Глава 40

Chapter 40–48 New Church Cult and Sacred Ground The most complex and mysterious vision of the prophet is described. It was, as it were, Ezekiel’s great farewell word, the last revelation to him, so mysterious that it, like the first revelation to him, could only be communicated to him in symbolic images, completely untranslatable into the clear language of human concepts. In this vision, the prophet was shown some kind of mysterious church of the glorious future of Israel, and it was shown in the smallest and yet not all the details of the structure (chap. XL-XLIII), the worship (cult) of this church (chap. XLIV-XLVI) was shown in details of the same nature (chap. XLIV-XLVI), that is, the attitude of the people towards it, and then the attitude towards this church of St. the land for which it determines its fertility and serves as the basis and starting point for its division between the tribes of Israel (chap. XLVII-XLVIII). Like the 1st chapter, the fortieth chapters of Ezekiel constitute an insoluble riddle for exegetical science (Gregory the Great: “when explaining them you grope in the dark”; Blessed Jerome: it is better to say nothing here than to say little), although, as for Chapter I. there has been no shortage of attempts to indicate the idea of ​​these chapters. All attempts to explain them can be reduced to the following categories. The simplest, apparently, would be such an understanding of these chapters that the prophet in them gives positive instructions to the people who will soon return to Palestine from Babylon regarding the church, its conversations and useful additions to the plan of Solomon's temple, regarding the cult and division of the land between the tribes. This is how rationalistic exegesis understands these chapters, which, moreover, sees in these chapters the first experience of codification of the Jewish cult, preceding at least some parts of the Mosaic Law; It is the Ezekiel cult, in terms of the degree of its development, that occupies the middle between Deuteronomy and the so-called Priestly Code (part of the book of Leviticus), why later than the first and earlier than the second (Smend, Kretschmar, etc.; old rationalists considered Ezekiel the author of the Priestly Code). Without touching here on that part of this opinion that encroaches on the integrity and authenticity of the Mosaic Law and is therefore unacceptable for the Orthodox interpreter (the disagreement of the present section with the Mosaic Law, as well as the general attitude towards the latter, receives, as we will see when interpreting the chapters, a satisfactory explanation even without such an assumption), and the main idea of ​​such a view of the present section of Ezekiel cannot be accepted. First of all, there was no need for the prophet to give such instructions in the form of a vision, which always gives a riddle to the reader, while the law requires clarity; It was natural to give cult instructions simply in the form of a command from God, as Moses did. The whole vision exudes such mystery and the literal implementation of the prophet’s instructions would encounter such obstacles (for example, the division of the land is prescribed along straight lines, into regular and equal sections, regardless of the physical conditions of the area), that the Jews who returned from captivity did not even think, when building the church and restoring worship in it, to follow Ezekiel in anything. In the book of Ezra it is directly noted that after the construction of the altar, those who returned from captivity made sacrifices on it, indicated by the Law of Moses (1Ezra 3.2), therefore, not by the vision of Ezekiel. Things change little even then, if you see in the present section of the book. Ezekiel is not legislation, but only predictions relating to post-exilic Israel. Since for some of these predictions (especially in Chapter XLVII) it is impossible to indicate fulfillment during this period, such incomplete implementation is explained (Gautier, la mission du proph. Ezechiel, Laus. 1891) by the fact that Israel turned out to be unworthy of the implementation of these bright predictions in their entirety, which is why some of them were canceled by God. But the present prediction is not conditional (like Jonah's prediction about the destruction of Nineveh), so that it could be canceled. Not only Chapter XLVII, but most of the present vision was not realized in post-exilic Israel. This theory is close to this: Chapters XL-XLVIII of Ezekiel are the outlined ideal of the future, in which Ezekiel did not worry whether it would be realized in full and whether it would be realized at all, as long as it corresponded to his prophetic assumptions. The prophet could put an end to the requirement that this ideal become a reality through his hope in Jehovah, for whom it is not impossible that He will realize this ideal in all parts. If reality is left behind the image, then the idea has not been sufficiently realized; but the fault lies in reality, not in idea, and Ezekiel is not responsible for this (Hitzig 340). It remains, apparently, what most Christian interpreters do, to apply a real complex vision to the Church of Christ, believing that it is she with all its internal organization, sacraments and diverse composition that is presented under the guise of the majestic church of God, its worship, which is not entirely identical with that of Moses, under the guise, finally, of the central position of this church among the 12 tribes of Israel. But with this understanding, almost all the numerous details of the vision (the exact measurement of the church, details in the construction of the gates, side rooms, etc.) do