Ezekiel 36

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Oracles of Restoration (33:1-:39:29)
The Mountains of Israel To Be Blessed	Blessing On Israel	Prophecy To the Mountains of Israel	God's Blessing on Israel	Prophecy About the Mountains of Israel
36:1-12	36:1-7	36:1-7	36:1-4	36:1-5
			36:5
			36:6-12	36:6-7
	36:8-15	36:8-12		36:8-12
36:13-15		36:13-15	36:13-15	36:13-15
	The Renewal of Israel		Israel's New Life
36:16-21	36:16-21	36:16-21	36:16-21	36:16-32
Israel To Be Renewed for His Name's Sake
36:22-32	36:22-32	36:22-32	36:22-32
36:33-36	36:33-36	33:33-36	36:33-36	36:33-36
36:37-38	36:37-38	36:37-38	36:37-38	36:37-38

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

BACKGROUND

It must be remembered that these chapters fall into the major literary unit of chapters 33-39, which are an emphasis on God restoring His people and their land.

A. Chapter 36 is a personification of the land with its renewed blessings (cf. Deuteronomy 27-28).

B. Chapter 37 is a metaphor of the national restoration amidst the death of exile.

C. Both of these chapters are historical precursors of future events.

1. post-exilic restoration under Zerubbbel

2. Pentecost, where believing Jews received the Spirit (Heb. 8:6-13)

3. eschatological setting (Romans 9-11)

D. A quote from Norman H. Snaith, The Distinctive Ideas of the Old Testament, has a good word about this chapter.

"Arising, then, out of this sure, unswerving love of God, we get the doctrine of the Remnant, and with it the belief that God Himself will accomplish in Israel that repentance and turning to Him without which there can never be any hope of better days, or indeed any Remnant. God will indeed find in Israel that righteousness which He demands, but it will not be of Israel's doing, even supposing that it is of Israel's desiring. It will be because God's sure love will find a way. Herein are the beginnings of those doctrines of the Christian Faith which we sons of the Reformation know assuredly to be at the root of the Gospel, in chief, Salvation by Faith alone, and through Grace, for even the first stirrings towards repentance in the human heart are the work of God Himself" (p. 122).

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:36:1-12
¹"And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. ²Thus says the Lord God, "Because the enemy has spoken against you, 'Aha!' and, 'The everlasting heights have become our possession,' ³therefore prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord God, "For good reason they have made you desolate and crushed you from every side, that you would become a possession of the rest of the nations and you have been taken up in the talk and the whispering of the people."'" ⁴Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the forsaken cities which have become a prey and a derision to the rest of the nations which are round about, ⁵therefore thus says the Lord God, "Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey." ⁶Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, "Thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My wrath because you have endured the insults of the nations.' ⁷Therefore thus says the Lord God, 'I have sworn that surely the nations which are around you will themselves endure their insults. ⁸But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come. ⁹For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you will be cultivated and sown. ¹⁰I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited and the waste places will be rebuilt. ¹¹I will multiply on you man and beast; and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited as you were formerly and will treat you better than at the first. Thus you will know that I am the Lord. ¹²Yes, I will cause men—My people Israel—to walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their inheritance and never again bereave them of children.'"

36:1 As usual Ezekiel starts a new vision with YHWH addressing him directly (i.e., "son of man"). This literary marker is usually accompanied by imperatives. In this chapter

1. prophesy, BDB 612, KB 655, Niphal imperative, cf. vv. 3,6 (Niphal perfect in 4:7)

2. say, BDB 55, KB 65, Qal perfect (often Qal imperative in 12:10,11,23,28; 17:9,12)

3. hear, BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal perfect, cf. 13:2 where all three are used. This command is repeated in v. 4.

▣ "O mountains of Israel" Earlier in Ezekiel's prophecies (chapter 6) this same idiom (unique in Ezekiel) is negative (i.e., judgment).

36:2 The arrogance of the surrounding nations over the demise of YHWH's people and their annexing her lands causes Him to act!

▣ "Aha" This interjection (BDB 210) expresses joy at another's demise (cf. Ps. 35:21,25; Ezek. 25:3; 26:2; 36:2).

▣ "the everlasting heights" Often the mountains are used as one of God's two permanent witnesses, but here they are used as a personification of Israel and the blessings to come. It is ironical that the same word "heights," bamoth (BDB 119), was used of the high places of Canaanite fertility worship (cf. 20:29). This phrase may imply that the surrounding nations see Palestine as an especially blessed place (i.e., fruitful, cf. Deut. 11:11).

36:3 "therefore" Notice that vv. 3,4,5,6, and 7 all start with the adverb "so" or "thus" (BDB 485), when used with a preposition means "that being so" or "therefore" (e.g., Num. 16:11; Ezek. 11:4; 37:12; 38:14).

▣ "for good cause they have made you desolate" This is a confession and recognition of the sins of God's people that resulted in the exile.

Judah's condition is described in three infinitives.

1. desolate, BDB 1030, KB 1563, Qal infinitive construct used in two senses

a. be desolate, 6:4; 20:26; 25:3; 29:12; 30:7,12,14; 32:15; 33:28; 36:4

b. be appalled, 3:15; 4:17; 26:16; 27:35; 28:19; 32:10

2. crushed or trampled upon, Qal infinitive absolute, cf. Ps. 56:2; 57:4; 94:5; Isa. 3:15; Amos 2:7; 8:4

3. become the possession ("possession," BDB 440, cf. Exod. 6:8; Ezek. 11:15; 25:10; 33:24; 36:2,5), BDB 224, KB 243, Qal infinitive construct

▣ "the talk and whisperings of the people" This refers to amazement of the reproach of those who live near or pass by (cf. v. 15; 34:29; Deut. 28:57; Ps. 44:9-16; Jer. 18:16). The people speak of defeated Judah as they did of her God (cf. 34:12-13).

36:4 God addresses His devastated land (i.e., its covenant people). God's people had become exactly the opposite (i.e., a prey [BDB 103] and a derision [BDB 541]) of what He intended for them to be to the nations.

36:5 This is a summary verse expressing God's sorrow in judging His own covenant people (i.e., jealousy is a love word). But now He will judge those who

1. took His people's land

2. rejoiced over their downfall

3. disrespected ("scorn of soul") them

4. drove them out of the Promised Land

These surrounding nations are the very ones Ezekiel addresses (except Babylon) in chapters 25-32.

▣ "My land" YHWH owns all lands by creation (cf. Exod. 19:5), but He uniquely claims a special ownership of Canaan (cf. 38:16; Lev. 25:23; Isa. 14:25; Jer. 2:7; Joel 1:6; 3:2).

36:7 "I have sworn" This is literally "lift up my hands," which was an idiomatic way of referring to an oath (cf. 20:5,6,15,23,28,42; 44:12; 47:14). Often YHWH's oath is stated as "as I live, declares the Lord."

36:8 "Oh mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear fruit for My people" This is the opposite of what the mountains of Edom will do (cf. 35:3, 7, 15). This is a fulfillment of 17:23 and 34:26-29 (cf. Isaiah 4; 27:6).

39:9 "I am for you" The covenant will be restored. YHWH will be with and for His people again. The promises of Deuteronomy 28 will be actualized.

▣ "I will turn to you" As is so often the case, Ezekiel uses phrases from Leviticus 26 or Deuteronomy 27-29. This phrase is in Lev. 26:9.

36:10-15 This reflects the promises of Deuteronomy. It implies that the covenant is renewed and is being obeyed! These blessings are for a repentant and obedient Israel!

1. multiply men on you

2. cities reinhabited

3. waste places rebuilt

4. multiply man and beast

5. treat you better than at the first

6. possess Canaan as an inheritance

7. no loss of children

8. no more insults from the surrounding nations

9. no more stumbling on Israel's part

36:10 "all the house of Israel, all of it" This speaks of the reuniting of the thirteen tribes of Israel (cf. 37:21,22; Jer. 3:18; 50:4).

36:12 "you" This is a personification of the Promised Land (i.e., "the mountains of Israel" or "the everlasting heights"). YHWH has been addressing them in v. 1 through v. 15.

▣ "never again bereave them of children" This phrase may link back to the spies' report found in Num. 13:32 or YHWH's judgment from Jer. 15:7. If so, it refers to famine, plague, sword, and wild beasts.

The verb "bereave" (BDB 1013, KB 1491, Piel infinitive construct) is repeated in v. 13 and possibly v. 14 (MT notes Kethiv, ["written"], "shall not stumble," BDB 505, כשׁל, but Qere ["read"], "shall not bereave," שׁכל), possibly just the author using a wordplay. This threat was first used in Lev. 26:22 (cf. Deut. 32:25). Ezekiel often used Leviticus 26 as a source for his vocabulary. Children were seen as a gift from YHWH, but for covenant disobedience He takes them away. However, a new day has come and no longer will the children be taken!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:36:13-15
¹³"Thus says the Lord God, 'Because they say to you, "You are a devourer of men and have bereaved your nation of children," ¹⁴therefore you will no longer devour men and no longer bereave your nation of children,' declares the Lord God. ¹⁵I will not let you hear insults from the nations anymore, nor will you bear disgrace from the peoples any longer, nor will you cause your nation to stumble any longer," declares the Lord God.'"

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:36:16-21
¹⁶Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, ¹⁷"Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. ¹⁸Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. ¹⁹Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. ²⁰When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, 'These are the people of the Lord; yet they have come out of His land.' ²¹But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went."

36:16-21 YHWH reminds His people of their sins.

1. they defiled YHWH's land

2. they shed blood (murder or child sacrifice to Molech)

3. they were idolatrous

therefore, YHWH (recurrent themes in Ezekiel)

1. poured out His wrath on them

2. scattered them among the nations

3. judged them according to their ways and deeds

Instead of revealing YHWH to the nations, they profaned His name (in the land and in exile). YHWH wanted to use a people to reveal Himself to all people (cf. vv. 32,36). Israel failed to be a clear reflection of YHWH, as a matter of fact, they distorted His image. He has a universal redemptive plan that will not be thwarted! So, He will act Himself to reveal Himself. The new action is "the new covenant" of Jer. 31:31-34 (i.e., the New Testament). This new covenant, based on YHWH's actions, is described in vv. 22-38.

36:17 "like the uncleanness of a women in her impurity" To the Jews all bodily excretions made one ceremonially unclean. See Lev. 15:19-30.

36:18 "the blood which they shed" This refers either to (1) the murder of righteous people; (2) the murder of poor people; or (3) child sacrifice to Molech.

▣ "idols" See note at 18:15.

36:19 "I scattered them among the nations" This is the covenant curse of Lev. 26:33 coming to fruition (cf. Ezek. 20:23). This judgment on Judah's covenant disobedience became an opportunity for YHWH to reveal Himself to the nations (cf. 36:20-21,22-23).

▣ "and according to their ways and their deeds I have judged them" See note at 33:20.

36:20 "they have profaned my holy name" Remember that YHWH was linked to the nation and the nation went into captivity. YHWH was willing for His own name to be impugned that His people might turn back to Him. Israel and Judah profaned YHWH's name (i.e., reputation) in several ways.

1. covenant disobedience

2. Canaanite worship

3. national defeat

YHWH is jealous for His holiness (cf. 39:7, see Special Topic at 20:12).

36:21 "But I had concern for My holy name" YHWH is concerned (lit. "took pity," BDB 328, KB 328, Qal imperfect, see the negative in 5:11; 7:4,9; 8:18; 9:5,10) about His reputation (cf. 20:39) because He is in the business of winning all humans made in His image and likeness (cf. Gen. 1:26-27) to faith and repentance in Himself (cf. v. 14). His name stands for His person!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:36:22-32
²²"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord God, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. ²³I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord," declares the Lord God, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. ²⁴For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. ²⁵Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. ²⁶Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. ²⁸You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. ²⁹Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. ³⁰I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. ³¹Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. ³²I am not doing this for your sake," declares the Lord God, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!"

36:22-32 Verse 22 captures the essence of the new covenant (cf. Luke 22:20; I Cor. 11:25; Galatians 3, 4; Heb. 8:6-13; 10:15-18)! Notice the things He will do to reestablish His reputation (cf. v. 23).

1. I will take you from the nations and bring you back to Canaan, v. 24

2. I will sprinkle clean water on you and cleanse you from filthiness and idolatry, v. 25

3. I will give you a new heart and a new spirit, v. 26

4. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to obey My covenant, v. 27

5. I will be your God in the Promised Land, v. 28

6. I will forgive and restore covenant fruitfulness, vv. 29-30

7. YHWH will do this to reveal Himself (v. 32). His people will be grieved over their sin (vv. 31-32).

36:25 "sprinkle clean water on you" Remember that Ezekiel was a trained priest who would be familiar with water as a symbol of spiritual cleansing (e.g., Exod. 29:4; 30:18-21; Lev. 1:9,13; 6:28; 8:6,21; 14:5,6,8,9,51,52; 15:5,6,7,8,10,11,21,22,27; 16:4,24,26,28; 17:15; 22:6; Num. 5:17-27; 8:7; 19:7,8,9, 13,17,18,19,20,21). Some commentators think this text, which links "water" and "Spirit," is the key OT background to John 3:5 (see F. F. Bruce, Answers to Questions, pp. 67-68).

36:26 "I wi11 give you a new heart" The balance is seen in Ezek. 18:31 (see full note there), where the Israelites are commanded to make themselves a new heart (cf. Ezek. 11:19; Jer. 31:31-34). God always comes in grace, but humans, empowered by YHWH's grace, must respond. The "heart" (see Special Topic at 11:19) was the center of the intellect as the spirit was the source of life. When both are used together, it refers to the entire person.

36:27 "I will put My Spirit within you" This is setting the stage for the "Spirit" in chapter 37. He is the sign of the new age (cf. Ezek. 37:14; 39:29; Isa. 42:1; 44:3; 59:21; Joel 2:28, 29). This is rare text where the Spirit is personalized and internalized (cf. 37:14; 39:29; Isa. 11:2; 32:15; 44:3; 59:21; Jer. 32:36-41; Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2). This is New Covenant terminology! This is a precursor to the concept of a Trinity (see Special Topic at 2:2), which is so difficult to contemplate in connection with monotheism.

For good articles on the Spirit in the OT see

1. Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 273-274

2. Christian Theology, 2nd ed., by Millard J. Erickson, pp. 881-885

36:28 "my people, and I will be your God" These are covenant terms (cf. 11:20; 14:11; 37:23,27), which show that YHWH has reestablished the covenants of the Patriarchs and Moses.

36:30 "I will multiply the fruit of the tree" This refers to the covenant blessings (cf. Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28).

36:31 "You will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves" This refers to the repentance of the covenant people (cf. Ezek. 6:9; 16:61,63; 20:43; Jer. 22:22; 31:19). Repentance, faith, obedience (cf. Deut. 30:1-3), and perseverance are covenant requirements of the OT and NT. Justification must not be separated from sanctification! Both are gifts from God in which believers must participate (cf. v. 20).

36:32 YHWH wants His people to acknowledge their sin. This verse has three commands.

1. "let it be known," BDB 393, KB 390, Niphal imperfect used in a jussive sense

2. "be ashamed," BDB 101, KB 116, Qal imperative

3. "be confounded," BDB 483, KB 480, Niphal imperative

Verse 32 is a crucial theological message.

1. YHWH is going to act for His name's sake, not for Israel's glory.

2. Israel must repent. The new covenant is also conditional on repentance, faith, obedience, and perseverance (cf. 6:9; 16:63; 20:43; Jer. 31:18).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:36:33-36
³³'Thus says the Lord God, "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. ³⁴The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. ³⁵They will say, 'This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.' ³⁶Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the Lord, have spoken and will do it."

36:33-36 This is a repeat of vv. 10-15.

36:36 "the nations that are left round about you" What nations are these? Does it refer to the surrounding nations addressed in chapters 25-32? If so, then the call to "take prophecy literally" must be questioned here. If it refers to future unnamed nations, what is the purpose of their "knowing that I am the Lord"? Are these Gentile nations just to recognize His blessing on Israel or come to know her God also?

All of us who believe, honor, respect, and cherish God's Word struggle with the relationship between the Old and New Covenants. If the NT is the fulfillment of the OT and the specific fulfillment of Gen. 3:15, then the scope of God's love must be expanded to all nations because of Gen. 1:26-27; 3:15; and 12:3 (see Special Topic at 12:16)! This does not minimize Israel, but recognizes that the biblical focus is on YHWH, not Israel. The focus of the gospel is not Israel, but the redemption and restoration of all mankind. Jesus, not Israel, is the key thrust of the NT. If He is Messiah and if the NT writers are inspired (esp. Paul and the author of Hebrews), then a new day has come, a universal offer has been made, a once-for-all sacrifice has been given! The original purpose of creation has been fulfilled, not in Israel, but in fellowship between God and His highest creation, mankind. Salvation is the restoration of the image of God in humanity damaged in the fall of Genesis 3.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:36:37-38
³⁷'Thus says the Lord God, "This also I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock. ³⁸Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am the Lord."'"

