the verb "made" the prophet either went back in thought to the time when the man who then explained the building had fashioned it (Hengstenberg); or he employed the term in the sense of constituit, i.e. fixed or estimated, "inasmuch as such a height could not be measured from the bottom to the top with the measuring-red" (Keil). The "posts," the of ver. 9, were sixty cubits high, and corresponded to the towers in modern churches. To the objection sometimes urged against what is called the "exaggerated" height of these columns, Kliefoth replies, "If it had been considered that our church towers have grown up out of gate-pillars, that one can see, not merely in Egyptian obelisks and Turkish minarets, but also in our own hollow factory chimneys, how upon a base of two cubits, square pillars of sixty cubits high can be erected, and that finally the talk is of a colossal building seen in vision, no critical difficulties would have been discovered in this statement as to height." The last clause, even unto the post of the court round about the gate, should read, and the court reached unto the post (lyia being used collectively), the gate being round about (Revised Version); or, the court round about the gate reached to the pillars (Keil); or, at the pillar the court was round about the gate (Kliefoth). The sense is, that the court lay round about the inner egress from the gate. The Authorized Version, with which Dr. Currey, in the "Speaker"s Commentary," agrees, thinks of an inner hall between the porch of the gate and the two most western guard-chambers, round the sides of which the sixty-cubit columns stood. Ewald, following the corrupt text of the LXX, translates, "And the threshold of the outer vestibule twenty cubits, the gate court abutting on the chambers round about."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He made - Measured, and thereby shewed what kind of posts they should be. Threescore cubits - Probably this refers to the height of this gate built up two stories above the arch, and the posts in their height are only mentioned, but imply all the rest of the building over the east gate. Unto the post - These high columns, on the inner front of this gate were so disposed, that the last on each side was very near the first post, or pillar of the court on either side of the gate, and so the posts and buildings laid on those posts joined on each side of this gate.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

guard chambers

See how you translated this in Ezekiel 40:7.

sixty cubits

about 32 meters (See: Biblical Distance)

cubits

See how you translated these "long" cubits in Ezekiel 40:05.

portico

This was a covering in front of an entrance with columns or posts for support. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 8:16.

fifty cubits

about 27 meters

closed windows

Possible meanings are 1) "closed windows" or 2) "windows with shutters" or 3) "narrow windows."

likewise for the porches

"the porches also had closed windows all around"

each jamb

jambs are the sides of a wooden frame of a door

translationWords

palm

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And he made the pillars sixty cubits The height of the pillars of the posts of the hall was sixty cubits.

and [likewise] to the pillars of the court [and of] the gates all around And the same was for all the pillars that were in all the halls of the gates all around. For also in the north and in the south the gates were constructed like this gate, as is delineated in this account.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.