not find an application or symbolic explanation, or they receive a very distant and arbitrary explanation; eg Ezekiel 46.9 is explained in such a way that they leave the church different (better) than they entered there according to Philippians 3.13: “Forgetting what is behind, I stretch myself to what is before” (Hengstenberg). Moreover, the vision would then have very little relevance to Israel, which in its entirety, as a whole, as a people, did not enter the Church of Christ. Meanwhile, the prophet Ezekiel, in contrast to Isaiah and others. the prophets, who also spoke about the calling of the pagans, dealt almost exclusively with Israel and its fate. It seems safest, and easiest for the exegete, to attribute the vision to the very last times of the world. Then it would not require explanation at all, because such would be completely impossible. The Jewish rabbis think that the cult given by the vision will be carried out after the first resurrection. The vision has features that clearly indicate its eschatology: already the war of Gog is a prophecy that is difficult to date to anything other and earlier than the last fierce struggle between evil and good (the appearance of the Antichrist), and the present vision describes, apparently, if not explicitly, the times following this war. Then, some particulars in the vision, apparently, can only be applied to a new, not present earth; This is, for example, the entire XLVII chapter. And in general, the eschatological element permeates the entire book of Ezekiel, breaks through, as we have seen, into all his predictions; increasingly intensifying towards the end of the book, in its final chapters he was to occupy a predominant, if not exclusive, position. – But such an understanding is not invulnerable. The last times of the world are as incomprehensible a mystery for man as his afterlife, and Holy Scripture says as little on the first subject as on the second, for the reason that it is impossible to tell man anything about these subjects, which do not require our present forms of thinking. Therefore, if this entire large part of the book of Ezekiel spoke only about another world, then it would be as useless to us and would have no more significance than the detailed depictions of the end of the world that fill the ancient apocrypha. As elsewhere in Holy Scripture, on this subject, inaccessible to us, in the last chapters of Ezekiel we can only expect some indications and hints. However, the rest of the content of these chapters should have a subject more accessible to our understanding. All of the listed explanations of the last Ezekiel's vision sin in that they seek in it prophetic indications for a certain time and predictions about certain, specific events. Meanwhile, the prophet himself repeatedly directly warns against such an understanding of his vision: - Ezek.40:4, 44 and esp. Eze.43.10-11: “Tell the house of Israel about this church, so that they may be ashamed of their iniquities and take away the measure from it... so that they will preserve all its outlines and all its statutes and act according to them.” Therefore, vision is primarily ethical in nature. But when establishing the meaning and signification of all images of vision, it must be borne in mind that ancient man did not make such a distinction between a thing and its image, its symbol, as we do, and always looked for symbols for the idea that would cover it completely. Under the guise of his mysterious church and the cult in it, the prophet Ezekiel could only imagine something that, not being material and substantial, would nevertheless completely coincide with them, would be one with them. Giving Moses various instructions about certain particulars of the ritual cult, God repeatedly notes that these instructions are eternal, must be fulfilled forever (Lev. 3.17, etc.). Jesus Christ said about the Mosaic Law that it will remain until heaven and earth pass away (Matthew 5.18 and par.). Consequently, in the Old Testament church and its cult there was something eternal, imperishable, not lost even now, when outwardly and materially this cult is not performed and the tabernacle or church does not exist. This is eternal and imperishable, perhaps only in the spiritual essence of the cult and church, and this essence, after the destruction of its visible shell, could be preserved only in the spiritual world of humanity, in its souls and hearts. It cannot be denied that the Old Testament church and cult were the main factor in the spiritual education of Israel, that they made it so, gave it that high, truly God-pleasing character and direction in the history of the world, according to which 1) Christ could only come from this people and 2) according to the example of this people, God demanded the formation of all mankind for his kingdom. Thus, the Old Testament church and cult, no longer existing externally, continue to exist in the spiritual traces that they left in Israel and humanity. And needless to say, this existence of this cult may be much more complete and perfect than its previous material existence. This latter was necessary only until the spiritual essence of the cult was so deeply embedded in Israel that its appearance, which obscured its true essence, became unnecessary. It is this eternal spiritual essence of the Old Testament cult in its full and more perfect existence than what it had hitherto, before the Babylonian captivity, that Ezekiel contemplates in his last vision. Such a complete and complete, so to speak, longed-for existence for the Old Testament cult began precisely after the captivity, or rather from the Babylonian captivity, thanks to which it was all the easier