36:37-38 This is a reemphasis on vv. 10, 11.

36:37 "I will let the house of Israel ask Me to do for them" YHWH reverses His unwillingness to hear Israel's prayers (cf. 14:3; 20:3,31; Isa. 1:15; Jer. 11:11).

Ezekiel 37

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Oracles of Restoration (33:1-39:29)
Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones	The Dry Bones Live	Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones	The Valley of Dry Bones	The Dry Bones
37:1-6	37:1-10	37:1-6	37:1-3a	37:1-10
			37:3b
			37:4-6
37:7-10		37:7-10	37:7-8
			37:9
The Vision Expanded			37:10
37:11-14	37:11-14	37:11-14	37:11-14	37:11-14
Reunion of Judah and Israel	One Kingdom, One King	Oracle of the Two Sticks	Judah and Israel in One Kingdom	Judah and Israel in One Kingdom
37:15-23	37:15-17	37:15-23	37:15-19	37:15-16
				37:17-19
	37:18-23
The Davidic Kingdom			37:20-28	37:20-28
37:24-28	37:24-28	37:24-28

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. This section of Ezekiel (i.e., chapters 33-39) is confusing to me because

1. it is surprising that Edom is condemned again in chapter 35 (cf. 25:12-14)

2. it is surprising that after Israel's marvelous restoration she is attacked again by surrounding nations (i.e., chapters 38-39)

This section sets the theological stage for John's vision in Revelation 19-20. As surprising as it is, the truth is clear. Spiritual restoration will be followed by conflict! Things are not getting "better and better" (i.e., post-millennialism)! However, a time of spiritual victory will be followed by a time of ultimate victory over evil. It is surely possible that Edom, as well as Gog, Magog, Meshech, and Tubal, is representative of the pervasive evil which attacks God's people.

B. The final literary unit (chapters 40-48) is a way of showing that the spiritual apostasy of chapters 8-10 is over and God's throne is restored to its special place. The last vision is one of ultimate, complete victory (i.e., a new temple).

C. However, if it is true that one must interpret the OT through the eyes of the NT, then the book of Hebrews tells believers that Ezekiel was a partial, temporary divine revelation (cf. Heb. 1:1). Progressive revelation negates a new temple! Even II Thess. 2:4 must be seen as a Greek temple (i.e., "take his seat," there is no seat in a Jewish Temple). A current popular theology (i.e., dispensationalism) focuses on Israel and Jerusalem, thereby reading the NT through the eyes of the OT. The NT must have priority! The focus of the gospel is Jesus and His death for all humans, not Israel! Please look at my "crucial introduction" to Revelation (Special Topic at 34:26). Who are the "covenant people" now? Ths is the question!!

D. There are several key terms repeated in this chapter.

1. רוח (BDB 924, KB 1194-1201, also used extensively in chapters 1,3,11,42)

a. Spirit, vv. 1,14

a. breath, vv. 5,6,8,9(twice),10

c. wind, v. 9

2. חיה (BDB 310, KB 309, also used extensively in chapters 18, 33)

a. live, vv. 3,9,14

b. come to life, vv. 5,6,10

3. ידע, know, vv. 3,6,13,14,28 (BDB 393, KB 309, used extensively in Ezekiel)

4. כתב, write (BDB 507), vv. 16(twice),20 (cf. 2:10; 13:9; 24:2; 43:11)

5. נבא, prophesy, vv. 4,7(twice),9(twice),10,12 (BDB 612, KB 659, see Special Topic at 13:2)

E. There may be a shift in metaphors from a battlefield, full of the unburied, sun-bleached bones in vv. 1-11 (esp. v. 10), to a graveyard in v. 12. We must remember this is highly symbolic Hebrew poetic prophecy. Ezekiel is a precursor to the interbiblical apocalyptic literature. However, this chapter is not apocalyptic!

F. Especially in a prophetic book like Ezekiel we must familiarize ourselves with the genre of prophecy. Three small paperback books have helped me navigate these turbulent waters!

1. How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart (pp. 181-204)

2. Plowshares and Pruning Hooks by D. Brent Sandy

3. Cracking Old Testament Codes by D. Brent Sandy and Ronald Giese

4. Also note Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard, pp. 292-312.

Many personal and denominational dragons (i.e., presuppositions and biases) live in these waters!

G. After thinking through this whole issue of a restored geographical Israel, it becomes obvious why dispensationalsim wants to separate Israel and the church. This relatively new system of thought (see C. Bass, Backgrounds to Dispensationalism) takes seriously OT Scripture (cf. Matt. 5:17-19). If OT prophecy is literally true (and I am not sure this is true in light of genre studies, cf. Plowshares and Pruning Hooks by D. Brent Sandy), there must be an end-time national Israel and we learn from chapters 38-39 that it will be invaded during a golden age of peace and security.

The problem comes when this is not the theological agenda of the NT, which focuses on believers and unbelievers and depreciates the Jew-Gentile divide (cf. Eph. 2:11-3:13). At this point the theological options are difficult to make.

1. OT Scripture has been superceded by the gospel

2. Israel is no longer the key to world evangelization

3. the OT prophesies about national Israel must be rethought

4. the whole theological system of dispensationalism which posits

a. all prophecies must be literally fulfilled to national Israel

b. the church and Israel are totally separate

c. there will be a secret rapture of the church so that OT prophecies can be literally fulfilled to Israel

d. the millennium (and the book of Revelation) are primarily about Israel and not the church

must be rejected as sincere and clever, but misguided! Its presuppositional grid is more logical than biblical! All systems have errors. The Bible does not support "systems."

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:37:1-6
¹The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. ²He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. ³He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, You know." ⁴Again He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.' ⁵Thus says the Lord God to these bones, 'Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. ⁶I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord .'"

37:1 "The hand of the Lord was upon me" This has been a recurrent literary marker of a new revelation (cf. 1:3; 3:14,22; 8:1; 33:22; 37:1; 40:1).

SPECIAL TOPIC: HAND (ILLUSTRATED FROM EZEKIEL)

▣ "by the Spirit of the Lord" The word "Spirit" in vv. 1, 14 and the word "breath" in vv. 5, 6, 8, 9(twice), and 10 and the word "wind" in v. 9 all relate to one Hebrew term, Ruah (BDB 924), which means "wind, breath, spirit" and is a play on this word throughout this chapter.

SPECIAL TOPIC: SPIRIT (PNEUMA) IN THE NT

▣ "the valley" This seems to refer to the place of slaughter (cf. Jer. 7:32-8:2). The place of idolatry and judgment (i.e., Jerusalem, the Valley of Topheth, Valley of the Sons of Hinnom, Gehenna) will become the very place of resurrection and restoration.

The real question is to whom does this refer?

1. past idolatrous leaders and Israelites (cf. Jer. 7:37-8:2)

2. current Judeans

3. the righteous remnant (see Special Topic at 5:2-4)

4. future Jews

5. symbol of God's people (cf. v. 11)

but not previous idolaters. It seems to me in context that #4 fits best. It is texts like this that cause some to say all Jews will be saved, but this violates too many NT texts, even the Jews of Romans 9-11 (as well as those of Zech. 12:10) must be repentant believers (cf. Jer. 3:22-4:2). There is no biblical support for the restoration of unbelieving, unrepenting descendants of Abraham. Only the people of faith are his true seed (cf. Rom. 2:28-29; Gal. 6:16). Remember that chapter 36 (i.e., new heart, new spirit) sets the contextual stage for chapter 37.

The term "valley" in Ezek. 37:1 is BDB 132, while Jer. 7:32 is BDB 161. However, they may still relate to one another.

37:4 Notice that the Spirit (wind, breath) and the Word (note v. 14) of the Lord are parallel (cf. Isa. 59:21). As God (i.e., Jesus, cf. John 1:3,10; Rom. 11:36; I Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2; 2:10) breathed into the newly formed human body (cf. Gen. 2:7) to create persons for fellowship, so He does again!

This emphasizes the power of the Word of God (cf. 6:3; 13:2,6; 16:35; 20:47; 25:3; 34:7,9; 36:1; Isa. 45:23; 55:11; Matt. 24:35). This is a re-creation event!

37:5 This is parallel to Gen. 2:7 (notice v. 8); there by God (i.e., Jesus) and here by His Spirit (cf. v. 14). Only God can give and sustain life! Only He has life! Here the "life" is national restoration to the Promised Land. The reversal of exile (national death) is the renewal of the covenant promises (conditional on covenant obedience, cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28).

37:6 This is a recurrent theme, usually connected to judgment (i.e., 35:9; 38:23; 39:6), but here to symbolic resurrection of a whole people (i.e., Joel 2:27; 3:17). In Isaiah 49 this phrase is linked to the inclusion of the Gentiles (cf. Eph. 2:11-3:13). This has always been God's plan!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:37:7-10
⁷So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. ⁹Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.'" ¹⁰So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

37:7 "a noise" The term (BDB 876) can refer to

1. a human voice (Ezek. 27:30; 33:32)

2. a sound (cf. Gen. 3:8,9)

3. the Lord's voice (Isa. 6:8)

4. Cherubim wings (Ezek. 1:24; 3:13; 10:5)

5. Seraphim's voice (Isa. 6:4)

6. angel (Dan. 8:16)

7. animals/chariots (Ezek. 3:13)

8. musical instrument

9. thunder

10. lament (Ezek. 26:15; 31:16)

BDB (#2g) calls it an earthquake. However, the context implies it was the sound (i.e., rattling) of bones coming together. That these unburied bones could live again is amazing symbolism of resurrection and forgiveness (both corporate and individual).

▣ "a rattling" In 12:18 this same word (BDB 950) is used of fear and trembling. It can also refer to an earthquake (cf. I Kgs. 19:11,12; Isa. 29:6; Ezek. 38:19; Amos 1:11; Zech. 14:5). These bones made a lot of noise as they assembled themselves.

37:8 Apparently the bones were scattered on the ground. At Ezekiel's prophesying they came together as a complete skeleton, but still lying on the ground (cf. v. 10b). This cannot be used as a proof-text that Israel will return to the Promised Land unconverted (i.e., The Prophecy of Ezekiel by Charles Lee Feinberg, p. 213.

37:9 "say to the breath" This verse has five commands.

1.,2. "prophesy," BDB 612, KB 659, Niphal imperatives directed to Ezekiel (cf. v. 12)

3. "come," BDB 97, KB 112, Qal imperative

4. "breathe," BDB 655, KB 708, Qal imperative directed to the breath/wind/spirit

5. "come to life," BDB 310, KB 309, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense to the newly formed bodies

This word "breath" can also be translated "wind," "spirit." Notice this breath is personified.

1. It comes from the four corners of the earth (cf. Isa. 43:5).

2. It, itself, breathes breath on the inanimate human bodies.

3. It comes into the human bodies (v. 10) and brings life.

This is all parallel to Genesis 2 (esp. v. 7). This is new life before the Fall, a new chance at obedience with a new heart and a new spirit!

▣ "from the four winds" This is a metaphor for all directions. The exiles will return from all directions; the Spirit is with them and will bring them home.

Note the enemies of chapters 38-39 are also from all directions. Evil is also pervasive!

37:10 "an exceedingly great army" Although this Hebrew term (BDB 298) can mean "army" (i.e., Ezek. 17:17; 27:10), it can be understood as a multitude (cf. NRSV, note v. 11). The new Israel does not need a great army, they have a great God (this is why chapters 38-39 are so surprising)!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:37:11-14
¹¹Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.' ¹²Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. ¹³Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. ¹⁴I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it," declares the Lord.'"

37:11 "we are completely cut off" There is a possible manuscript issue in this phrase.

NASB"we are completely cut off"
NKJV"we ourselves are completely cut off"
NRSV"we are cut off completely"
LXX"we are quite spent" or "we are lost"
Peshitta"we are completely gone"

The Tyndale OT Commentary Series, Ezekiel, by John Taylor mentions that F. Perles redivides the phrase to "our thread-of-life has been cut off" (238), which fits the context better than "we have been cut off for us" (Niphal perfect).

This refers to the Judean's view of themselves in light of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the exile of the Davidic King. There was no hope humanly speaking (cf. 19:5)!

37:12-14 These are covenant promises (i.e., the land, cf. vv. 12,14) and covenant title (i.e., "My people," vv. 12,13). The covenant is renewed! Destruction and exile have ceased.

Again one asks the question, when did or will this occur?

1. post-exilic return under Nehemiah (seed of David) and Joshua (seed of High Priest)

2. some future time

Because Israel was attacked again by Rome and the temple destroyed again (a.d. 70), many modern interpreters assert a future orientation. There are certainly eschatological elements in chapters 36-48! My focus is on the conditional nature of prophecy. This reflects what God wanted His people to be and do, as well as what He wanted to do for them, but Genesis 3 (the Fall) got in the way again. Mankind's fallen propensity can be dealt with only by the Messiah's work and the new age (new covenant). Chapter 36 surely reflects this, but what of 38-39? Israel is attacked again by surrounding enemies. Security is challenged!

The question is, "Was the opposition caused by

1. Israel's continuing sin

2. evil's attack on God?"

Number 1 fits the post-exilic period (cf. Malachi).

The hard question is, "Must all prophecy be literally fulfilled to Israel?" I think not. The NT focuses on Jesus, not Israel. The NT widens the OT promises to all humans. The national and/or geographic promises to Israel are not repeated or mentioned by Jesus or the Apostles! This is very surprising, but true (see Special Topic at 34:26).

37:12 "Thus says the Lord God" This recurrent literary phrase introduces (list from NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 445)

1. judgment against the surrounding nations (cf. 25:3; 30:2)

2. judgment against individuals (cf. 28:2; 39:1)

3. judgment against Judah (cf. 5:8; 12:19)

a. her mountains, 6:3

b. her false religious leaders, 13:3,18

c. her faithlessness, 20:30

d. her injustices, 45:9

4. call for Judah to repent (cf. 14:6)

5. message of restoration and forgiveness (cf. 36:33; 37:12,21; 39:25)

6. message of hope to Ezekiel himself (cf. 2:4; 3:11)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:37:15-23
¹⁵The word of the Lord came again to me saying, ¹⁶"And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, 'For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.' ¹⁷Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. ¹⁸When the sons of your people speak to you saying, 'Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?' ¹⁹say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand."' ²⁰The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. ²¹Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; ²²and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. ²³They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God."

37:16 This is a symbol of the reuniting of Israel's tribes that politically split in 922 b.c. under Solomon's son, Rehoboam (Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, and most of Levi) and the Emphraimatic labor leader, Jeroboam I, who took the Northern Ten Tribes.

Note the imperatives in this paragraph.

1. "take," v. 16, Qal imperative (BDB 542, KB 534)

2. "write," v. 16, Qal imperative (BDB 507, KB 503)

3. "take," v. 16, Qal imperative (BDB542, KB 534)

4. "write, v. 16, Qal imperative (BDB507, KB 503)

5. "join," v. 17, Piel imperative (BDB 897, KB 1132)

6. "declare," v. 18 Hiphil imperative (BDB 616, KB 665)

7. "say," v. 19, Piel imperative (BDB 180, KB 210)

8. "say," v. 21 Piel imperative (BDB 180, KB 210)

37:17-22 The one God will have one people, with one leader, in one place! This sense of "oneness" is also found in Eph. 4:4-6. It only makes sense that the one God (i.e., monotheism) who made all humans in His image (Gen. 1:26-27) for fellowship, and who promised to redeem all humans in Gen. 3:15, would provide a way (Christ, cf. John 1:12; 3:16; 4:42) for all humans to come into this fellowship (cf. Eph. 2:11-3:13; I Tim. 2:4; 4:10; Titus 2:11; II Pet. 3:9; I John 2:1; 4:14).

In this context the oneness refers to a reunification of Israel and Judah. The people of God will be united again.

This text is a foreshadowing of the NT oneness! Monotheism demands a universal fulfillment to those who believe, not to those who can document their lineage.

My biases are showing in this chapter! I pray they are biblically based!

37:18 Ezekiel has been asked and has responded to several questions by the exiled Israeli community (cf. 12:9; 21:7; 24:19).

37:23 It is true that the exile cured God's people of idolatry, but unfortunately other sins returned as the book of Malachi and interbiblical history show.

YHWH does cleanse His people, but the pull of the fallen nature traps them again. They need the nature which only comes with the new covenant (36:22-38; Jer. 31:31-34; Joel 2:28-32).

There is a possible manuscript variant in this verse.

1. NASB, NKJV "dwelling places"

2. NRSV&bbsp;"all their apostasies into which they have fallen"

3. TEV "all the ways in which they sin and betray Me"

4. NJB "the acts of infidelity which they have committed"

The MT has מושבתיהמ, "their dwellings" (BDB 444), but many modern translations have משובתיהמ, "their backslidings" (BDB 1000). This kind of reversal of letters is surely possible in hand-copied manuscripts over an extended period of time.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:37:24-28
²⁴"My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them. ²⁵They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons' sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever. ²⁶I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. ²⁷My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. ²⁸And the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever."'"

