King James Version
Ezekiel 41
26 verses with commentary
The Inner Temple
Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle.
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And the breadth of the door was ten cubits; and the sides of the door were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side: and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits: and the breadth, twenty cubits. door: or, entrance
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Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits.
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So he measured the length thereof, twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple: and he said unto me, This is the most holy place.
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After he measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the breadth of every side chamber, four cubits, round about the house on every side.
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And the side chambers were three, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which was of the house for the side chambers round about, that they might have hold, but they had not hold in the wall of the house. one: Heb. side chamber over side chamber thirty: or, three and thirty times, or, foot have hold: Heb. be holden
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And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house was still upward, and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst. there: Heb. it was made broader, and went round
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I saw also the height of the house round about: the foundations of the side chambers were a full reed of six great cubits.
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The thickness of the wall, which was for the side chamber without, was five cubits: and that which was left was the place of the side chambers that were within.
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That which was left was the place of the side chambers that were within—these tsela'ot (צְלָעוֹת, side chambers/ribs) provided storage for temple vessels and priests' needs. The architectural precision mirrors Solomon's temple (1 Kings 6:5-6) but with eschatological perfection, pointing to the church as God's carefully structured dwelling (Ephesians 2:19-22).
And between the chambers was the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.
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And the doors of the side chambers were toward the place that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south: and the breadth of the place that was left was five cubits round about.
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The breadth of the place that was left was five cubits round about—this reserved space provided circulation and light, preventing the claustrophobic darkness that would dishonor God's dwelling. The repeated five-cubit measurement throughout the vision emphasizes divine order and mathematical perfection in God's design.
Now the building that was before the separate place at the end toward the west was seventy cubits broad; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick round about, and the length thereof ninety cubits.
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The western orientation is significant: the Most Holy Place faced east, so this building formed a protective barrier preventing western approach (the direction of pagan nations and setting sun). It symbolizes how God's holiness requires boundaries against defilement, fulfilled in Christ who sanctifies and separates His people from the world (John 17:14-19).
So he measured the house, an hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with the walls thereof, an hundred cubits long;
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Also the breadth of the face of the house, and of the separate place toward the east, an hundred cubits.
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The Hebrew panim (פָּנִים, face) suggests the temple's 'countenance' turned toward God's coming—a posture of expectant worship. The church likewise awaits Christ's return from the east (Matthew 24:27), maintaining readiness through faithful worship and witness.
And he measured the length of the building over against the separate place which was behind it, and the galleries thereof on the one side and on the other side, an hundred cubits, with the inner temple, and the porches of the court; galleries: or, several walks, or, walks with pillars
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The door posts, and the narrow windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the door, cieled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows, and the windows were covered; cieled: Heb. cieling of wood and from: or, and the ground unto the windows
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Cieled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows—the Hebrew sechuphe etz (שְׂחֻפֵה עֵץ, paneled with wood) recalls Solomon's temple's cedar and cypress paneling (1 Kings 6:15). Such costly adornment demonstrates that God deserves humanity's finest craftsmanship and materials. The church, as God's temple, should likewise pursue excellence in worship while remembering that true beauty is spiritual holiness (1 Peter 3:3-4).
To that above the door, even unto the inner house, and without, and by all the wall round about within and without, by measure. measure: Heb. measures
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This comprehensive measurement 'within and without' demonstrates that God's standards govern both visible external appearance and hidden internal reality—a principle echoed in Jesus's condemnation of Pharisaic externalism (Matthew 23:25-28). True holiness must permeate every dimension of God's people, not merely their public presentation.
And it was made with cherubims and palm trees, so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two faces;
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So that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side: it was made through all the house round about.
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It was made through all the house round about—the repeated pattern throughout the temple emphasized that God's people should combine wisdom, strength, and spiritual fruitfulness. These same four living creatures appear in Ezekiel 1:10 and Revelation 4:7, symbolizing the fullness of creation worshiping God. Christ embodies all these attributes: the perfect Man, the Lion of Judah, and the fruitful Tree of Life.
From the ground unto above the door were cherubims and palm trees made, and on the wall of the temple.
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The posts of the temple were squared, and the face of the sanctuary; the appearance of the one as the appearance of the other. posts: Heb. post
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The altar of wood was three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the table that is before the LORD.
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And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors.
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And the doors had two leaves apiece, two turning leaves; two leaves for the one door, and two leaves for the other door.
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Only those properly consecrated could enter beyond certain points in the temple. This dual reality—access and restriction—is perfectly resolved in Christ, who is both the Door (John 10:9) and the Way (John 14:6): open to all who come by faith, closed to those who reject Him.
And there were made on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubims and palm trees, like as were made upon the walls; and there were thick planks upon the face of the porch without.
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And there were narrow windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch, and upon the side chambers of the house, and thick planks.
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Palm trees symbolized victory and righteousness in temple decoration (1 Kings 6:29, 32, Psalm 92:12). Narrow windows allowed light while maintaining holiness/separation. And upon the side chambers of the house, and thick planks—צַלְעוֹת הַבַּיִת (ṣalʿôt habbayit, 'side chambers of the house') with עָבִים (ʿābîm, 'thick planks/beams'). This millennial temple vision's precision demonstrates God's attention to detail in worship spaces. Every element—windows, palm trees, chambers, planks—reflects divine design for His dwelling place.