for the prophet to contemplate it. Even after the captivity, there was no need for the visible presence of God in His church under images so incommensurate with His greatness, such as, for example, the ark of the covenant and the cloud of glory (Shekinah), because His dwelling in the souls, in the heart and consciousness of Israel became so intense that the pre-exilic period could not even imagine. Already among the captives of the first years of captivity, it was possible to talk only about a secret and timid “raising of the eyes to the idols of the house of Israel” (Ezek. 18.6), about an easy “toleration of idols into the heart” (Eze. 14.3–4, 7); after captivity, the people as a whole are a martyr for the faith. If we look for the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s vision in the souls and hearts of post-captivity Israel, then one cannot help but be amazed at the size and extent with which, both noticeable to us, and given our paucity of information about this period of the Holy. history, the prophecy came true - just as one cannot help but see how vividly, concretely and close to reality the prophet’s prediction was expressed. For post-captivity Israel, God really became what the prophet wanted in his vision - sharply separated from the outside world, nature (world forces) by a high and thick wall, endlessly raised above the world into an inaccessible region, at the same time and despite this separation from the world, apparently so alienating him from humanity (the courtyards of the church, the complex gates to it). He and His church, the cult, became the real focus of people's life, the people's mind and feelings, and all this had a direct life-giving effect on all areas of people's life, not excluding the purely physical and material. It cannot be denied that all this has now become a strong and indestructible spiritual heritage of Israel and to this day determines the historical immortality of this people, protecting its national life from all the vicissitudes of fate and being in it a guarantee of the salvation of its entirety, which the Ap promised to it. Paul. The prophet Ezekiel is more nationalistic than other prophets, especially Isaiah: he is not concerned, like Isaiah, with the spiritual fate of the pagans, whom he considered only from their negative attitude towards Israel. Therefore, it is natural in his last vision to look only for Israel in the narrow sense, and not about “the language of the church.” - They will say that even if one can discern a similar or another idea in the last chapters of the prophet Ezekiel, then it is completely lost and obscured by countless particulars and details, the extreme complexity of the vision. But you need to carefully and with a correct understanding of all these particulars and their place in the system of vision to read these chapters of the prophet in order to be convinced how in every cornice of this mysterious church and in every ritual feature of his cult one idea shines: what God will be for the future of Israel and how invariably, firmly and new the attitude of the people towards him will be. It was difficult for such an abstract idea to give such a commensurate and at the same time such a tangible embodiment. For a person, God is most alive, closest and most clearly felt in the church and cult, turning without them into a quantity too elusive for the average person, for the masses. Ezek.40:1. In the twenty-fifth year after our migration, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the destruction of the city, on that very day the hand of the Lord was on me, and He led me there. "In the twenty-fifth year" 573 A.D. Apart from the addition of Ezek. 29.17–21, this is the last revelation to the prophet. - “At the beginning of the year”, i.e. in the month of Nisan, as LXX also understood, replacing the expression: “the first month”; see the explanation of Ezek.1.4, and not in the month. Tisri, as the newest think, is in this place, as well as on Lev. 25.9, 23.5; Numbers 29.1, basing the opinion on the existence of the Jews, in addition to the church year, which began with Nisan - March, the civil year, which began with Tisri - September, and this year is considered the most ancient, and the church year was introduced under Babylonian influence. - “On the tenth day.” A significant day, since on this day the Passover lamb was chosen; on this day the Jews crossed the Jordan. “In the fourteenth year after the destruction of Jerusalem,” a date referring to the content of the vision. - “On that very day” - perhaps an indication of the significance of the day. “The hand of the Lord was upon me” see explanation of Ezek.1.3. - “And he led me there” - to Jerusalem, as in Ezek.8.3; Wed Ezek.37.1. Ezek.40:2. In visions of God, He brought me to the land of Israel and placed me on a very high mountain, and on it, on the southern side, there were, as it were, city buildings; "Land of Israel". Judea was so named because of the unification of Ephraim and Judah that was about to take place at that time. - “On a very high mountain.” So also Isa 2.2; Mic 4.1; Ezekiel 17.22 called Zion not for its natural height, but for its future significance on earth; here, as with further prophets (Dan 2.35; Zech 14.10: cf. Rev. 21.10), this mystical meaning of Zion is even more advanced, so that a mountain is barely understood by it; hence the absence of his name here, where it is more necessary than in parallel prophecies. - “From the south side” lit. “to the south”, i.e. to the south. for the prophet who came from northern Babylon (cf. Eze. 20.46): the church, which, as we will now see, is at least discussed here (the church of Ezekiel, ideal, occupied not just the south of the mountain, but the whole of it (Eze. 43.12). LXX was read instead of Negev, south, geved, directly, perhaps in view of the fact that the prophet initially finds himself at the eastern gate (v. 6). It is possible that the south is taken simply as a symbolic country of light and warmth (see the explanation of Eze. 1.4: “from the north”) - “As if city buildings” . 