37:24 "My servant David will be king over them" This is a Messianic title and shows the new-covenant focus of this context (cf. 34:23-24; Isa. 55:3-5; Jer. 30:9; Hos. 3:5).

It is surely possible that a new Davidic ruler, with a heart towards YHWH, will be manifested in order to fulfill II Sam. 7:16; Psalm 89; and Gen. 49:10! This ideal, godly king became a rallying hope for a godly people and the fulfillment of the conditional covenant promises. David was sinful, yet forgiven, so too, Israel! Restoration and salvation are the work of God (i.e., new heart and new spirit), but the new covenant must be received and walked in!

▣ "they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes, and observe them" For the terms "ordinances" (BDB 1048) and "statutes" (BDB 349) see the Special Topic at 5:7.

The verb "walk" (BDB 229, KB 246, Qal imperfect) denotes a lifestyle obedience, as do the next two verbs.

1. "keep," BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal imperfect

2. "observe," BDB 793, KB 889, Qal perfect

God's covenant people will be an obedient, godly people. This does not denote sinlessness, but a heart for God and His word (cf. I John 3:6,9). By their fruits you shall know them (Matt. 7:15-23, i.e., false prophets).

37:25, 26 "forever. . .everlasting. . .forever" This word (BDB 761) must be dealt with in context (cf. v. 28) and it seems to imply the eternal kingdom, as in the book of Daniel (cf. Dan. 7:14). It seems inappropriate to use this for the return from the exile (i.e., post-exilic period) or for the millennium (Revelation 20).

SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('OLAM)

One Greek idiomatic phrase is "unto the ages" (cf. Luke 1:33; Rom. 1:25; 11:36; 16:27; Gal. 1:5; I Tim. 1:17), which may reflect the Hebrew 'olam. See Robert B. Girdlestone, Synonyms of the Old Testament, pp. 321-319. Other related phrases are "unto the age" (cf. Matt. 21:19 [Mark 11:14]; Thess. 1:55; John 6:58; 8:35; 12:34; 13:8; 14:16; II Cor. 9:9) and "of the age of the ages" (cf. Eph. 3:21). There seems to be no distinction between these idioms for "forever." The term "ages" may be plural in a figurative sense of the rabbinical grammatical construction called "the plural of majesty" or it may refer to the concept of several "ages" in the Jewish sense of "age of innocence," "age of wickedness," "age to come," or "age of righteousness."

37:26 "a covenant of peace" This same period of restoration is discussed in chapts. 16 and 20. For the term "covenant," see Special Topic at 16:8. The full phrase "covenant of peace" is mentioned in 34:25. The covenant of peace is contingent on repentance, trust/faith/belief, obedience, and perseverance, as is the "new covenant" fully clarified in the NT. It is free from a sovereign God, but it has requirements! The very concept of "covenant" implies responsibilities on both parties!

NASB"And I will place them and multiply them"
NKJV"I will establish them and multiply them"
NRSV"and I will bless them and multiply them"
TEV"I will establish them and increase their population"
NJB"I will resettle them and make them grow"
LXX----omits----
Peshitta"and I will multiply them"

The verb "give" or "set" (BDB 678, KB 733, Qal perfect with waw) is repeated twice. It seems that the LXX translators left out an entire phrase.

The MT has "set" or "establish," but NRSV changes the verb to "bless." The UBS Hebrew OT Text Project gives "set" a B rating.

▣ "an everlasting covenant" The NIV Study Bible, p. 1279, has a good footnote about this. It is used sixteen times in the OT. Here are some examples.

1. Noah, Gen. 9:16

2. Abraham, Gen. 17:7,13,19 (cf. Ps. 105:9-10)

3. David, II Sam. 23:5 (cf. 7:12; Isa. 55:3)

4. the "new covenant," Jer. 32:40 (cf. 31:31-34; 50:5)

5. earlier in Ezekiel, 16:60

6. new Israel, Isa. 61:8

It is found most often in Isaiah (cf. 24:5; 55:3; 61:8).

37:28 God wants a righteous people who reflect His character to the nations. Israel was meant to be "a kingdom of priests" (cf. Exod. 19:5-6), but this wonderful call turned into an elitism! The goal of creation is not Israel, but the whole world in fellowship with its Creator. Monotheism cannot become a weapon of exclusivism. It must become a promise of inclusion!

▣ "I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel" YHWH transfers His holiness to His people (cf. 20:12). They are holy because of their relationship to Him. Now this positional sanctification must become fleshed out. See Special Topic at 20:12.

▣ "when My sanctuary is in their midst forever" YHWH's sanctuary was abandoned by Him in chapters 8-10. Now Ezekiel asserts it will return to a sanctified, united Israel under a new Davidic ruler. Chapters 40-48 are a graphic symbol of this new day. This may be an allusion to Exod. 25:8.

However, as the temple was central in the OT, Jesus, the true temple, becomes central in the NT (cf. Matt. 26:61; 27:40; Mark 14:58; 15:29; John 2:19; Acts 6:14). You may say to yourself, why bring Jesus into Ezekiel? He is the fulfillment of the OT. It is no longer about Israel (cf. John 8:31-59). These OT symbols and prophecies have their ultimate fulfillment and expansion through Him!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. How do chapters 36 and 37 relate to the people of Ezekiel's day?

2. How do they relate to end-time events?

3. Why are Deuteronomy 27 and 28 such important passages?

4. Explain what 36:27 means when it says, "I will put My Spirit within them."

5. Summarize chapter 37 in one sentence in your own words.

Ezekiel 38

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Oracles of Restoration (33:1-39:29)
Prophecy About Gog and Future Invasion of Israel	Gog and Allies Attack Israel	The Gog and Magog Oracles (38:1-39:29)	Gog As the Instrument of God	Against Gog, King of Magog (38:1-39:29)
38:1-6	38:1-6	38:1-6	38:1-9	38:1-7
38:7-9	38:7-9	38:7-9
				38:8-9
38:10-13	38:10-13	38:10-13	38:10-13	38:10-13
38:14-16	38:14-17	38:14-16	38:14-17	38:14-16
38:17-23	Judgment On Gog	38:17-23	God's Punishment of Gog	38:17-23
	38:18-23		38:18-23

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. In prophecy the historical setting and the literary unit are crucial in interpretation. In this case both are difficult.

1. As far as history, to whom do these nations refer? Are they symbolic of evil in general or specific geographical nations (or directions)?

2. As far as the literary unit, are chapters 33-39 one unit or several? Are they all related to the post-exilic period or beyond? Is there a temporal relation between chapters 36-37 and 38-39? Is restoration followed by a final attack (cf. Revelation 19-20)?

B. These questions haunt me! I cannot come to a place of peace about them! To read many of the commentaries available one would think there are no problems in interpreting these texts. One's systematic theology answers all the contextual questions. Part of my dilemma is my own presuppositional systematic theology (see Special Topics at 12:16 and 34:26). I guess when all is said and done, the teachings of Jesus, the writings of Paul, and the sharp contrast of the book of Hebrews have become priority for me! I read the OT through these filters! The NT is surprisingly similar and surprisingly different from the OT! A new day of a universal offer and consequence has arrived in Christ! The believing remnant has been expanded into the gospel offer (i.e., John 1:12; 3:16; Eph. 2:8-10). Abraham's seed are by faith, not descent (cf. Rom. 2:28-29; Galatians 3-4).

C. One thing is sure, history is teleological. There will be a final and decisive conflict between fallen mankind and its Creator! This invasion is not because of restored Israel's sin, but the greed of Gog and his followers. Evil was already defeated in Christ, but will one day be revealed and removed (i.e., isolated) from creation (i.e., hell, cf. Matt. 25:46; Dan. 12:1-2).

D. This literary unit (i.e., chapters 38-39) is more about God's honor (cf. 37:22-38) than Israel. Israel (Israel and Judah) was exiled in shame, but restored Israel, faithful Israel, cannot be defeated because YHWH fights on her behalf. The hero of the OT is God, not Israel!

The nations misunderstood the purpose of the exile (i.e., YHWH allowing, even instigating, His covenant people to be disciplined). They thought Israel's God was weak and unable to fulfill His covenant promises. Chapters 38-39 show this is not the case!

E. When all is said and done, I cannot be sure of the who and when of chapters 38-39, but I am confident to whom they do not refer to! Prophecy cannot be read beside the morning newspaper without the great danger of reading our day, our history into every event!

F. John Taylor, in the Tyndale OT Commentary Series, makes a good point about the genre of the literary unit (i.e., chapters 38-39).

"This is typical of Hebrew poetry and of the kind of semi-poetical writing which is used in these oracles. It is fond of repetition and delights to revert to previous statements and enlarge on them, even though the result is to destroy all sense of consecutive arrangement. Failure to appreciate this has led many western commentators to find doublets, contradictions and inconsistencies, and so to assume multiple authorship where this is quite unnecessary" (p. 247).

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:38:1-6
¹And the word of the Lord came to me saying, ²"Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him ³and say, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. ⁴I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords; ⁵Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet; ⁶Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops — many peoples with you.

38:1 "the word of the Lord came to me saying" See note at 1:3.

38:2 "Son of man" See note at 2:1.

▣ "set your face toward" See note at 13:17.

▣ "prophesy" This is the second imperative in verse 2. The verb (BDB 612, KB 659, Niphal imperative) is used often in several forms. For a discussion of Niphal and all the Hebrew verbal stems see the Introductory Articles.

1. Niphal perfect, 4:7; 37:7

2. Niphal infinitive construct, 11:13; 37:7

3. Niphal participle, 12:27; 13:2,16; 38:17

4. Niphal imperative, 6:2; 11:4 (twice); 13:2,17; 21:2,7,14,33; 25:2; 28:21; 29:2; 30:2; 34:2 (twice); 35:2; 36:1,3,6; 37:4,9 (twice),12; 38:2,14; 39:1

5. Hithpael participle, 13:17; 37:10

It is often used in connection with "set your face" (i.e., judgment oracle). It denotes that the message Ezekiel delivers to Israel, Judah, and the nations is from YHWH, not the prophet.

38:2 "Gog" This (BDB 155, KB 182) could refer to

1. Gyges (Gugu in Ashurbanipal's records, ABD, vol. 2, p. 1056), seventh century king (670-652 b.c.) of Lydia, who lived several generations before Ezekiel (also spelled Giges or Gogo, Encyclopedia Judaica, vol. 7, p. 691)

2. Gaga or Gagaia (Amarna Letters), used as a general name for northern people groups

3. Gaga (Ras Shamra Texts), an Akkadian or Babylonian god (cf. Enuma Elish)

4. Gagi, a ruler of the city of Sabi (ZPBE, vol. 2, p. 770)

5. Gog or Gug, a Summerian word for "darkness" and thereby a metaphor for evil (ABD, vol. 2, p. 1057, and W. F. Albright)

6. leaders of the Scythians (Josephus, Antiq. 1.6.1, ZPBE, vol. 2, p. 770), a people who lived on the fringe of the Roman Empire and invaded it from the northeast

7. Gasga, a name appearing in Hittite texts and referring to a rebellious area on the border of Armenia and Cappadocia (Introduction To the OT by R. K. Harrison, p. 842)

The key to understanding this term is not to identify the exact person to whom it refers, but to see its symbolic usage (cf. #5) as an/the evil enemy from the north. In Jeremiah "the north" represents "invasion" (cf. 1:13-15; 4:6). Because of the desert between Mesopotamia and Palestine, Assyria and Babylon invaded from the north. The word itself became a symbol of evil invasion. This is not meant to be a geographical direction, although Magog, Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal are probably located in modern Turkey (i.e., Asia Minor) or between Cappadocia and Media (ZPBF, vol. 2, p. 770).

Gog is "the" eschatological enemy from the north (cf. Rev. 20:8)! This would correspond to the "Man of Sin" of II Thessalonians 2 or the "Antichrist" of I John. Evil is personified as a personal enemy and attempted replacer of Christ (the Davidic seed, cf. Ezek. 34:24; 37:24-25).

A good source for possible geographical identifications is Edwin Yamauchi's Foes From the Northern Frontier.

38:2 "the land of Magog" The term in Akkadian means "place/land of Gog/Gyges" (Gen. 10:2). Here in Ezekiel it is a land, but in John's use of it in the book of Revelation, 20:8, it is another evil nation (cf. LXX). These terms are also found in the apocalyptic writings called the Sibylline Oracles (cf. 3:319, 512).

NASB, NKJV"the prince of Rosh"
NRSV"the chief prince of"
TEV"chief ruler"
NJB"the paramount prince of"

The NRSV, TEV, and NJB translations take "rosh" (BDB 910) as "head" or "chief" (i.e., Exod. 18:25; Ezek. 39:1), following the Aramaic Targums, Vulgate, and Aquila translations. However, it is a nation in Isa. 66:19.

▣ "Meshech" KB 646 identifies it (BDB 604) with the mountain dwellers of Asia Minor (cf. Herodotus 3:94; 7:72). It is always associated with "Tubal" (cf. Gen. 10:2; I Chr. 1:5; Ezek. 27:13; 32:26; 38:2-3; 39:1; Isa. 66:19). In the Assyrian documents Meshech is Mushku of central Anatolia and Tubal is Tabal of eastern Anatolia (cf. IVP Bible Background Commentary, p. 723).

▣ "Tubal" The name's meaning is, like the others, uncertain. BDB (1063) thinks it is a territory related to Asia Minor or Cappadocia. KB (1694) lists several other options (i.e., craftsman tribe, possibly related to the Kenites).

All of these specific leaders are from the line of Japheth (cf. Genesis 10). Now at the end, all of the descendants of Noah attack the lines of Seth (cf. Gen. 4:25-26) and Shem (cf. Gen. 9:26-27)!

38:4-6 "all your army" Notice the wide geographical aspect of this end-time army assembled against the people of God.

1. Persia, Iran, and Afghanistan (old Assyria [it is surely possible that פתרוס has been confused with פרס, since Pathros is mentioned in Ezekiel as connected to Egypt, cf. 29:14; 30:14, which is also like #3 in north Africa])

2. Ethiopia (Cush)

a. below Egypt (cf. Gen. 10:6-7) or

b. in Mesopotamia (cf. Gen. 10:8)

3. Put

a. Libya (LXX, but note Nahum 3:8) or

b. Somalia

4. Gomer, a son of Japheth (cf. Gen. 10:2), probably Cimmerians, who occupied Asia Minor in 8^th century b.c. (i.e., Herodotus, cf. ABD, vol. 2, p. 1074)

5. Beth-togarmah, a son of Gomer (cf. Gen. 10:3). Josephus identified them as Phrygians because of Ezek. 27:14. However,

a. an Assyrian inscription (i.e., Til-Garimmu) makes it a city in east Cappadocia (ZPBE, vol. 4, p. 766)

b. a Hittite text locates it (i.e., Tegaramara) at the head waters of the Euphrates River (ABD, vol. 6, p. 595). (Possibly #a and #b are the same site)

c. Jewish Study Bible (p. 1115) identifies it with Armenia.

38:4 "I will turn you about" This verb (BDB 996, KB 1427, Polel perfect) is also used in 39:2. It denotes YHWH's direct involvement (cf. Isa. 37:29). He is in complete control of world events for His own purpose (cf. Isa. 10:5-19; Hab. 1:5-11). History is in His hand (cf. Rom. 8:28-30)!

▣ "put hooks into your jaws" This parallel phrase also denotes YHWH's direct actions.

1. causing Israel to go to Egypt, 19:4

2. causing Israel to go to Babylon, 19:9

3. destroying Egypt, 29:4

Here it denotes YHWH's control and manipulation of these foreign empires (cf. v. 5; 29:4). YHWH will instigate the final conflict with evil (cf. 29:3-5), so as to destroy it once and for all. This is the theme that John uses in Revelation 20. Evil must be destroyed and removed for the purpose of creation (i.e., fellowship between God and humanity) to reach its full potential and design.

▣ "buckler and shield" These two terms (BDB 857 and 171) refer to two kinds of shields.

1. The first is a large shield to protect the whole body as well as another person, usually an archer. These were usually used in siege warfare.

2. The second is a smaller shield carried into battle by individuals.

When they are used together (cf. 23:24; 38:4), they denote soldiers fully armed for conflict.

38:6 "from the remote parts" This term (BDB 438) denotes the extreme north (cf. v. 15; 39:2), which is also the site of God's mountain (cf. Ps. 48:2; Isa. 14:13). This phrase may be parallel to "from the ends of the earth," used in Deut. 28:49 and Isa. 5:26. The nations from afar serve YHWH's purposes. As YHWH brought Babylon (cf. Isaiah 13), so too, now Gog.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:38:7-9
⁷"Be prepared, and prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. ⁸After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them. ⁹You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you."

38:7 There are two imperatives that address this great army. Like v. 4, YHWH is directing this pagan, evil army for His purposes (note NJB translation, "and hold yourself at my service," also note v. 8).

1. be prepared, BDB 465, KB 464, Niphal imperative

2. prepare yourself, same verb, but in the Hiphil

38:8 This verse obviously refers to a restored and peaceful Palestine. It describes the results of the new heart and new spirit of 36:22-38 and the restoration, gathering, and uniting of chapter 37.

▣ "living securely" This verb (BDB 442, KB 444, Qal perfect) is repeated in 36:28,33,35; 37:25 (thrice); 38:11 (twice); 12 (twice), 14; 39:6,9,26. They are back in the land of promise. The term "securely" (BDB 105) is repeated in 28:26 (twice); 34:25,27,28; 38:11; 39:26. God's people trust in Him to provide protection. YHWH vindicates His power and honor by totally and completely defeating the multi-national army (like Assyria's and Babylon's). His people were not exiled because of His weakness or indifference, but because of their sin, which has now been forgiven.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:38:10-13
¹⁰'Thus says the Lord God, "It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan, ¹¹and you will say, 'I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates, ¹²to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.' ¹³Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, 'Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?'"'

38:10-13 YHWH allows the evil greed of fallen humanity to gain control of the leaders of this northern army.

Is this literal? Is this future? John uses this scenario in Revelation 20 for a rebellion at the close of "the golden age" (i.e., millennium). Does YHWH need to be vindicated in history beyond the Second Coming of Christ? My study of the genre of prophecy and apocalyptic and my NT understanding tends to relegate this type of OT passage to symbolism and metaphor of God's total defeat of evil, accomplished at the cross, the empty tomb, and the second coming!

38:12

NASB, NRSV"at the center of the world"
NKJV"in the midst of the land"
TEV"at the crossroads of the world"
NJB"at the navel of the world"

The Hebrew term translated "center" (BDB 371, KB 367) can mean "highest point" or "central." The second term "world" (BDB 75) can mean land or world. This refers either to

1. Palestine's geographical position as the only land connection between the powers of the Nile and the Tigris/Euphrates (cf. 5:5; TEV)

2. the people living in the hill country (NKJV)

3. Palestine as the special location of God's covenant people who are so special to Him (NJB). In Summerian/Babylonian mythology the temple in Nippur was the site where Enlil cut the navel cord that united heaven and earth (NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 333).

38:13 "Sheba and Dedan" These were brothers listed in Gen. 10:7. They are connected to Arabia and the trade routes (cf. 27:20; Isa. 21:13). That is why they are linked to Edom in Ezek. 25:13; Jer. 49:8.

▣ "Tarshish" See note at 27:25.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:38:14-16
¹⁴"Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord God, "On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will you not know it? ¹⁵You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army; ¹⁶and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog."

38:16 Notice the purpose of God allowing this treacherous invasion. God will manifest Himself, His power, glory, and holiness for all to see (cf. Isa. 43:8-13)! This theme (i.e., "know Me") is recurrent! God wants His highest creations to return to Him (cf. 36:23; 37:28; 38:23).

▣ "in the last days" This phrase is used of a future period (cf. Isa. 2:2; Ezek. 38:16; Dan. 2:28; 10:14; Hosea 10:14; Micah 4:1). In the NT this phrase becomes the time between the first coming of the Messiah and His glorious return (i.e., the overlapping of the two ages).

SPECIAL TOPIC: THIS AGE AND THE AGE TO COME

▣ "My land" By creation all the earth is YHWH's (cf. Exod. 9:29; 19:5; Deut. 32:8), but Canaan/ Palestine was uniquely His (cf. Lev. 25:23; II Chr. 7:20; Isa. 14:25; Jer. 2:7; Ezek. 36:5; Joel 1:6; 3:2). It was the special place for the manifestation of Himself to the world (cf. Rom. 9:4).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:38:17-23
¹⁷'Thus says the Lord God, "Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days through My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you against them? ¹⁸It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel," declares the Lord God, "that My fury will mount up in My anger. ¹⁹In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. ²⁰The fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence; the mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse and every wall will fall to the ground. ²¹I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains," declares the Lord God. "Every man's sword will be against his brother. ²²With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone. ²³I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the Lord."'

38:17 This may allude to Psalm 2 or 83, but more probably Isa. 34:1-6 and 63:1-6 (if Edom is a symbol of all rebellious nations; this would also explain Ezekiel 35). This same theme is also found in Joel 3:9-16 (which I think is early post-exilic).

38:18-23 Note the metaphors of God's passion for His people and their enemies.

1. My fury, v. 18

2. My anger, v. 18

3. My zeal, v. 19

4. My blazing wrath, v. 19 (cf. 22:21,31)

5. the earth will shake at My presence, v. 20

6. a sword, v. 21 (cf. Ezekiel 21; 32:33)

Also notice the other metaphors.

A. cosmic upheavels (as YHWH approaches)

1. earthquake, v. 19

2. animals tremble, v. 20

3. mountains fall, v. 20

4. walls fall, v. 20

5. pestilence, v. 22

6. torrential rain, v. 22 (cf. 13:11,13)

7. hailstones, v. 22

8. fire, v. 22

9. brimstone, v. 22

B. war motifs of a zealous (jealous) Covenant God

1. humans tremble, v. 20

2. a sword is loosed, v. 21

3. blood, v. 22

Many of these will later be amplified into apocalyptic metaphors and phrases. I still think this literary unit in Ezekiel is a precursor of apocalyptic language (cf. Cracking OT Codes, p. 190), not one of its first examples, as is 40-48 (i.e. no angel guides, no number symbolism, no use of colors, no secret messages).

38:20 "the mountains also will be thrown down" This phrase can be seen in two ways.

1. The convulsing of nature at the coming of its creator (i.e., stars fall, sun darkened, moon turned to blood, cf. Isa. 24:23; 64:1,3; Joel 2:30-31).

2. An allusion to the trembling of the pagan gods (cf. Zeph. 2:11). The gods of Mesopotamia (Enlil and Ashur) and Canaan (El and Ba'al) are mountain gods. This may explain the strange references of Ps. 48:2; Isa. 14:13; and Ezek. 28:14,16.

This may explain how YHWH is tied to Mt. Sinai/Horeb and Mt. Zion. The culmination of history is at a mountain (cf. Isa. 2:2-4; 11:9; 24:23; 25:6-12; 65:25; Micah 4:1-5).

▣ "the steep pathways will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground" The key term in the first phrase "steep pathways" (BDB 201) in Song of Songs 2:14 means a secret, inaccessible hiding place. Therefore these two phrases are parallel and mean there will be no hiding places from YHWH's personal presence, no place for humans to seek refuge (cf. Rev. 6:15-16).

38:21 "Every man's sword will be against his brother" This is an interesting phrase. Judges 7:22 and II Chr. 20:23 describe an invading army destroying itself. I Samuel 14:20 describes metaphorically a great confusion. But Haggai 2:22 describes an act of God whereby Israel's now post-exilic leaders (Zerubbabel and Joshua) are established. This may be the thrust of Ezekiel 38-39!

38:22 As God has fought on Israel's behalf (i.e., the Exodus, cf. Exod. 14:14; 15:3; Deut. 1:30 and the Conquest, cf. Deut. 3:22; Josh. 10:14,42) and used the forces of nature, so too, again. Israel is at peace and has no army (this surely does not fit modern Israel) or walled cities! God will act on their behalf (covenant promises). Now the "destroyed army" will not be Israel's (i.e, Ezekiel 37), but the pagan evil, unbelieving nations on the fringes of the Mediterranean world, who had no contact with God's people (or His word) before this time.

38:23 "and make Myself known in the sight of many nations" This could be understood in two ways.

1. YHWH's judgment on sinful nations (cf. Ps. 9:4,16; Isaiah 34; 43:8-13)

2. YHWH's desire for the nations to know Him and come to Him (cf. 37:28; 38:16; 39:27)

Israel was meant to be a "kingdom of priests" because all the world belongs to YHWH (Exod. 19:5-6). Abraham's call included a blessing for all the nations (cf. Gen. 12:3). The initial "good news" (cf. Gen. 3:15) was to humanity, not Israel. Even the Law of Moses mentions God's purpose of informing the nations (cf. Deut. 4:5-8). Also several passages in Isaiah address the nations being included (i.e., 42:6; 49:6; 51:4-8; 66:18-21).

Ezekiel 39

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Oracles of Restoration (33:1-39:29)
Prophecy Against Gog-Invaders Destroyed	Gog's Armies Destroyed	Magog Oracles (38:1-39:29) Gog's Defeat	The Defeat of Gog	Against Gog King of Magog (38:1-39:29)
39:1-6	39:1-8	39:1-6	39:1-7	39:1-7
39:7-8		39:7-8
			39:8-10	39:8
39:9-10	39:9-10	39:9-10		39:9-10
	The Burial of Gog		The Burial of Gog
39:11-16	39:11-16	39:11-16	39:11-16	39:11-16
	A Triumphant Festival
39:17-20	39:17-20 (17b-20)	39:17-20	39:17-20	39:17-20
	Israel Restored to the Land		The Restoration of Israel	Conclusion
39:21-24	39:21-24	39:21-24	39:21-24	39:21-24
Israel Restored
39:25-29	39:25-29	39:25-29	39:25-29	39:25-29

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3, p. xvi). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:39:1-6
¹"And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal; ²and I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel. ³I will strike your bow from your left hand and dash down your arrows from your right hand. ⁴You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field. ⁵You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken," declares the Lord God. ⁶"And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the Lord."

39:1 See notes at 38:2. Verses 1-16 parallel chapter 38.

39:2-6 Notice the verbs which emphasize YHWH's actions (i.e., "for it is I who have spoken," vv. 5,8; 38:4,8) against Gog.

1. I shall turn you around, v. 2, BDB 996, KB 1427, Polel perfect

2. I shall drive you, v. 2, BDB 1058, KB 1664, Piel perfect (this word is found only here in the OT. KB says possibly, "lead along on a rope" or "lead a child")

3. I shall take you up, v. 2, BDB 748, KB 828, Hiphil perfect

4. I shall bring you against, v. 2, BDB 97, KB 112, Hiphil perfect

5. I shall strike your bow, v. 3, BDB 645, KB 697, Hiphil perfect

6. I shall dash down your arrows, v. 3, BDB 656, KB 709, Hiphil imperfect

7. I shall give you as food, v. 4, BDB 678, KB 733, Qal perfect

YHWH acts for Israel in 36:22-38, but here against the northern enemy!

39:2 "from the remotest parts of the north" This term (BDB 438) is used in Isa. 14:13 (cf. Ps. 48:2) for the far north. It is used in that same sense here (cf. 38:6,15). This term is used in Jeremiah to describe the invasion of Babylon (cf. Jer. 6:22; 25:32; 50:41). Another enemy is coming at YHWH's behest, but this one will not succeed, but be totally destroyed. This was a way to

1. show YHWH's power

2. vindicate YHWH's name (cf. v. 7)

3. reveal YHWH to the nations (cf. vv. 6,7)

▣ "against the mountains of Israel" This is a metaphor for Palestine (cf. 17:22-24). Earlier in Ezekiel these mountains are judged (cf. 6:2-7), but now in the context of a restored, forgiven, obedient Israel, they are defended by YHWH Himself.

This is another allusion to Isaiah 14 (esp. vv. 13-14). All of these world events are personally directed by YHWH for His revelatory and redemptive purposes (Isa. 14:26-27)!

39:4 "You shall fall on the mountains of Israel" This is a recurrent theme.

1. unfaithful Judah shall fall (cf. 6:2-7; 33:28)

2. Edom (Mt. Seir) shall fall (cf. 35:2-3,12; 36:4-7)

3. Egypt fell (cf. 31:12; 32:5,6)

4. Babylon fell (cf. 28:16)

5. and now another enemy from the north, Gog, will fall

▣ "I shall give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field" This curse (cf. vv. 17-20) reflects the horror and carnage of ancient battle fields, where the number of dead is so large and complete that no one is left to bury them.

This curse is also directed toward

1. Egypt, 29:5; 32:4-5

2. faithless Judah, 33:27 (cf. Isa. 46:11)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:39:7-8
⁷"My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. ⁸Behold, it is coming and it shall be done," declares the Lord God. "That is the day of which I have spoken. ⁹Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out and make fires with the weapons and burn them, both shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears, and for seven years they will make fires of them."

39:7 This refers to 36:22-23! YHWH wants His name (i.e., Himself) to be known to all the world.

▣ "the Holy One in Israel" The title ("Holy One of Israel") for YHWH is used often in Isaiah (cf. 12:6; 43:3,14; 55:5; 60:9,14) and probably is derived from the vision of Isaiah 6. YHWH as "holy" goes back to Lev. 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7,26. It is clearly stated in Josh 24:19. It speaks of His unique character (cf. I Sam. 2:2; Ps. 22:3; 99:3,5,9; 111:9). YHWH the Holy One is also the creator of Israel (cf. Isa. 43:15; 45:11). For "holy" see Special Topic at 20:12.

39:8 The concept of a final day of reckoning was crystalized in Amos' "day of the YHWH."

39:9 This verse describes the huge number of the invading coalition army which was/will be totally defeated by YHWH (cf. Zechariah 12).

The number seven speaks of the symbolic nature of this context (as does the use of "God" and "the remotest parts of the north").

Notice that the weapons take seven years to burn and the bodies seven months (cf. v. 12) to bury. See Special Topic: Symbolic Numbers in Scripture at 1:5. It is only western literalism that demands that eastern prophetic texts be interpreted as literal history! This is prophetic symbolism. It certainly reveals truth, but modern interpreters must be genre-sensitive and cognizant of Jewish number symbolism!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:39:10
¹⁰"They will not take wood from the field or gather firewood from the forests, for they will make fires with the weapons; and they will take the spoil of those who despoiled them and seize the plunder of those who plundered them," declares the Lord God.

39:10 There is a series of verbs followed by the participle of the same stem, which was a grammatical form of emphasis or intensity.

1. spoil, BDB 1021, KB 1531, Qal perfect, Qal participle, v. 10

2. plunder, BDB 102, KB 117, Qal perfect, Qal participle, v. 10

3. pass over, BDB 716, KB 778, Qal perfect, Qal participle, v. 15

4. bury, BDB 868, KB 1064, Qal perfect, Qal participle, v. 15 (also vv. 13,14)

Note the ironic reversal of the situation (so typical of the Bible). Those who came to gain spoils will be despoiled! Evil is overcome by the good God!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:39:11-16
¹¹"On that day I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, and it will block off those who would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with all his horde, and they will call it the valley of Hamon-gog. ¹²For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. ¹³Even all the people of the land will bury them; and it will be to their renown on the day that I glorify Myself," declares the Lord God. ¹⁴"They will set apart men who will constantly pass through the land, burying those who were passing through, even those left on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search. ¹⁵As those who pass through the land pass through and anyone sees a man's bone, then he will set up a marker by it until the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog. ¹⁶And even the name of the city will be Hamonah. So they will cleanse the land."'

39:11 "Hamon-gog" The Hebrew construct (BDB 242 and 155) means "the multitude of God" (cf. vv. 15-16). Earlier in the verse another construct (BDB 161 and 716) calls the same valley "the Valley of the Travelers" or "the Valley of those who pass by" (cf. vv. 14,15). It seems to be a wordplay (i.e., The Jewish Study Bible, p. 1117) on "the valley of Abarim" (i.e., Vulgate), which is east of the Dead Sea and from whose peak (i.e., Mt. Nebo) Moses viewed the land of Canaan (cf. Num. 27:12; Deut. 32:49). Therefore, this refers to the Arnon River Valley.

39:14-15 Unburied bodies polluted the land making it Levitically unclean (i.e., Deut. 21:22-23). The new restored Israel wants to fully and completely observe God's laws.

39:16 "the name of the city will be Hamonah" This means "multitude" (BDB 242) and apparently is a city located in this burial valley by the same name.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:39:17-20
¹⁷"As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God, 'Speak to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field, "Assemble and come, gather from every side to My sacrifice which I am going to sacrifice for you, as a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood. ¹⁸You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, as though they were rams, lambs, goats and bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan. ¹⁹So you will eat fat until you are glutted, and drink blood until you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. ²⁰You will be glutted at My table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all the men of war,'" declares the Lord God.

39:17-20 This banquet for the birds of prey and carnivorous animals is symbolic of the judgment of God (cf. Isa. 18:6; 56:9; Jer. 12:9; Rev. 19:17-18). The unclean pagan soldiers are eaten by the unclean animals! The Deuteronomic curse, which threatened unfaithful Israel (cf. Lev. 26:22; Deut. 28:26) is now unleashed on Israel's end-time enemies.