3, this is what the church buildings looked like with its wide double wall, six gates and numerous structures. The city itself (ideal, like the church) was more than a mile away from the church mount: Ezek.45.1 et seq. Ezek.48.8 et seq. Ezek.40:3. and took me there. And behold a man whose appearance was like the appearance of shining brass, with a linen rope in his hand and a measuring reed, and he stood at the gate. "Husband" . Based on Ezek.44.2, 5, where it is as if this same “man” is called the Lord (Jehovah), and since he addresses the prophet, as God does everywhere in his book: “son of man,” some think that it was the “Angel of the Covenant,” the Son of God, who, as an architect, shows the prophet the glory of his future building. But it is possible that here of course there is a simple Angel as in Ezek.9.2; Wed Ezek.43.6. And he shines only like the cherubim, and not like the Lord: “Whose appearance is like the appearance of shiny brass” - as a sign of spiritual strength, militancy, combined with brilliance; see explanation of Ezek.1.7; the radiance is not as brilliant as Ezek.1.27. There is no “brilliant” in Hebrew. and added to Russian. according to LXX: “like visions of shining copper”, στιλβοντος; they think that the LXX was read here in its original; kalal Eze.1.7. – “Linen rope” – for large dimensions, as, for example, in Ezek.47.3 (but Ezek.42.16 etc.). LXX freely: “the rope of those who build” (spirit level?); Zech 2.1; Open 21.15. - “And he stood at the gate,” perhaps the northern one, because the prophet sees the church building from the south side (v. 3) and was brought to the church from the north, from Chaldea; but without further definition, the eastern gate could most likely be named as the main one: then in Art. 6 The angel only comes closer to them. Ezek.40:4. And this man said to me: “Son of man! look with your eyes and listen with your ears, and apply your heart to everything that I will show you, for you were brought here for this reason, so that I could show you this; whatever you see, you shall proclaim to the house of Israel.” An invitation to attention, so solemn, threefold, attention not only external (hearing is already more internal), but also deep, spiritual (“and add your heart”) testifies to both the extraordinary importance of the revelation that is to follow, and the mystical (and not immediate) meaning of the vision. - “Son of Man”. This is how only God addresses the prophet everywhere in his book. - “Brought here.” The place of the vision is again (vv. 2, 3) not directly named, but with mysterious uncertainty. – “News” – as a prophet and in his capacity. Ezek.40:5. And behold, outside the church there was a wall on all sides of it, and in the hand of that man was a cane measuring six cubits, counting each cubit into a cubit and a palm; and he measured in this building one reed in thickness and one reed in height. The survey of the church, naturally, begins with the outer ("outside the church", lit. "house", Vulg. domus), circular ("on all sides", Slav. "surroundings") wall (Heb. homa, LXX περιβολος, "fence") and returns to it in conclusion: Ezek.42.20. Like the church, the wall is described only in terms of its size, and its length is indicated at the conclusion of the description of the church (Ezek. 42.20), but here only its height and thickness. Both were the same, due to which the wall should have seemed very thick and large (why, and also because of the complexity of its gates, the prophet calls it a second time “building”, binyan, LXX “pre-wall”), i.e., firmly and sharply separating the sacred area of ​​the church from the secular, without closing the former from the latter. The width and thickness of the wall were equal, as is natural for this first measurement in a mysterious church, to only one unit of the measure adopted here - a cane; a cane, a stick, was probably used everywhere then for such needs, which is why in Assyrian. measure - konu ev. kame, cane. Previously measuring the prophet defines this unit of measure. It contained 6 cubits, but not ordinary cubits, 6 the width of an arm, but large, full, and must have been ancient (2 Chronicles 3.3) cubits - containing, in addition to the cubit itself (the part of the arm from the elbow to the hand), also a hand or palm (considered 4 fingers wide: Jer 52.21), therefore, cubits in 7 hand widths. So in Greek: εν πηχει και παλαιστη; but slav.: “in a six-handed lacquer.” In Egypt and Babylon there was also a large, full cubit (“royal” in Egypt) and a smaller one, which must have gradually replaced the large one; the large one in Egypt is 52.5 centimes, in Babylonia 55.5, the smaller one is 49.5 and 45 (Bert. Krech.). Ezekiel's was about this size (first size), therefore a little over 1/2 meter, and the cane was about 3 1/3 meters. A wall of such height and width resembled a long one-story city house. But inside, from the church courtyard, it must have been lower than the height of the stairs at the gate (v. 6). Ezek.40:6. Then he went to the gate, facing east, and climbed its steps, and found measures in one threshold of the gate one reed wide and in the other threshold one reed wide. “Then the husband went” - the angel v. 3, and the prophet could stand in the same place, from where the angel and all his actions could be seen. If