Notice the number of imperatives in v. 17 to the wild, carnivorous birds and animals.

1. speak to, BDB 55, KB 65, Qal imperative

2. assemble, BDB 867, KB 1062, Niphal imperative

3. come, BDB 97, KB 112, Qal imperative

4. gather, BDB 62, KB 74, Niphal imperative

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:39:21-24
²¹"And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them. ²²And the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God from that day onward. ²³The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted treacherously against Me, and I hid My face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword. ²⁴According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt with them, and I hid My face from them."'"

39:21-24 YHWH will reveal Himself! He was revealed by Israel, but in an inappropriate way. His people were not exiled because of His lack of power or interest, but because of their covenant disobedience. Now He will reverse this misinformation (cf. 38:22-23) by restoring His people (cf. vv. 25-29) and destroying all opposing human armies!

Israel was meant to be a light to the nations, a kingdom of priests, but they failed. See Special Topic at 12:16.

39:23 "I hid My face from them" This is a metaphorical way of asserting that YHWH would not hear their prayers (cf. Deut. 31:17-18; Isa. 1:15; 54:8; 57:17; 59:2). YHWH will reverse this in v. 29. This phrase is an antithetical parallel to "I shall pour out My Spirit"! Prayer sent, received, and acted on was a concrete sign of the covenant.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:39:25-29
²⁵Therefore thus says the Lord God, "Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name. ²⁶They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid. ²⁷When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations. ²⁸Then they will know that I am the Lord their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer. ²⁹I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel," declares the Lord God.

39:25-29 For those who see every prophecy as eschatological, this paragraph must refer to the post-exilic period introduced by Cyrus the king of Medo-Persia.

Prophecy characteristically takes a current situation (positive or negative) and projects it into a future setting. How God's people live today determines what future they will experience. To take prophecy "literally" misses the point. To take prophecy "unconditionally" misses the point. To take prophecy "as modern western prose" misses the point! See SPECIAL TOPIC: OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY at 13:2.

35:25 "Jacob" This is the Patriarch from whom the name Israel comes (cf. Gen. 32:28). YHWH is promising to have mercy (BDB 933, KB 1216, Piel perfect) on all the exiled people of God (i.e., the northern and southern kingdoms, cf. 36:10; 37:21-22).

▣ "I shall be jealous for My holy name" The verb (BDB 888, KB 1109, Piel perfect) describes YHWH's special love and care for Israel (cf. Exod. 34:14; Deut. 4:23-24), through whom He will reveal Himself to the world. They failed (cf. 36:22-23), but now through the new covenant (cf. 36:22-28; Jer. 31:31-34; Joel 2:28-32), He will succeed!

39:26 Israel will remember and be ashamed of her rebellion and sin (cf. 6:9; 16:61,63; 20:43; 36:31-32).

There is some variation in the translations of v. 26.

1. "forget" (BDB 674, נשה), NASB, NRSV, TEV, NJB, NIV, REB

2. "bear" (BDB 669, נשא), Peshitta, NKJV, JPSOA, NET Bible

39:28 "I made them go into exile" It was not the power of the pagan deities of the nations of the Ancient Near East, but YHWH's judgment (i.e. Jer. 29:4,7,14; Amos 5:27) and personal activity (i.e., He used Assyria, Babylon, and later Persia for His revelatory and redemptive purposes). This is "the" major theological issue in Ezekiel (i.e., God's holy name).

39:29 "I shall have poured out My Spirit" The verb (BDB 1049, KB 1629, Qal perfect) is used of YHWH's equipping presence

1. for life, Ezek. 37:14

2. for new covenant, Ezek. 11:19; 36:26-27; Joel 2:28 (all mankind)

3. for fertility, Isa. 32:15; 44:3

In the OT God's Spirit is used in the sense of His power to accomplish His will in the world. The full NT Trinitarian sense does not occur. See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TRINITY at 2:2.

This is a sacrificial term (cf. Lev. 17:13; Deut. 12:16; 15:23). It is used of pagan practices in Ezek. 16:15; 23:8).

Just a balancing note about this verb. It is also used of YHWH pouring out His wrath on the disobedient (cf. Isa. 42:25; Jer. 7:20; Lam. 2:4; Ezek. 21:31).

Ezekiel 40

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Vision of the Restored Temple and Land (40:1-48:35)	Vision of the Future Temple (40:1-48:35)
Vision of a Man With A Measuring Rod	A New City, A New Temple	The Temple Area, Gates, Outer and Inner Courts	Ezekiel Is Taken To Jerusalem	The Future Temple
40:1-4	40:1-5	40:1-4	40:1-3	40:1-4
Measurements Relating to the Temple			40:4
			The East Gate	The Outer Wall
40:5-16		40:5-16	40:5-10	40:5
	The Eastern Gateway of the Temple			The East Gate
	40:6-16			40:6-16
			40:11-16
	The Outer Court		The Outer Courtyard	The Outer Court
40:17-19	40:17-19	40:17-19	40:17-18	40:17-19
			40:19
	The Northern Gateway		The North Gate	The North Gate
40:20-23	40:20-23	40:20-23	40:20-23	40:20-23
	The Southern Gateway		The South Gate	The South Gate
40:24-27	40:24-27	40:24-27	40:24-27	40:24-27
	Gateways of the Inner Court		The Inner Courtyard: The South Gate	The Inner Court. The South Gate
40:28-31	40:28-31	40:28-31	40:28-31	40:28-31
			The Inner Courtyard: The East Gate	The East Gate
40:32-34	40:32-34	40:32-34	40:32-34	40:32-34
			The Inner Courtyard: The North Gate	The North Gate
40:35-37	40:35-37	40:35-37	40:35-37	40:35-37
	Where Sacrifices Were Prepared		Buildings Near the North Gate	Subsidiary Buildings At the Gate
40:38-43	40:38-43	40:38-43	40:38-43	40:38-43
	Chambers for Singers and Priests
40:44-47	40:44-46	40:44-47	40:44-46	40:44-46
	Dimensions of the Inner Court and Vestibule		The Inner Courtyard and Temple Building	The Inner Court
	40:47-49		40:47-41:4	40:47
				The Temple, The Ulam
40:48-49		40:48-49		40:48-49

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHT TO EZEKIEL 40-48

A. Brief outline

1. Chapters 40-43 — the Temple restored

2. Chapters 44-46 — the ritual restored

3. Chapters 47-48 — the land reallocated

B. There is a series of special places where the God of Israel dwelt (i.e., the location of the Ark of the Covenant) and interacted with His people.

1. the tabernacle

a. description, Exodus 25-40

b. procedures, Leviticus

2. the temple of Solomon (based on a Phoenician pattern), I Kings 5-8; I Chronicles 17;22;28;29; II Chronicles 2-7

3. the temple of Zerubbabel, Ezra; I Esdras; I Macc. 1:20-24; Josephus, Apion 1.22

4. the temple of Herod, Josephus, Antiq. 15.11-12; Wars 5.5; Middoth in Mishna

5. the temple of Ezekiel, chapters 40-48

6. Jesus is the true Temple, Hebrews (esp. chapters 9-10)

C. Ezekiel was a trained priest of the line of Zadok. He was greatly concerned that the temple had become idolatrous (i.e., chapters 8-11) and that YHWH had left and moved east to be with the exiles in Babylon. The temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar's army in 586 b.c. Chapters 40-48 represent YHWH's return to His special place with His people. One wonders how much the prophecy of Jer. 31:38-40 affected Ezekiel; and how much Ezekiel affected Zechariah 2 and John's book of the Revelation. The imagery of the prophets reveal that

1. they knew of each other's writing

2. the Spirit used the same imagery again and again to tie God's promises together

The details (cf. 40:5-42:20) of steps and their width along with the type of metal were symbolic of the levels of holiness as one approaches the most holy of places, the place where YHWH symbolically dwelt, the Holy of Holies and its Ark of the Covenant.

D. If taken literally, there is much disagreement between the procedures of Moses (Leviticus) and those of Ezekiel (chapters 40-48). The Rabbi Hananiah bar Hezekiah attempted to reconcile them (cf. b. Shab 13b). Some rabbis assert that it must refer to a future Messianic temple (cf. Seder Olam 26; Rashi).

E. Some possible interpretations

1. It was never meant to be literally fulfilled, but was a literary way to reverse chapters 8-11. It was written to encourage the exiles.

2. It was conditional prophecy to which the Jews did not respond appropriately (i.e., sin of the post-exilic period, cf. Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi).

3. It was to be fulfilled in the return from the Exile under Zerubbabel (prince of Judah, seed of David) and Joshua (seed of the last high priest before the exile).

4. It was fulfilled in Herod's temple.

5. It will be fulfilled in an eschatological temple.

F. Personal problems interpreting this text

1. Ezekiel, in sharp contrast to Isaiah, is very Israel-focused. Isaiah's universalism (God's love and inclusion of all the nations) is totally missing. The nations will know God through His judgment on them and blessings on Israel.

2. Ezekiel focuses exclusively on national geographical Israel, which is so different from the NT (see Special Topic at 34:26).

3. Ezekiel takes seriously the curses and blessings of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 27-29. He does predict an end-time Davidic seed and a restored sacrificial system (cf. 34:23-24; 37:24-28).

4. The NT

a. specifically excludes an end-time sacrificial system in Hebrews 9 and 10 (see F. F. Bruce, Questions and Answers, pp. 32-33)

b. includes Gentiles, while Ezekiel 40-48 is very nationalistic

c. Jesus seems to have rejected the Jews as God's instrument of redemption in the parable of the wicked tenants (cf. Matt. 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19)

5. Although I believe that God will use national Israel in some way in the end-time setting (cf. Romans 9-11), I do believe that the Church is spiritual Israel (cf. Rom. 2:28-29; 9:6; Galatians 3-4; 6:15-16; Eph. 2:11-3:13; Phil. 3:3; I Pet. 2:8-9; Rev. 1:6). This has surely affected the way I understand Ezekiel. But before you say to yourself, "aha!" let me remind you that you, too, are presuppositional. We are all trying to understand the individual books of the Bible and then put them together into a perspective that embraces all of God's revelation. And, it is not easy!

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:40:1-4
¹In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was taken, on that same day the hand of the Lord was upon me and He brought me there. ²In the visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, and on it to the south there was a structure like a city. ³So He brought me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. ⁴The man said to me, "Son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and give attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show it to you. Declare to the house of Israel all that you see."

40:1 "In the twenty-fifty year of our exile" This would be 573 b.c., dating from the exile of King Jehoiachin (i.e., 597 b.c., cf. II Kgs. 24:10-17).

▣ "at the beginning of the year" It is uncertain if the new year began in the autumn with the month Tishri (cf. Lev. 25:9), or with the month Nisan (cf. Exod. 12:2). No New Year feast is mentioned in the OT or NT or by Josephus or Philo. See SPECIAL TOPIC: ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN CALENDARS at 1:1.

▣ "after the city was taken" The verb (BDB 645, KB 697, Hophal perfect, cf. 33:21) means "to be attacked and captured" (cf. II Kgs. 25:1-7).

▣ "the hand of the Lord was upon me" See note at 33:22.

▣ "He brought me there" This verb (BDB 97, KB 112, Hiphil imperfect) speaks of a spiritual (i.e., "in visions," cf. 1:1; 8:3; 40:2) transportation (this parallels 8:3; 11:1,24) from exile in Babylon to the site of a high mountain (same verb is Hiphil perfect in 40:2). The Spirit does this to Ezekiel several times in chapter 40 (cf. vv. 2,3,4,17,28,32,35,48).

40:2 "set me on a very high mountain" Because of Ezek. 17:27 and 20:40, this seems to refer to the temple on Mt. Moriah (cf. Isa. 2:2-3; Micah 4:1).

▣ "on it to the south" The Septuagint has "opposite it" (see RSV REB), which would refer to the (1) Mount of Olives or (2) Mt. Zion. This change involves only one consonant in the Masoretic text ("south," בגנמ; "in front of," דגנמ).

▣ "there was a structure like a city" This may relate to Ps. 48:2, but this is uncertain because of the description "in the far north" (cf. Isa. 14:13).

40:3 "a man" This turns out to be an angelic guide (cf. v. 3), so characteristic of apocalyptic literature.

▣ "line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand" The line of flax (BDB 833) was used to measure long distances, while the measuring reed (BDB 889) was used to measure short distances.

40:4 Ezekiel is given a series of commands.

1. see, BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal imperative

2. hear, BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal imperative

3. give attention (lit. "set your heart"), BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal imperative, cf. 44:5

4. declare, BDB 616, KB 665, Hiphil imperative

▣ "declare. . .all that you see" This is theologically similar to Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Jer. 26:2. Ezekiel must disclose everything that was communicated to him from YHWH to the people.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:40:5-16
⁵And behold, there was a wall on the outside of the temple all around, and in the man's hand was a measuring rod of six cubits, each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one rod; and the height, one rod. ⁶Then he went to the gate which faced east, went up its steps and measured the threshold of the gate, one rod in width; and the other threshold was one rod in width. ⁷The guardroom was one rod long and one rod wide; and there were five cubits between the guardrooms. And the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate facing inward was one rod. ⁸Then he measured the porch of the gate facing inward, one rod. ⁹He measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its side pillars, two cubits. And the porch of the gate was faced inward. ¹⁰The guardrooms of the gate toward the east numbered three on each side; the three of them had the same measurement. The side pillars also had the same measurement on each side. ¹¹And he measured the width of the gateway, ten cubits, and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits. ¹²There was a barrier wall one cubit wide in front of the guardrooms on each side; and the guardrooms were six cubits square on each side. ¹³He measured the gate from the roof of the one guardroom to the roof of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits from one door to the door opposite. ¹⁴He made the side pillars sixty cubits high; the gate extended round about to the side pillar of the courtyard. ¹⁵From the front of the entrance gate to the front of the inner porch of the gate was fifty cubits. ¹⁶There were shuttered windows looking toward the guardrooms, and toward their side pillars within the gate all around, and likewise for the porches. And there were windows all around inside; and on each side pillar were palm tree ornaments.

40:5 "there was a wall on the outside of the temple all around" This begins the very detailed description of the new temple. This wall's length is measured in 42:20.

▣ "a measuring rod of six cubits, each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth" There seem to have been two cubits: (1) described in Deut. 3:11 and II Chr. 3:3 as the distance from a man's elbow to his longest finger, about 18 inches; (2) a longer cubit was used in both Babylon and Egypt, which was the regular distance plus the width of a man's hand, which made it about 21 inches (cf. Ezek. 43:13). The Mishnah says that the measuring rod/reed was about 10 feet, 5 inches long.

40:6 This is the gate from which YHWH left the temple (cf. 11:1,22-23) and the direction from which He will return to the new temple (cf. 43:1-5).

▣ "went up its steps" Throughout chapter 40 a series of steps is mentioned (vv. 6, 22, 26, 31, 34, 37, and 39). These ascending steps and shrinking doorways seem to depict the levels of holiness as one approaches the Holy of Holies (cf. chapter 41:2-3.

40:9

NASB"its side pillars"
NKJV"the gateposts"
NRSV"its pilasters"
NJB"its piers"

This rare Hebrew word (BDB 18 II, KB 40 III) means "door jamb" in I Kgs. 6:31, but here (cf. vv. 9, 10, 14 [twice], 16 [twice], 21, 24, 26, 29, 31, 34, 36, 37 [twice], 38, 48, 49; 41:1, 3) its meaning is uncertain. The NIV translates it as "projecting walls" and "jambs." The same consonants can mean

1. ram

2. leader

3. prominent tree (terebinth)

4. strength (KB)

5. deer (KB)

KB 40 III offers "pillar of an archway" as a possible meaning.

40:14 This verse is very difficult in the Masoretic text. Note the different translations available to you.

40:16 "palm tree ornaments" These (BDB 1071, cf. vv. 22,26; 41:18) were also in Solomon's temple (cf. I Kgs. 6:29,32,35; 7:36; II Chr. 3:5), but not the tabernacle. Solomon elaborates the tabernacle's design and Ezekiel elaborates Solomon's design.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:40:17-19
¹⁷Then he brought me into the outer court, and behold, there were chambers and a pavement made for the court all around; thirty chambers faced the pavement. ¹⁸The pavement (that is, the lower pavement) was by the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. ¹⁹Then he measured the width from the front of the lower gate to the front of the exterior of the inner court, a hundred cubits on the east and on the north.

40:17 "pavement" This (BDB 954) refers to some type of stone or mosaic floor covering.

1. Xerxes' palace ("in the court of the garden of the king," 1:5) in Susa, Esther 1:6

2. Solomon's temple, II Chr. 7:3

3. Ezekiel's temple (i.e., outer court), Ezek. 40:17,18; 42:3

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:40:20-23
²⁰As for the gate of the outer court which faced the north, he measured its length and its width. ²¹It had three guardrooms on each side; and its side pillars and its porches had the same measurement as the first gate. Its length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. ²²Its windows and its porches and its palm tree ornaments had the same measurements as the gate which faced toward the east; and it was reached by seven steps, and its porch was in front of them. ²³The inner court had a gate opposite the gate on the north as well as the gate on the east; and he measured a hundred cubits from gate to gate.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:40:24-27
²⁴Then he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate toward the south; and he measured its side pillars and its porches according to those same measurements. ²⁵The gate and its porches had windows all around like those other windows; the length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. ²⁶There were seven steps going up to it, and its porches were in front of them; and it had palm tree ornaments on its side pillars, one on each side. ²⁷The inner court had a gate toward the south; and he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:40:28-31
²⁸Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate; and he measured the south gate according to those same measurements. ²⁹Its guardrooms also, its side pillars and its porches were according to those same measurements. And the gate and its porches had windows all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. ³⁰There were porches all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. ³¹Its porches were toward the outer court; and palm tree ornaments were on its side pillars, and its stairway had eight steps.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:40:32-34
³²He brought me into the inner court toward the east. And he measured the gate according to those same measurements. ³³Its guardrooms also, its side pillars and its porches were according to those same measurements. And the gate and its porches had windows all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. ³⁴Its porches were toward the outer court; and palm tree ornaments were on its side pillars, on each side, and its stairway had eight steps.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:40:35-37
³⁵Then he brought me to the north gate; and he measured it according to those same measurements, ³⁶with its guardrooms, its side pillars and its porches. And the gate had windows all around; the length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. ³⁷Its side pillars were toward the outer court; and palm tree ornaments were on its side pillars on each side, and its stairway had eight steps.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:40:38-43
³⁸A chamber with its doorway was by the side pillars at the gates; there they rinse the burnt offering. ³⁹In the porch of the gate were two tables on each side, on which to slaughter the burnt offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering. ⁴⁰On the outer side, as one went up to the gateway toward the north, were two tables; and on the other side of the porch of the gate were two tables. ⁴¹Four tables were on each side next to the gate; or, eight tables on which they slaughter sacrifices. ⁴²For the burnt offering there were four tables of hewn stone, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and one cubit high, on which they lay the instruments with which they slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice. ⁴³The double hooks, one handbreadth in length, were installed in the house all around; and on the tables was the flesh of the offering.

40:43

NASB"double hooks"
NKJV"hooks"
NRSV"pegs"
TEV"ledges"
NJB"runnels"

The Hebrew consonants in the words "hooks" (BDB 1052) and "ledges" are the same. Hooks fits v. 42 (i.e., sacrifice) and the last phrase of v. 43 ("and on the tables was the flesh of the offering"). However, "ledges" are mentioned in the "Temple Scroll" of the Dead Sea Scrolls (30:13, see IVP Bible Background Commentary, p. 725).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:40:44-47
⁴⁴From the outside to the inner gate were chambers for the singers in the inner court, one of which was at the side of the north gate, with its front toward the south, and one at the side of the south gate facing toward the north. ⁴⁵He said to me, "This is the chamber which faces toward the south, intended for the priests who keep charge of the temple; ⁴⁶but the chamber which faces toward the north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who from the sons of Levi come near to the Lord to minister to Him." ⁴⁷He measured the court, a perfect square, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide; and the altar was in front of the temple.

40:44 NASB, NKJV, NRSV, JPSOA "chambers for the singers in the inner court" The MT has "chambers for the singers." The Septuagint has "two chambers" (RSV, TEV, NJB, REB) and says these rooms were "for the sacrificing priests" in v. 46. We can see the different functions of the Levite priests in vv. 45-46, therefore, "chambers" fits the immediate context better.

40:46 "These are the sons of Zadok" This was the lineage of Ezekiel. Zadok served Solomon in his temple. Jeremiah was from the line of Abiathar, who rebelled against David and was exiled from the temple service. Verses 45-46 may reflect the forgiveness of the line of Abiathar. As Israel and Judah are reunited, so too, the two families of priests. However, the sons of Zadok still exclusively attend the altar (cf. 43:19; 44:15-16).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:40:48-49
⁴⁸Then he brought me to the porch of the temple and measured each side pillar of the porch, five cubits on each side; and the width of the gate was three cubits on each side. ⁴⁹The length of the porch was twenty cubits and the width eleven cubits; and at the stairway by which it was ascended were columns belonging to the side pillars, one on each side.

40:49 "and the width eleven cubits" The Septuagint has "twelve cubits," which seems to fit the overall structure better.

▣ "at the stairway by which it was ascended" The Septuagint adds "ten steps."

▣ "the sacred pillars" This seems to refer to the two free-standing pillars in the front of Solomon's temple, which were called Jachin and Boaz (cf. II Kgs. 7:15-22; II Chr. 3:17).

Ezekiel 41

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Vision of the Restored Temple and Land (40:1-48:35)	Vision of the Future Temple (40:1-48:35)
The Inner Temple	Dimensions of the Sanctuary		The Inner Courtyard and Temple Building 40:47-41:4	The Hekal
41:1-4	41:1-4	41:1-4		4:1-2
				The Debir
				4:3-4
	The Side Chambers on the Wall		The Rooms Built Against the Temple Walls	The Side Cells
41:5-11	41:5-11	41:5-11	41:5-11	41:5-7
				41:8-11
	The Building at the Western End		The Building on the West	The Building on the West Side
41:12	41:12	41:12	41:12	41:12-15a
	Dimensions and Design of the Temple Area		The Total Measurements of the Temple Building
41:13-14	41:13-17	41:13-14	41:13-15
41:15-20		41:15a	Details of the Temple Building	The Particulars of the Temple Itself
		41:15b-20	41:15b-21a	41:15b-21a
	41:18-20
41:21-26	41:21-26	41:21-26	The Wooden Altar	The Wooden Altar
			41:21b-22	41:21b-22
			The Doors	The Doors
			41:23-26	41:23-26

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:41:1-4
¹Then he brought me to the nave and measured the side pillars; six cubits wide on each side was the width of the side pillar. ²The width of the entrance was ten cubits and the sides of the entrance were five cubits on each side. And he measured the length of the nave, forty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits. ³Then he went inside and measured each side pillar of the doorway, two cubits, and the doorway, six cubits high; and the width of the doorway, seven cubits. ⁴He measured its length, twenty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits, before the nave; and he said to me, "This is the most holy place."

41:1 "he brought me" Does the "he" refer to (cf. 40:17,24,28,32,35,48)

1. the hand of the Lord, 40:1,2

2. the Lord's Spirit

3. the angel guide, 40:45,47; 41:2,3,4,15

In context #3 fits best.

NASB, NRSV"the nave"
NKJV"the sanctuary"
JPSOA"the great hall"
TEV"central room"
NJB"the Hekal"'

This word (BDB 228, KB 244) can refer to

1. palace/temple of God as the great king, II Kgs. 18:16; 23:4; 24:13; Jer. 7:4; 24:1; Ezek. 8:16

2. the holy place of Solomon's temple, I Kgs. 6:17; 7:50, and of Ezekiel's temple, 41:1, 4, 15, 21, 23

3. the heavenly temple of Isaiah, Isa. 6:1 (cf. Ps. 11:4; Micah 1:2; Hab. 2:20)

4. the second temple built by Zerubbabel, Hag. 2:15,18; Zech. 6:12,13,14,15; 8:9; Mal. 3:1

41:4 "This is the most holy place" This refers to the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant originally dwelt (cf. Exod. 26:33-34; I Kgs. 6:16; 8:6). This was the place of atonement, the place of YHWH's personal presence (cf. Leviticus 16).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:41:5-11
⁵Then he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits; and the width of the side chambers, four cubits, all around about the house on every side. ⁶The side chambers were in three stories, one above another, and thirty in each story; and the side chambers extended to the wall which stood on their inward side all around, that they might be fastened, and not be fastened into the wall of the temple itself. ⁷The side chambers surrounding the temple were wider at each successive story. Because the structure surrounding the temple went upward by stages on all sides of the temple, therefore the width of the temple increased as it went higher; and thus one went up from the lowest story to the highest by way of the second story. ⁸I saw also that the house had a raised platform all around; the foundations of the side chambers were a full rod of six long cubits in height. ⁹The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits. But the free space between the side chambers belonging to the temple ¹⁰and the outer chambers was twenty cubits in width all around the temple on every side. ¹¹The doorways of the side chambers toward the free space consisted of one doorway toward the north and another doorway toward the south; and the width of the free space was five cubits all around.

41:7

NASB"the second story"
NKJV, NRSV"the middle one"
LXX"third story"

The term (BDB 1064, KB 1724) means "middle." From the context it must refer to the middle or second level (cf. 42:5,6).

The Jewish Study Bible, p. 1122, says v. 7 is describing a spiraling staircase.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:41:12
¹² The building that was in front of the separate area at the side toward the west was seventy cubits wide; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length was ninety cubits.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:41:13-14
¹³Then he measured the temple, a hundred cubits long; the separate area with the building and its walls were also a hundred cubits long. ¹⁴Also the width of the front of the temple and that of the separate areas along the east side totaled a hundred cubits.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:41:15-20
¹⁵He measured the length of the building along the front of the separate area behind it, with a gallery on each side, a hundred cubits; he also measured the inner nave and the porches of the court. ¹⁶The thresholds, the latticed windows and the galleries round about their three stories, opposite the threshold, were paneled with wood all around, and from the ground to the windows (but the windows were covered), ¹⁷over the entrance, and to the inner house, and on the outside, and on all the wall all around inside and outside, by measurement. ¹⁸It was carved with cherubim and palm trees; and a palm tree was between cherub and cherub, and every cherub had two faces, ¹⁹a man's face toward the palm tree on one side and a young lion's face toward the palm tree on the other side; they were carved on all the house all around. ²⁰From the ground to above the entrance cherubim and palm trees were carved, as well as on the wall of the nave.

41:16

NASB"lattices windows"
NKJV"beveled window frames"
NRSV"windows with recessed frames"
TEV"the windows could be covered"
NJB"the windows were screened with latticework"

This descriptive term (BDB 31, KB 36) can mean

1. closed, barred, cf. v. 16c

2. framed, cf. I Kgs. 6:4; 7:4-5

3. narrow

▣ "were paneled with wood all around" This was just like Solomon's temple (cf. I Kgs. 6:15).

41:18 "cherubim and palm trees" These were the same decorations that were used in Solomon's temple (cf. I Kgs. 6:8,29; 7:29,36). There is some doubt as to the exact physical description of the Cherubim: (1) the Ark of the Covenant had Cherubim who had one face each; (2) in Ezekiel 1 and 10 they seem to have four faces; (3) Revelation 4 records a different face for each creature. See Special Topic: Cherubim at 1:5.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:41:21-26
²¹The doorposts of the nave were square; as for the front of the sanctuary, the appearance of one doorpost was like that of the other. ²²The altar was of wood, three cubits high and its length two cubits; its corners, its base and its sides were of wood. And he said to me, "This is the table that is before the Lord." ²³The nave and the sanctuary each had a double door. ²⁴Each of the doors had two leaves, two swinging leaves; two leaves for one door and two leaves for the other. ²⁵Also there were carved on them, on the doors of the nave, cherubim and palm trees like those carved on the walls; and there was a threshold of wood on the front of the porch outside. ²⁶There were latticed windows and palm trees on one side and on the other, on the sides of the porch; thus were the side chambers of the house and the thresholds.

41:22 "the altar of wood" There are two possibilities for this piece of furniture because it is called both an altar (BDB 258) and a table (BDB 1020): (1) the table of showbread (cf. Exod. 25:23-30; Lev. 24:5-9; 1 Kgs. 6:20-22; 11 Chr. 3:lff) or (2) the altar of incense which stood before the inner veil (cf. Exod. 30:1-10; 37:25-29).

Ezekiel 42

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Vision of the Restored Temple and Land (40:1-48:35)	Vision of the Future Temple (40:1-48:35)
Chambers of the Temple	The Chambers For the Priests	The Priests' Chambers	Two Buildings Near the Temple	Subsidiary Buildings of the Temple
42:1-9	42:1-9	42:1-10a	42:1-10a	42:1-9
42:10-12	42:10-12			42:10-14
		42:10b-12	42:10b-12
42:13-14	42:13-14	42:13-14	42:13-14
	Outer Dimensions of the Temple	The Total Temple Area	The Measurements of the Temple Area	Measurements of the Courts
42:15-20	42:15-20	42:15-20	42:15-20	42:15-20

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:42:1-9
¹Then he brought me out into the outer court, the way toward the north; and he brought me to the chamber which was opposite the separate area and opposite the building toward the north. ²Along the length, which was a hundred cubits, was the north door; the width was fifty cubits. ³Opposite the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and opposite the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery corresponding to gallery in three stories. ⁴Before the chambers was an inner walk ten cubits wide, a way of one hundred cubits; and their openings were on the north. ⁵Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space away from them than from the lower and middle ones in the building. ⁶For they were in three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper chambers were set back from the ground upward, more than the lower and middle ones. ⁷As for the outer wall by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court facing the chambers, its length was fifty cubits. ⁸For the length of the chambers which were in the outer court was fifty cubits; and behold, the length of those facing the temple was a hundred cubits. ⁹Below these chambers was the entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer court.

42:1 "he brought me" See note at 41:1.

NASB, NRSV,
NJB, JPSOA"outer court"
TEV"outer courtyard"
RSV"inner court"

The Hebrew OT Text Project of the UBS gives "outer" an A rating.

42:4

NASB, NRSV,
REB"a way of one hundred cubits"
NKJV"at a distance of one cubit"

The MT has "one cubit," but the Septuagint and Peshitta have "one hundred cubits. The Expositors Bible Commentary (p. 967) says that "an inner walk" (BDB 237) of v. 4 can be understood as a step (1x10 cubits). There are many ambiguous and rare terms and phrases in this section that remain unknown.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:42:10-12
¹⁰In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, facing the separate area and facing the building, there were chambers. ¹¹The way in front of them was like the appearance of the chambers which were on the north, according to their length so was their width, and all their exits were both according to their arrangements and openings. ¹²Corresponding to the openings of the chambers which were toward the south was an opening at the head of the way, the way in front of the wall toward the east, as one enters them.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:42:13-14
¹³Then he said to me, "The north chambers and the south chambers, which are opposite the separate area, they are the holy chambers where the priests who are near to the Lord shall eat the most holy things. There they shall lay the most holy things, the grain offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering; for the place is holy. ¹⁴When the priests enter, then they shall not go out into the outer court from the sanctuary without laying there their garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they shall approach that which is for the people."

42:13 "the priests who are near to the Lord" This refers to Zadok's line which exclusively offered sacrifices (cf. 40:46). These priests were allowed to eat part of most sacrifices (cf. Lev. 2:3; 5:13; 6:16,26,29; 7:6,10; 10:12-14). The sacrifices are described in Leviticus 1-7.

42:14 The priests' garments (cf. Exod. 39:1-43) that they wore when ministering at the altar must be left in the "holy" place. This corresponds to Aaron's instruction in Lev. 16:23.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:42:15-20
¹⁵Now when he had finished measuring the inner house, he brought me out by the way of the gate which faced toward the east and measured it all around. ¹⁶He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds by the measuring reed. ¹⁷He measured on the north side five hundred reeds by the measuring reed. ¹⁸On the south side he measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. ¹⁹He turned to the west side and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. ²⁰He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, the length five hundred and the width five hundred, to divide between the holy and the profane.

42:16 "the measuring reed five hundred reeds by the measuring reed" The problem occurs in the length of a "measuring reed." Earlier in the literary unit (cf. 40:5) it was over ten feet, but here it seems to refer to one cubit (i.e., 21 inches). The MT scholars recognized the problem.

Qere (to be read), five hundred reeds

Ketiv (written), five cubits, reeds

This same confusion is repeated in vv. 17, 18, and 19.

If one assumes that a reed is over 10' the area was about 500 acres (The Jewish Study Bible, p. 1125), if 21" the area is about 14 acres. If the larger measurement is used it denotes the symbolic nature because of its size.

42:20 "to divide between the holy and profane" This is another example of architectural design to accentuate holiness. The wall was too low to provide protection; therefore, some commentators see it as a wall of holiness (similar to the dividing walls of Herod's temple).

Ezekiel 43

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Vision of the Restored Temple and Land (40:1-48:35)	Vision of the Future Temple (40:1-48:35)
Vision of the Glory of God Filling the Temple	The Temple, The Lord's Dwelling Place	Return of the Glory of God	The Lord Returns to the Temple	The Return of Yahweh
43:1-5	43:1-5	43:1-5	43:1-4	43:1-3
				43:4-9
			43:5-9
43:6-9	43:6-9	43:6-9
43:10-12	43:10-12	43:10-12	43:10-12	43:10-12
The Altar of Sacrifice	Dimensions of the Altar	The Altar of Burnt Offering	The Altar	The Altar
43:13-17	43:13-17	43:13-17	43:13-17	43:13-17
The Offerings	Consecrating the Altar		The Consecration of the Altar	The Consecration of the Altar
43:18-21	43:18-27	43:18-21	43:18-27	43:18-27
43:22-27		43:22-27

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:43:1-5
¹Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing toward the east; ²and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. ³And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. ⁴And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. ⁵And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.