the angel in v. 3 was already standing near the eastern gate, and not the northern one (which is possible - see the explanation of article 3), then here he comes closer to them to take measurements. – “To the gate” in the outer wall of the church, leading to the church courtyard. - “Facing east.” Besides these there were also northern and southern gates; all three were of exactly the same structure and size; therefore, only one eastern gate is described in detail, as the main and holiest, through which Jehovah enters (Ezek. 43.4) - “And he went up” for measurement. - “On their steps”, which, as can be seen from what follows, were built not in the wall, but outside it, were not included in its boundaries. The church courtyard is supposed to be located, as in Solomon's Temple, on the terrace of the mountain. From Art. 22 and 26 it is clear that there were 7 of these steps, which number LXX also puts here: “and entering into the gates, looking to the east with seven degrees” (instead of “ascended”, vayaal, they read sheva, “seven”). - “And I found measures in one threshold of the gate one cane wide.” The entire thickness of the wall is equal to the cane, i.e. 6 cubits, cut transversely by a gate, the threshold of which (see plan 1:A) should therefore also be the width of this cane, i.e. 6 cubits, see plan 1, a-b. The width of the threshold is enormous and speaks of the holiness of the place where the gate led. - “And in another (lit.: “and in one”) threshold one cane wide.” A literal repetition of the previous phrase, casting a shadow on authenticity (dittography); if the text is correct, then the threshold on the opposite side of the gate construction (c-d), which is discussed in Art. 7 (but the discussion here is premature and therefore unclear) or the so-called “upper threshold” among the Greeks, the upper jamb, door crossbar, ' υπερθυριον, in contrast to the lower threshold, ' υποθυριον, superbus, in contrast to inferus (Naevius apud Movium IV, 278. Plant. Mac. V, 1. Rosenmüller.), but it is unnecessary to indicate a measure for such a threshold, in view of its equality with the lower one. LXX "threshold" is rendered αιλαμ, which in LXX is always a transcription of Hebrew. ulam “narthex” - this is what they call the threshold here (Hebrew saf) should be for the large value of this threshold (et-saf is a little similar in outline to ulam). Slav. before the speech about the threshold, Elam has an insert: “and measure the fairy, six about this country, and six about it”; "fairy" transcription of Hebrew. ta, side room; about these rooms in Heb. speech only in 7th century. and there and according to LXX there are only 3 of them on each side of the gate, and not 6 as here, therefore, glory. t. allows some rooms in the outer vestibule of the gate. Ezek.40:7. And in each side room there is one reed in length and one reed in width, and between the rooms there are five cubits, and in the threshold of the gate at the porch of the gate within there is one reed. Side room, heb. ta, LXX transcription θεε, slav. “fairy” is a word found, besides Ezekiel, only in 1 Kings 14.28, 2 Chronicles 12.11, where it means some kind of room in the palace for bodyguards (consonant with the Assyrian tu, oath). As Art. 10 shows, there were 6 such rooms in the gate building - 3 on each side of the gate passage or corridor (therefore, the Hebrew unit in Russian is rightly translated dividingly). On the plan 1–6V. These were thus niche-shaped rooms, which probably served as premises for the church guards - the Levites (Ezek.44.11) to monitor the people entering the church, to establish order between them and block access to illegal visitors; for this purpose, perhaps, they had protrusions in front of them (v. 12); they were provided with doors and windows (vv. 13 and 16). The member before the word shows that they were very familiar to the readers of the prophet and probably existed in the first church (2 Kings 11). – The rooms were square, 6 x 6 cubits (“one cane long and one cane wide”). – The rooms of one row were located at a distance of 5 cubits (4C) from each other, and two parallel rows of them ended with a new threshold (D) of the gate (a sign of the extreme holiness of the House of God) of the same width as the first. This threshold (second - D) led to a special structure (located “inside” it - mechabait, i.e. in the direction of the vestibule leaving the house, church) (ulam, see explanation of Ezek. 8.16) gate - i.e., to the portico described further, in article 9 (E). The entrance to the House of God is so difficult! LXX apparently gives a paraphrase of this verse in order to make clearer the really unclear Hebrew text, without v. 10; they are the ones that replace food. h. “room”, with a dividing meaning, a detailed calculation of the side rooms: “and the fairy is equal to a reed in longitude and equal to a reed in latitude and ails” (the addition LXX: the space between the rooms is rightly represented in the form of a pilaster (4C) dividing the rooms - which in Hebrew would be ail, personal ram, ledge, casing, cf. Eze. 41.3) “among fenlaf (plural from ta, fairy with feminine ending instead of masculine tey – as in v. 10) six (Heb. 5; LXX – 6 to match the width of the fairy) Lakota; and the second fairy is equal to a reed in breadth, and equal to a reed in longitude, while the Elams (Greek αιλαμ, same as before) are five (already Hebrew) Lakotas; and the third fairy is equal to a reed in length and equal to a reed in latitude.” Thus, the entire first (right or left) row of side rooms is described. Ezek.40:8. And he measured one reed in the porch of the gate, It is not readable in the LXX and in all ancient translations with