43:2 "the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east" We must remember that the glory, or the presence of God, had left (cf. 10:18-22; 11:22-24). He is returning to His temple. It is a way of affirming that the ancient covenant had been re-established (cf. Ps. 24:7-10).

▣ "His voice was like the sound of many waters" See 1:24 and Rev. 1:15; 14:2.

▣ "the earth shone with His glory" The verb (BDB 21, KB 24, Hiphil perfect) is used of the Shekinah Cloud of Glory during the wilderness wandering period (cf. Exod. 13:21; 14:20). This is part of the Aaronic blessing of Num. 6:25. It involved God's face (i.e., intimate presence) to shine in/on those whom He fully accepted. See Special Topic at 3:12.

43:3 This vision of the manifested glory of YHWH is the same as in the vision that Ezekiel saw in chapters 1 and 10 (i.e., the portable throne chariot of YHWH).

NASB, NRSV,
REB"when He came"
NKJV, NJB"when I came"
TEV"when God came"

The MT has "I" (בבי), but some Hebrew manuscripts (6) and the Vulgate have "He" (בבו). There is much confusion in Ezekiel related to the pronouns "I," "you," "He," and "they."

▣ "I fell on my face" See 1:28; 3:23.

43:5 "the Spirit lifted me up and brought me" See note at 40:1 and 3:12.

▣ "the glory of the Lord filled the house" This was like the Shekinah cloud that came down on Mount Sinai (cf. Exodus 19:16,18,20), the Tabernacle (cf. Exodus 40:34,35), and Solomon's temple (cf. I Kgs. 8:10,11; II Chr. 5:14; 7:1-2). This is another way of showing that God present and the covenant was reestablished.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:43:6-9
⁶Then I heard one speaking to me from the house, while a man was standing beside me. ⁷He said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the corpses of their kings when they die, ⁸by setting their threshold by My threshold and their door post beside My door post, with only the wall between Me and them. And they have defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have committed. So I have consumed them in My anger. ⁹Now let them put away their harlotry and the corpses of their kings far from Me; and I will dwell among them forever."

43:6 "I heard one speaking to me from the house" From the next three verses we know it was YHWH Himself who had just returned from Babylon. This seems to imply that Ezekiel thought this message was for the post-exilic community. Surely YHWH does not stay in Babylon until the eschaton.

▣ "while a man was standing beside me" This refers to one of the angel guides (cf. 40:3-4).

43:7 "the place of My throne" Normally YHWH's throne is in heaven, but since the vision of chapters 1 and 10 (YHWH's portable Throne Chariot, cf. 1:26; 10:1), the new temple is both His throne (cf. Jer. 3:17; 14:21; 17:12) and His footstool (i.e., the space between the Cherubim on the Ark, cf. I Chr. 28:2; Ps. 132; 7: Isa. 66:1; Lam. 2:1). Obviously this is metaphorical of power and majesty and not meant to be turned into God, the eternal Spirit, actually sitting on a chair/throne! Even Ps. 45:6 probably refers to the coming Davidic descendant (i.e., Messiah, cf. II Samuel 7), not God (see Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 270-271).

▣ "the place of the soles of My feet" Although YHWH lived in heaven, His feet were between the Cherubim (i.e., Jerusalem, Mt. Moriah, cf. Exod. 25:22; Isa. 37:16) above the Ark of the Covenant in the holy of holies (cf. I Chr. 28:2; Ps. 99:5; 132:7; Isa. 60:13). This dedication service is very similar to Solomon's in I Kings 8 (cf. Isa. 66:1).

▣ "where I will dwell among the sons of Israel" The verb (BDB 1014, KB 1496, Qal imperfect) is used so often in Deuteronomy of the place God will cause His name to dwell (cf. Deut. 12:11; 14:23; 16:2,6,11; 26:2). This promise is also found in 37:26-27. It goes back to Exod. 25:8 (YHWH gave them a detailed pattern of the tabernacle, also Exod. 25:9); 29:45-46. This same covenant language is continued when the coming Messiah is called Emmanuel (i.e., God with us) in Isa. 7:14 (cf. Matt. 1:23). This is another way of showing that the covenant has been reestablished (cf. 16:60-63; 37:24-28).

▣ "forever" See Special Topic at 37:25,26.

▣ "Israel will not defile My holy name" This is a recurrent issue in Ezekiel. YHWH wants His name revealed to the nations, not profaned among them (cf. 20:9,14,22,39; 36:21,22; 39:7; 43:7,8)! Israel was meant to be a kingdom of priests, but they turned into a kingdom of idolaters! This will change; a new day is coming! The nations themselves will witness to Israel (cf. Romans 9-11)! There will be no distinction between Jew and Gentile anymore (cf. Eph. 2:11-3:13). Joel 2:28 has been realized (cf. Acts 2:14-21).

▣ "the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name" This reflects the new covenant discussed in 36:22-36. A new day of obedience is coming. Obedience is possible because of YHWH providing "a new heart" and "a new spirit." This new covenant not only involves forgiveness, but godly living! Notice the stated condition in vv. 9 and 11.

▣ "the corpses" This term (BDB 803, KB 910) has several possible meanings.

1. the bodies of dead kings in their tombs/monuments in the vicinity of the temple (cf. Lev. 26:30)

2. the offering of dead bodies to Molech (same consonants as "king")

3. the place and practice of idolatry (cf. v. 8; 8:3,16)

The parallelism suggests #3.

NASB"when they die"
NKJV"on their high places"
NRSV, JPSOA"at their death"
TEV, NJB,
Peshitta"by burying the corpses of their dead kings"
REV"with the monuments raised to dead kings"
LXX"the murders of their princes in the midst of them"

The only difference between the two options is the vowel points of the MT scholars. The Hebrew consonants are the same. The question is, "Does the context refer to idolatry (cf. 5:11; 23:36-45) or the monuments (stele) of dead sinful kings?"

43:8 "So I have consumed them in My anger" See Special Topic at 1:3.

43:9-11 There is a series of commands.

1. put away harlotry, v. 9, BDB 934, KB 1221, Piel imperfect used in a jussive sense

2. describe/declare, v. 10, BDB 616, KB 665, Hiphil imperative

3. be ashamed of iniquities, v. 10, BDB 483, KB 480, Niphal imperfect used in a jussive sense

4. make known to them, v. 11, BDB 393, KB 390, Hiphil imperative

5. write, v. 11, BDB 507, KB 503, Qal imperative

6. observe, v. 11, BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

43:9 "Now let them" Verses 9 & 11 show the conditional nature of Ezekiel's covenant, as all covenants in the OT were conditional on mankind's appropriate response to God in repentance, faith, and obedience.

▣ "and I will dwell among them forever" See note at v. 7.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:43:10-12
¹⁰"As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the plan. ¹¹If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole design and all its statutes and do them. ¹²This is the law of the house: its entire area on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house."

43:10 This elaborate plan of the new temple was meant to

1. remind them of the Exodus (a detailed pattern from YHWH of a place of worship and its procedures, cf. Exodus 25-31)

2. cause them to repent (cf. 6:9; 16:61,63; 20:43; 36:31; 43:11)

3. give them an opportunity for obedience (i.e., "and do them," v. 11)

43:11 Notice the parallelism between

1. design, BDB 849, KB 1017, only in this chapter, possibly drawing, plan, or form

2. statutes, BDB 349, cf. v. 18, see Special Topic at 5:7

3. laws, BDB 435, cf. v. 12(twice), see Special Topic at 5:7

YHWH is giving them a new temple (i.e., to build) and new procedures (i.e., to act on) to test their obedience. They failed the tabernacle test; they failed Solomon's temple test; they will fail Zerubbabel's and Herod's tests also! Only after the new covenant of chapter 36 and the restoration of chapter 37 can Israel be obedient.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:43:13-17
¹³"And these are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth): the base shall be a cubit and the width a cubit, and its border on its edge round about one span; and this shall be the height of the base of the altar. ¹⁴From the base on the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits and the width one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge shall be four cubits and the width one cubit. ¹⁵The altar hearth shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth shall extend upwards four horns. ¹⁶Now the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides. ¹⁷The ledge shall be fourteen cubits long by fourteen wide in its four sides, the border around it shall be half a cubit and its base shall be a cubit round about; and its steps shall face the east."

43:15 "and from the altar hearth shall extend upwards four horns" There are numerous references to the four horns (i.e., like cow horns) of the sacrificial altar in the OT (cf. Exod. 27:2; 29:12; 30:10; 1 Kgs. 1:50; 2:28). Even the incense altar had four horns. This was the most holy part of the sacrificial altar on which a small portion of the blood was smeared (cf. Exod. 29:12; Lev. 4:7,18,25; 9:9; Ezek. 43:20) before the rest was poured out at the base of the altar of sacrifice.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:43:18-21
¹⁸And He said to me, "Son of man, thus says the Lord God, 'These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is built, to offer burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it. ¹⁹You shall give to the Levitical priests who are from the offspring of Zadok, who draw near to Me to minister to Me,' declares the Lord God, 'a young bull for a sin offering. ²⁰You shall take some of its blood and put it on its four horns and on the four corners of the ledge and on the border round about; thus you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it. ²¹You shall also take the bull for the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place of the house, outside the sanctuary.'"

43:18 This clearly states that the altar was for the purpose of atonement, not a memorial (cf. 45:15, 17, 20). This is in direct conflict with the NT book of Hebrews (esp. chapters 9-10), which sees Jesus as the last sacrifice needed to atone for mankind's sin.

43:20 "cleanse it" This verb (BDB 306, KB 305, Piel perfect) is repeated in vv 22(twice) and the Piel infinitive construct in v. 23. The Piel denotes cleansing by means of a blood sacrifice (cf. Lev. 8:15; Ezek. 45:18) as does the next verb "make atonement" (BDB 497, KB 493, Piel perfect, cf. v. 26; 45:20).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:43:22-27
²²"'On the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering, and they shall cleanse the altar as they cleansed it with the bull. ²³When you have finished cleansing it, you shall present a young bull without blemish and a ram without blemish from the flock. ²⁴You shall present them before the Lord, and the priests shall throw salt on them, and they shall offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord. ²⁵For seven days you shall prepare daily a goat for a sin offering; also a young bull and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be prepared. ²⁶For seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it; so shall they consecrate it. ²⁷When they have completed the days, it shall be that on the eighth day and onward, the priests shall offer your burnt offerings on the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you,' declares the Lord God."

43:24 "salt" Usually salt was put with the grain offerings (cf. Lev. 2:13) and here with blood offerings. Because of Ezek. 6:9 it possibly was put on all offerings. It was a symbol of the Israelite's covenant with YHWH (cf. Num. 18:19; II Chr. 13:5).

43:25,26 "for seven days" This purification and dedication procedure parallels Exod. 29:35-37; Lev. 8:33-36. Holy things had to have a special initiation and also rigid procedures for maintaining their holiness. The Mosaic legislation (and also that of Ezekiel) was keen on maintaining a strict separation between the holy and the mundane, the clean and the unclean. This ritual separation reflected their theology of the world and life, the physical and spiritual

▣ "goat" Goats were not used in the Mosaic system for dedication offerings.

43:27 "peace offering" This was the fellowship meal where God symbolically ate with the offerer. It was eaten in the temple setting and is a foreshadowing of the Lord's Supper.

▣ "I will accept you, declares the Lord God" This was the purpose of Ezekiel's sacrificial cultus (i.e., reunite sinful Israel with a holy God). Ezekiel sees it in terms of ancient sacrificial ritual (i.e., Leviticus 1-7).

The verb (BDB 953, KB 1280, Qal perfect) is also used in 20:40,41 of an accepted sacrifice. Because YHWH was with His people, purity, holiness, ceremonial cleanness must be maintained!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. When were these chapters fulfilled?

2. What is the purpose of the end-time sacrificial system?

3. Describe the Cherubim.

4. What is the purpose of an end-time temple?

Ezekiel 44

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Vision of the Restored Temple and Land (40:1-48:35)	Vision of the Future Temple (40:1-48:35)
Gate For the Prince	The East Gate and the Prince	Temple Ordinances	The Use of the East Gate	The Use of the East Gate
44:1-3	44:1-3	44:1-3	44:1-3	44:1-3
	Those Admitted to the Temple		Rules For Admission to the Temple	Rules of Admission to the Temple
44:4-8	44:4-9	44:4-8	44:4-5	44:4-9
			44:6-8
44:9-14		44:9-14	44:9
	Laws Governing Priests		The Levites Are Excluded From the Priesthood	The Levites
	44:10-14		44:10-14	44:10-14
Ordinances for the Levites			The Priests	The Priests
44:15-27	44:15-27	44:15-27	44:15-19	44:15-31
			44:20-22
			44:23-24
			44:25-27
44:28-31	44:28-31	44:28-31	44:28-31

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 44:1-3
¹Then He brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces the east; and it was shut. ²The Lord said to me, "This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. ³As for the prince, he shall sit in it as prince to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the porch of the gate and shall go out by the same way."

44:1-3 This text is often used as a prophecy relating to modern Jerusalem, Israel. The modern city's wall has a sealed eastern gate, but these are not the walls of Jerusalem that were built by Solomon, Nehemiah, or even Herod. These modern walls were built by an Islamic ruler in the ninth century a.d. Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus in a.d. 70.

Ezekiel's temple is symbolic of YHWH's return to Palestine and His fulfillment of the covenant promises of the Mosaic covenant. Notice in context that this passage refers to YHWH Himself, who has already returned! He left the temple from this place (cf. chapters 8-10) and He once-and-for-all returned to this place (cf. v. 4; 43:4-5).

44:3 "the prince" This is a Messianic reference (cf. 34:24; 37:24-25).

▣ "eat bread before the Lord" This is a metaphor of worship and covenant (cf. Gen. 31:54; Exod. 24:9-11). To eat with someone was a sign of friendship and fellowship. It was one way to seal a covenant. This fellowship meal is institutionalized in the Peace Offering and the meal that follows (cf. Leviticus 3 and 7).

Also note that there is no hint that the prince is divine. The NT deity of the Messiah was a surprise because it seems to conflict with monotheism. Only the NT clearly reveals this surprising truth (i.e., John 1:1-14; Phil. 2:6-11; Col. 1:15-18; Heb. 1:2-3).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 44:4-8
⁴Then He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the house; and I looked, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord, and I fell on my face. ⁵The Lord said to me, "Son of man, mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears all that I say to you concerning all the statutes of the house of the Lord and concerning all its laws; and mark well the entrance of the house, with all exits of the sanctuary. ⁶You shall say to the rebellious ones, to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Enough of all your abominations, O house of Israel, ⁷when you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to profane it, even My house, when you offered My food, the fat and the blood; for they made My covenant void — this in addition to all your abominations. ⁸And you have not kept charge of My holy things yourselves, but you have set foreigners to keep charge of My sanctuary."

44:4 "the glory of the Lord" This phrase refers to the personal presence of YHWH (cf. 1:28; 3:23; 43:4-5; Exod. 24:16).

▣ "filled the house" This is reminiscent of

1. the tabernacle (cf. Exod. 40:34-35)

2. Solomon's temple (cf. I Kgs. 8:11; II Chr. 5:14; 7:1-3)

It was a visible way of showing YHWH's acceptance and presence. Ezekiel saw YHWH's glory fill the temple in his vision of chapter 10 (cf. 10:4), as it would at YHWH's return (cf. 43:5).

▣ "I fell on my face" Ezekiel (as all humans) is staggered by the holy, glorious presence of God (i.e., 1:28; 3:23; 43:3; Gen. 17:3; Lev. 9:24; Dan. 8:17; 10:9,10,15; Rev. 1:17).

44:5 This verse is very similar to 40:4, with three commands.

1. mark well (lit. "set your heart on") – BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal imperative

2. see – BDB 906, KB 1321, Qal imperative

3. hear – BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal imperative

Ezekiel is to be careful what he sees so he can describe this future temple accurately for a restored, obedient Israel, especially the new temple's entrances and exits.

44:6 "the rebellious ones" This noun (BDB 598) refers to Judah (cf. 2:5-8; 3:9,26,27; 12:2[twice], 3,9,25; 17:12; 24:3). They are called rebellious because they violated YHWH's statutes about the temple, especially in connection to non-Israelites' involvement in temple activities. This refers specifically to political alliances made with foreign powers (i.e., Egypt, Babylon, etc.). This involved their gods.

▣ "abominations" See Special Topic at 5:11.

44:7 "uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh" In context this refers to non-Israelites. It speaks of a rebellious heart, as well as an unbelieving (i.e., non-covenant) person. It could refer to

1. political alliances with foreign nations

2. welcoming foreign ambassadors by showing them the temple (i.e., II Kgs. 20:12-15)

3. foreign servants in the tabernacle (cf. Josh. 9:23,27)

4. the foreign guards in the temple (cf. I Kgs. 11:4-16)

but the exact reference is uncertain. Ezekiel witnessed some of the abominations which occurred in chapters 8-10.

The same expression, "uncircumcised of heart," can be used of rebellious Israelites (cf. Lev. 26:41; Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; 9:25-26).

Circumcision was a covenant sign (cf. Gen. 17:9-14) and a covenant attitude of obedience and humility. The priests had violated this covenantal trust (cf. vv. 9-14).

▣ "profane" This term's (BDB 320) meaning is uncertain, but the same three consonant roots in Arabic meant "to loosen" or "untie," which came to mean "free from obligations." Here it refers to ceremonially defiling sacred places (cf. 7:21,22[twice]; 23:39; 24:21; Lev. 21:12,23). The temple was YHWH's house and the place of His dwelling. To disregard it was to disregard Him (cf. 23:36-45, esp. v. 39).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 44:9-14
⁹Thus says the Lord God, "No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the sons of Israel, shall enter My sanctuary. ¹⁰But the Levites who went far from Me when Israel went astray, who went astray from Me after their idols, shall bear the punishment for their iniquity. ¹¹Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house and ministering in the house; they shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. ¹²Because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn against them," declares the Lord God, "that they shall bear the punishment for their iniquity. ¹³And they shall not come near to Me to serve as a priest to Me, nor come near to any of My holy things, to the things that are most holy; but they will bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed. ¹⁴Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the house, of all its service and of all that shall be done in it."

44:10 Some Levites were excluded because of their idolatry (cf. 44:12; chapters 8-10). Also Ezekiel goes back to the days of Solomon when he excluded the priestly line of Abiathar from ministering in the temple. Ezekiel extends this ban (cf. v. 15).

The other members of the tribe of Levi were to be temple servants with the responsibility of

1. being gate keepers, v. 11

2. accepting the sacrifices of the people, v. 11

3. slaughtering and butchering the sacrifices brought by the people, v. 11

4. not approaching YHWH's altar or holy things, v. 13

5. keeping charge of the temple (implying the daily activities of cleaning, preparation, and maintenance), v. 14

44:12 "I have sworn against them" This is literally "lifted up My hand." See note at 20:5.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 44:15-27
¹⁵"But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the sons of Israel went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer Me the fat and the blood," declares the Lord God. ¹⁶They shall enter My sanctuary; they shall come near to My table to minister to Me and keep My charge. ¹⁷It shall be that when they enter at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and wool shall not be on them while they are ministering in the gates of the inner court and in the house. ¹⁸Linen turbans shall be on their heads and linen undergarments shall be on their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything which makes them sweat. ¹⁹When they go out into the outer court, into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers; then they shall put on other garments so that they will not transmit holiness to the people with their garments. ²⁰Also they shall not shave their heads, yet they shall not let their locks grow long; they shall only trim the hair of their heads. ²¹Nor shall any of the priests drink wine when they enter the inner court. ²²And they shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman but shall take virgins from the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest. ²³Moreover, they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. ²⁴In a dispute they shall take their stand to judge; they shall judge it according to My ordinances. They shall also keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed feasts and sanctify My sabbaths. ²⁵They shall not go to a dead person to defile themselves; however, for father, for mother, for son, for daughter, for brother, or for a sister who has not had a husband, they may defile themselves. ²⁶After he is cleansed, seven days shall elapse for him. ²⁷On the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering," declares the Lord God.

44:15 "sons of Zadok" This designation goes back to David's day. As king he had two high priests (cf. II Sam. 8:17; 19:11; 20:25).

1. Zadok, son of Ahitub

2. Ahimelech, son of Abiathar

However, the line of Abiathar was involved in the attempted coup of David's son Adonijah and was removed from office by Solomon (cf. I Kgs. 2:35).

Remember, Ezekiel was of the line of Zadok, while Jeremiah was of the line of Abiathar.

▣ "fat and blood" These two items refer to the entire sacrificial system. They were the parts of the animals put on the altar of sacrifice.

1. The fat of the entrails was burnt.

2. The blood was

a. placed on the horns of the altar

b. poured out at the base

44:15-27 Here is a list of what the faithful Zadokian priests can and cannot do.

	Accepted Actions	Forbidden Actions
1.	wear linen garments	could not wear wool while ministering
2.	leave garments in the holy place	do not wear holy garments into the outer courts
3.	only trim their hair	no shaved heads nor long hair
4.		no wine while on duty in the inner court
5.	marry virgins from Israel or the widow of a priest	not to marry a widow or divorced woman
6.	teach laws related to ceremonial purity (as a priest this was very important to Ezekiel, Lev. 10:10-11; 14:57; Ezek. 22:26)
7.	judge according to God's revealed law
8.	keep all laws themselves
9.		not touch a dead person except in rare, special cases of compassionate necessity and then be excluded from service until a period of cleansing

This list was a literary way of asserting that the Mosaic covenant was reestablished!

44:18 "turbans" This term (BDB 802) refers to the headgear of all priests (cf. Exod. 28:40; 39:28), not the special miter of the High Priest.

▣ "linen undergarments" The Israelite priests were to be modestly clothed (i.e., Exod. 20:26), which was in contradistinction to the ritual nudity of Mesopotamian religions (NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 891). Israel was to be distinct from the surrounding polytheistic religions of the Ancient Near East.

▣ "sweat" From a Mosaic perspective, any bodily fluids made one ceremonially unclean. Ezekiel is very concerned with ceremonial purity. As a trained priest his vision of a future symbolic temple and its staff and procedures must conform to the details of the Mosaic legislation.

44:20 "they shall not shave their heads" This is a Hebrew grammatical form which intensifies an action (i.e., imperfect verb and infinitive absolute of the same stem – BDB 493, KB 490). Here it means not just "clip," but do not shave the hair of the head. This term is found only here in the OT. This forbidden action is related to Lev. 21:5; Deut. 14:1, which denoted pagan rituals and/or practices. Much of the Levitical legislation can be understood as (1) limiting contact with Canaanite culture and (2) a way of differentiating between the common and the holy.

44:21 See Special Topic at 20:28.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 44:28-31
²⁸"And it shall be with regard to an inheritance for them, that I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel — I am their possession. ²⁹They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. ³⁰The first of all the first fruits of every kind and every contribution of every kind, from all your contributions, shall be for the priests; you shall also give to the priest the first of your dough to cause a blessing to rest on your house. ³¹The priests shall not eat any bird or beast that has died a natural death or has been torn to pieces."

44:28 "I am their inheritance" The priests and Levites did not receive a part of the original land allotment (cf. Joshua 12-19), only special cities (cf. Joshua 20-21). They were to serve YHWH and trust Him for their provisions. He was their inheritance (cf. Num. 18:20; Deut. 10:9; 18:1,2; Josh. 13:14,33).

44:29 The regulations are first stated in Lev. 5:14-6:7; 7:1-7.

SPECIAL TOPIC: SACRIFICIAL SYSTEMS OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST

44:30 "the first of all" This offering is described in Num. 18:12; II Chr. 31:4-6; Neh. 10:35-37. It was a tangible way of thanking God for the bountiful produce of the land. It symbolized His ownership of the land and His control of its fertility.

Ezekiel 45

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Vision of the Restored Temple and Land (40:1-48:35)	Vision of the Future Temple (40:1-48:35)
The Lord's Portion of the Land	The Holy District	The Distribution of Land	The Lord's Portion of the Country	The Division of the Country-The Portion for Yahweh
45:1-5	451-5	45:1-5	45:1-5	45:1-6
	Properties of the City and the Prince
45:6	45:6-8	45:6	45:6
Portion for the Prince			Land for the Prince	The Portion for the Prince
45:7-8		45:7-8	45:7-8	45:7-8
	Laws Governing the Prince		Rules for the Prince
45:9	45:9-17	45:9	45:9	45:9-12
		Weights and Measures
45:10-12		45:10-12	45:10
			45:11
			45:12	Offerings for Worship
45:13-17		45:13-17	45:13-15	45:13-17
			45:16-17
	Keeping the Feasts	Festival Regulations	The Festivals	The Feast of the Passover
45:18-20	45:18-20	45:18-20	45:18-20	45:18-24
45:21-25	45:21-25	45:21-25	45:21-24	The Feast of Shelters
			45:25	45:25

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 45:1-5
¹"And when you divide by lot the land for inheritance, you shall offer an allotment to the Lord, a holy portion of the land; the length shall be the length of 25,000 cubits, and the width shall be 20,000. It shall be holy within all its boundary round about. ²Out of this there shall be for the holy place a square round about five hundred by five hundred cubits, and fifty cubits for its open space round about. ³From this area you shall measure a length of 25,000 cubits and a width of 10,000 cubits; and in it shall be the sanctuary, the most holy place. ⁴It shall be the holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to the Lord, and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. ⁵An area 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in width shall be for the Levites, the ministers of the house, and for their possession cities to dwell in."

45:1 "when you divide by lot the land" The verb (BDB 656, KB 709, Hiphil infinitive construct) basically means "to fall," but in the Hiphil refers to casting lots to know the Lord's will on a matter. The concept (i.e., mechanism) originated with the Urim and Thummim of the High Priest (cf. Exod. 28:30; Num. 27:21). This method was to be used to divide the Promised Land (i.e., Canaan) among the twelve tribes (excluding Levi) as described in Num. 26:53-56; 33:54; 34:2,13; 36:2-3 and originally done in Joshua 13-22 (esp. 14:1-2). Ezekiel is drawing a mental image from the past to illustrate a new beginning!

▣ "an allotment to the Lord" The phrase is literally "set apart an offering." This refers to the temple area.

This offering/allotment is described in vv. 1-5.

1. length, 25,000 cubits or rods/reeds (cf. 42:15-20)

2. width, 10,000 cubits (LXX, 20,000) or rods/reeds, which means it includes the priestly and Levitical areas

3. containing a square 500 cubits by 500 cubits or rods/reeds for the holy place

4. square surrounded by an open space of 50 cubits or rods/reeds

5. contains YHWH's sanctuary and priests' housing

6. area for the Levites (25,000 cubits by 10,000 cubits or rods/reeds)

A cubit would be about 21 inches, a rod/reed about 10 feet.

45:5

NASB, NRSV,
LXX"cities"
NKJV, JPSOA"chambers"
TEV, NJB"towns"
Peshitta"houses"
REB"places in which they live"

The MT has "chambers" (לשכת), which is so common in this section of Ezekiel (cf. 40:17 [twice], 38,44,45,46; 41:10; 42:1,4,7 [twice],8,11), but the Septuagint has "cities" (לשבת). The B (beth) and K (kaph) consonants are formed in a similar way and are often confused in handwritten texts.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 45:6
⁶"You shall give the city possession of an area 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, alongside the allotment of the holy portion; it shall be for the whole house of Israel."

45:6 "the city" This area (5,000 by 25,000 cubits) is further described in 48:15-18,30-35. It is a holy area for all the house of Israel, similar to the courts of Herod's temple.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 45:7-8
⁷"The prince shall have land on either side of the holy allotment and the property of the city, adjacent to the holy allotment and the property of the city, on the west side toward the west and on the east side toward the east, and in length comparable to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border. ⁸This shall be his land for a possession in Israel; so My princes shall no longer oppress My people, but they shall give the rest of the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes."

45:7-8 "The prince shall have land" The allotment for the royal leader is described in vv. 7-8, which is adjacent to the holy common area for the people.

The purpose of the land is twofold.

1. symbolizes closeness to YHWH

2. symbolizes he is a servant of the people (i.e., outside the common area)

It is also a way of providing status and authority without oppressing the people (cf. v. 9; 22:27; 46:18).

This "prince" is an administrator fulfilling Isa. 9:6-7 and Micah 5:2-5. However, the "princes" (cf. vv. 8,9) are governmental leaders who must be admonished to live and act appropriately. Ezekiel takes seriously the corruption of the leadership which occurred regularly in the past. This very point shows that this does not directly refer to an "ideal Messianic" period, but future Israeli history. The results of the fall potentially continue and must be guarded against.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 45:9
⁹Thus says the Lord God, "Enough, you princes of Israel; put away violence and destruction, and practice justice and righteousness. Stop your expropriations from My people," declares the Lord God.

45:9-10 These verses list what the governmental leaders should and should not do.

1. put away violence (BDB 329) and oppression (BDB 994) – BDB 693, KB 747, Hiphil imperative plural

2. practice justice (BDB 1048) and righteousness (BDB 842) – BDB 793, KB 889, Qal imperative (terms often paired, cf. 18:5,19,21,27; 33:14,16,19)

3. stop your expropriations (BDB 177, literally, "lift your evictions") – BDB 926, KB 1202, Hiphil imperative

4. have just balances, ephah and baths – BDB 224, KB 243, Qal jussive

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 45:10-12
¹⁰"You shall have just balances, a just ephah and a just bath. ¹¹The ephah and the bath shall be the same quantity, so that the bath will contain a tenth of a homer and the ephah a tenth of a homer; their standard shall be according to the homer. ¹²The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, and fifteen shekels shall be your maneh."

45:11-12,14 See SPECIAL TOPIC: ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN WEIGHTS AND MEASURES (METROLOGY) at 4:11.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 45:13-17
¹³"This is the offering that you shall offer: a sixth of an ephah from a homer of wheat; a sixth of an ephah from a homer of barley; ¹⁴and the prescribed portion of oil (namely, the bath of oil), a tenth of a bath from each kor (which is ten baths or a homer, for ten baths are a homer); ¹⁵and one sheep from each flock of two hundred from the watering places of Israel — for a grain offering, for a burnt offering and for peace offerings, to make atonement for them," declares the Lord God. ¹⁶All the people of the land shall give to this offering for the prince in Israel. ¹⁷It shall be the prince's part to provide the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the drink offerings, at the feasts, on the new moons and on the sabbaths, at all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel; he shall provide the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering and the peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel."

45:13-16 These verses describe what an Israelite worshiper should provide (either in kind or as a tax).

1. a sixth of an ephah (dry measure) from a homer of wheat

2. a sixth of an ephah from a homer of barley (cf. Num. 5:15)

3. a bath (liquid measure) of oil

4. one sheep

which will make up

1. a grain offering

2. a burnt offering

3. a peace offering

45:17 The prince (i.e., government) shall provide the offerings.

1. the burnt offering

2. the grain offering

3. the drink offering

for the feasts of

1. new moons

2. sabbaths

3. appointed feasts

to make atonement (cf. v. 15)

1. the sin offering

2. the grain offering

3. the burnt offering

4. the peace offering (often used to inaugurate a temple, cf. Lev. 9:4,18,22; I Kgs. 8:63-64; II Chr. 30:22; 31:2; Ezek. 43:27)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 45:18-20
¹⁸'Thus says the Lord God, "In the first month, on the first of the month, you shall take a young bull without blemish and cleanse the sanctuary. ¹⁹The priest shall take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the door posts of the house, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar and on the posts of the gate of the inner court. ²⁰Thus you shall do on the seventh day of the month for everyone who goes astray or is naive; so you shall make atonement for the house."

45:18-25 The lists of feasts (the year begins in the spring).

	Verse(s)	Month	Day	Parallel Texts
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.	18-19 20 21-24 21-24 25	1^st month 1^st month 1^st month 1^st month 7^th month	1^st day 9^th day 14^th day 15^th-21^st days 15^th-21^st days	Num. 28:11-15 Leviticus 16 Lev. 23:5; Num. 28:16-25 Lev. 23:6 Lev. 23:33-37; Numbers 29; Deut. 16:13-15

Even though #2 has elements of the Day of Atonement, probably vv. 18-20 reflect the New Year Feast, while vv. 21-24 reflect Passover/Unleavened Bread and v. 25 reflects the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles.

The last of this chapter and the next is the section that disagrees so much with the Mosaic regulation. The question is why. Ezekiel was a priest. He knew the law of Moses. I think that the differences and exaggerated land dimensions are a way to denote its symbolic nature (it is similar to John listing the tribes incorrectly in Revelation 7). Only literalists demand a future temple!

SPECIAL TOPIC: FEASTS OF ISRAEL

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 45:21-25
²¹"In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. ²²On that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering. ²³During the seven days of the feast he shall provide as a burnt offering to the Lord seven bulls and seven rams without blemish on every day of the seven days, and a male goat daily for a sin offering. ²⁴He shall provide as a grain offering an ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram and a hin of oil with an ephah. ²⁵In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month, at the feast, he shall provide like this, seven days for the sin offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering and the oil."

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