the exception of the Targum, which is why all the newest ones recognize it as a dittography of the last words of Art. 7. Perhaps he indicates the width of the portico E (ulam, or “gate narthex” 9 art.), which is indeed not indicated in the description of this portico in detail and indicating, perhaps, its length (8 cubits) 9 art. If so, then the width of this portico was equal to the width of each of the two thresholds, therefore, it was like the third and last threshold to the outer courtyard of the church (the holiness of the latter is even more marked by this). Ezek.40:9. and in the porch at the gate he measured eight cubits and two cubits in the pillars. This porch is at the gate from the side of the church. "Eight Cubits". If in 8 tbsp. the width of the ulama, the “narthex of the gate”, the portico E is indicated, then here there is another dimension - its length; if not, then here is the width. One way or another, this was already a real hall, a room, not just a square guardhouse like that one or the fairy. Elegantly decorated (Ezek.41.26) with two massive columns, which are now discussed, these gate rooms probably served for meetings like those described in Ezek.11.1 et c. and sacrificial meals (Ezek.44.3). Upon entering the very courtyard of the church, although the courtyard was still external (it was so holy), these rooms, which in the same place had all three outer gates of the church, were the vestibule of the church, making one feel closeness and thereby preparing one for entering the church. LXX: “the gate elam (πυλωνος - portal), like that near the door elam (i.e., the pilaster separating the last fairy from the first) osmi Lakot.” "And two cubits in pillars". These pillars could only stand at the western exit of the portico, leading into the courtyard of the church, and their width was undoubtedly equal to their length - that is, the thickness was equal to the thickness of the portico wall and the entire gate structure. The same pillars were in the inner gates (vv. 26, 31) and in the church itself (Ezek.41.3) and should have had the same symbolic meaning as the famous Jachin and Boaz in Solomon’s temple (see explanation of 1 Kings 7.21). LXX: “ailev” transcription of Hebrew. eilav – ail, pillar (see explanation of Article 7) in plural. h. with the pronoun “him”. - “This porch is at the gate from the side of the church,” that is, it was not located on the outer part of the gate, but on the inside, on the side of the church itself (more precisely, its outer courtyard). The remark is important in view of the fact that at the inner gate it was the other way around; see art. 36, 30. Gitzig draws attention to the fact that the length of the “gate vestibule” is equal to 1 5 of the length of the entire gate building (40 cubits), just as the length of the church vestibule (12 cubits) is 1 5 of the length of the church (62 cubits). Ezek.40:10. There are three side rooms at the eastern gate - on one side and three on the other; one measure in all three and one measure in the pillars on each side. The number and location of those measured in the article are indicated. 7 (see volume) “side rooms”, fairy (B, B...), and the pilasters, piers, αιλαμ᾿ s LXX (C, C...) separating them. The rooms are located one opposite the other and form two parallel rows, three in each. In the beginning Art. instead of euro “at the eastern gate” LXX read: “the door fairy is straight to the fairy”; Indeed, there were rooms in all of them, and not only in the eastern gate. Ezek.40:11. He measured the width of the gate opening to be ten cubits, and the length of the gate to be thirteen cubits. “Widths at the gate opening”, i.e. a-h. - “And the length of the gate is thirteen cubits.” The length of the gate here cannot be understood as the length of the entire gate structure (with thresholds, span and portico), because it was not 13, but 50 cubits according to Art. 15. Therefore, we must read this passage according to LXX: “the latitude of the gate is thirteen lactays.” The width of the gate opening is very naturally correlated with the total width of the span or corridor (C-C), which was thus 3 cubits greater than the width of the entrance opening. The correct reading of LXX (instead of orek, length, they read derek, path) is confirmed by the fact that, according to other data in the chapter, the width of this span should be exactly this: the width of the entire gate structure (with the span and both rooms on the sides) according to Art. 13 (LXX is clearer there) 25 cubits; excluding from here 2 rooms of 6 cubits each, we get 13 cubits; True, behind the rooms there was also a wall, the unknown thickness of which should have reduced this figure (maybe by 2 cubits); but the span could be measured not between the front walls of the rooms, but between the partitions - pilasters (“pillars” Art. 10), separating rooms; The width of the passage here was greater than the width between the rooms, because the latter had projections. The trail speaks about these protrusions. Art. 12, thus limiting the data of the second half of Art. 11. Ezek.40:12. And in front of the rooms there was a ledge of one cubit, and on the other side there was a ledge of one cubit; these rooms had six cubits on one side and six cubits on the other side. “Protrusion”, gevul, rooms had, perhaps, for k.-l. convenience in monitoring those entering the church from the guards stationed in the rooms (cf. Art. 7; perhaps windows were built in the eastern and western walls of the ledge for this purpose: Art. 16); That is probably why this ledge was so large - a cubit for each room. LXX according to Vat. and other codes “and the lacquer is one vault επισυναγονενος - should be an architectural term that has the meaning of a convexity, protrusion) right by the fairies” (side rooms) ... “here and here”, to which other codes make an explanatory insert before “here and here”: “one lakta and one lakta, the limit” (i.e. i.e. in the size of one elbow on each side). - “These rooms, on the one hand, had six cubits and six cubits on the other.” This is a repetition of the data in Art. 7. made for the same purpose as the indication of size for projections: to show how the width of the span is 13 cubits, with the width of the entire gate structure being 25 cubits, which will now be discussed in Art. 13. That’s why the unit of measure is 7 tbsp. “cane” is translated here to elbows. Ezek.40:13. Then he measured the gate from the roof of one room to the roof of another twenty-five cubits in width; the door was against the door. “From the roof of one room to the roof of another is 25 cubits.” Undoubtedly (from the previous) we are talking about the width of the entire gate structure. But the idea of ​​this in the Masoretic text is expressed strangely. If, as can be seen from Art. 14 according to LXX, the entire construction of the gate was uncovered, then the width of the gate could be indicated in this way: the roofs rising above the rooms were the most noticeable boundaries (landmarks) of the entire structure in its width. Others (Rosenmuller) get out of the difficulty created by the Masoretic text by adopting Heb. gag (roof) means the outermost part (in Exodus 30.3 this word denotes the top of the altar), here it means the outermost back wall of the room. LXX: “from the wall of the fairy (i.e., the back one, into the courtyard of the church) to the wall of the fairy (the back wall of the opposite room) the width is twenty and five lactays.” If the LXX did not grasp the gag of the meaning proposed by Rosenmüller, then they could read the equally short word kir (wall) instead; or they read: migav (from the wall) lenegedo (to the opposite); Wed Ezek.23.35 according to Heb. T. In any case, the width of the entire gate structure is indicated, from where, based on the previous data, the thickness of the gate wall can be calculated (not an unimportant information): (25 - (12+10)): 2 1 1 2 cubits; Wed Art. 42. – “The door was against the door.” If in the previous expression we are talking about the rear walls of the rooms, i.e., about the wall of the entire gate structure (along the courtyard of the church), then here, perhaps, we are only talking about the doors in these walls, leading from the latter to the (outer) courtyard of the church. If earlier there was no talk about the walls of the rooms, then here we are talking about the doors to the gate corridor. Ezek.40:14. And in the pillars he counted sixty cubits, in each pillar near the courtyard and at the gate, “And in the pillars he counted 60 cubits.” Lit. “And he made the pillars 60 cubits.” It is not clear, first of all, why the verb “measured”, which is used everywhere in these chapters, is replaced here by the verb “made”, when the church appears to be already ready and only its measurement is carried out. They think it’s because the height of the pillars is indicated here, but it could not be measured like everything hitherto with a cane, but had to be determined in some other, unspecified way. Then it is unclear which pillars we are talking about: the pillars between the rooms (v. 10) or the 2 pillars of the portico (v. 9); rather, about the latter, since only they could be of such an exorbitant height (the number 60 is never mentioned in the entire description of the church), serving as gate obelisks (like Jachin and Boaz in Solomon’s Temple). Finally, it is not more precisely determined which measurement of the pillars is given by the figure of 60 cubits; Only the magnitude of this figure forces us to assume here the measurement and height. All these ambiguities cast a shadow of doubt on the Masoretic text, especially since the LXX again gives a more natural reading; “and the uncovered (αιθριον, porch) elama gate (i.e. portico st. 9E) sixty (so much only in the Slavic text; better: Alexandrian: 25, Vatik. 20) lactei.” LXX thus gives the not yet specified and not unimportant (in view of the importance of this branch of the gate, see explanation of Art. 9) length of the portico E; although this length is indicated so late in comparison with the width of the same part of the gate of Art. 9, but in place, because from Art. 11 everywhere the measurement is given from south to north, as previously from c. to the west; “pillars” and “narthexes” are consonant in Hebrew: elim and ulam or elam. "In every pillar near the courtyard and at the gate". Presumptive and free translation of Hebrew. lit.: “and the courtyard of the gate (adjoined) to the pillar all around, all around,” i.e. the pillar (collectively, one can mean the pillars of the 9th and 10th centuries, or - did it not eat instead of elam, a vestibule?) came out or was already in contact with the courtyard itself (this shrine!) near the gate. LXX should be by guess: “and the fairy of the courtyard around,” that is, all around there were side rooms opening into the courtyard, like in the elam, which was just discussed. The meaning would be even better if you did not read the word “pillar”, which in Hebrew. completely in tune with the preposition ate before it - “to”; then it will be: “and to the courtyard there are gates of circles, all around,” that is, the construction of the gate stands freely in the courtyard, open into it from all sides, and not like an internal gate built up from everywhere (38, 44) as a sign of the greater holiness of the latter (see plan 2). Ezek.40:15. and from the front of the entrance of the gate to the front of the inner gate, fifty cubits. “Up to the front of the inner gate” is an inaccurate translation of the Hebrew: “up to the face (entrance from the courtyard) of the porch of the inner gate.” - Accordingly, the width of the entire gate structure, measured in the 13th century, the total length of this structure is indicated here: 50 cubits, - twice the width, - a proportion maintained in all buildings of the present church, as well as a simpler one. – This total length could be calculated from the figures given so far: 6 cubits of the outer wall, 6 x 3 l. side rooms, 5x2 l. pillars between them, 6 l. another threshold or second main wall of the gate, 8+2 l. portico and its walls (equal to the thickness of the pillars of Art. 9). Maz. t. presents some roughness. “From the front wall of the entrance to the gate” lit. “up to (al) the face of the outer gate”; “to” (“y”) instead of “from”, perhaps because the person measuring is standing at this entrance. – LXX: “and the uncovered (αιθριον see v. 14) of the gate from the outside (from the outer edge of the porch of the gate) to the uncovered elama of the gate inside (to the inner, facing the courtyard, the edge of the “narthex at the gate”, portico of the 9th century) fifty lactes.” Ezek.40:16. There were lattice windows in the side rooms and in their pillars, inside the gates all around, also in the vestibules there were windows all around on the inside, and on the pillars there were palm trees. Now it remains to say how the gate building was illuminated and what ornaments it had. It was lit by windows that were “lattice”. This word is assumed. translation of euro atum, used only in Ezek.41.26 and 1 Kings 6.4, which LXX here and in Kings conveys “hidden” (secret, auditory), and in Ch. XLI. "lattice", Vulg. Pesh. rabbis – obliquae, oblique, Sim. τοξικαι - pointed, (both - expanding inward); Ak. βεβυσμεναι – deaf; all these meanings are confirmed both by 3 Kings, where the windows of Solomon’s Temple are called: “latticed, blind with slopes,” and by the addition “inside.” The windows were thus similar to embrasures or loopholes, such as are often found in Egyptian churches. – Windows were installed not only in the walls of the side rooms, but also in the pillars (elim, LXX “ailam”) that separated the rooms, despite all their massiveness (5 cubits, and with the wall 5 1 2–6). Making windows in such a massive wall did not represent anything unusual for the prophet, because in Solomon’s Temple the walls were no thinner, and it was easier to restore broken windows than to make new ones. – The same windows were in the vestibule, apparently described in verses 8 and 9; but here it is called not ulam, as there, but elam, as this word was read everywhere in the LXX, and as it is punctuated among the Masoretes from here to Art. 36. (15 times); here, in addition, the word is placed with a plural ending. h.g. r. (why is it Russian “in the vestibules”); pl. h. does not fit here, since there was only one vestibule at the gate; therefore, here they see a typo (LXX units) or an ancient form of units. part - “And there are palm trees on the pillars.” Since there has already been talk about pillars and the word pillars is put here in singular. h., and before in this verse in plural. h. and with the pronoun “them”, then these pillars mean only the two main pillars at the entrance to the vestibule (e and f), - designated singular. h. in the collective sense, as in Art. 14 f. Palm trees indicate that God’s dwelling in the church is always blooming, full of life. Since Palestine is the birthplace of the palm tree, this tree served as the coat of arms of the people and the country; it is depicted on the coins of the Maccabees, as well as on the coin of Titus (with the inscription ludaea capta). And the Savior, as if to symbolize his entry into the church of the new Jerusalem, made a solemn entrance here among the palm trees (Trosh.). LXX: “and on ailam (“elim, therefore, read the plural) dates here and here,” but Heb. Timor means every palm tree. Solomon's Temple, in addition to palm trees, was decorated with other images; Wed Ezek.41.18–19. Ezek.40:17. And he led me to the outer courtyard, and there were rooms there, and a stone platform was made around the courtyard; thirty rooms on that platform. The Prophet was now shown the outer courtyard of the church. Since the prophet was until now in front of the eastern gate, he is now introduced (must be by the eastern gate, as in Art. 32 he is brought out by them) into this courtyard. By whom it is introduced - by an angel or by God - as in Ezek.40.3 - it is not said, perhaps intentionally, because the driving was internal and the prophet could not determine the driver. This courtyard corresponded not to the first courtyard of Herod’s temple, the courtyard of the pagans, but to the next courtyard of this temple - the courtyard of women: because pagans are not allowed into the Ezekiel temple at all; That’s why, perhaps, this courtyard is called “inner” in LXX. This courtyard was surrounded by rooms, i.e., separate houses (Hebrew lemakot, LXX παστοφορια, chapels, slav. inaccurately: “barrier”; see plan 3: Z, Z, Z...), which stood near the outer wall on a stone platform (Hebrew ritzera, only in 2 Chronicles 7.3 2 Kings 16.17 and Esther 1.7, but the Greek περιστυλα colonnade, slav. “intercolumn”; see plan 3: y, y, y), of course, from equal stone slabs, which stretched along the entire length of the outer courtyard. There were 30 rooms in total, but how they were distributed along the walls of the courtyard is not indicated; the most natural distribution would be 10 - at each of the 3 unbuilt walls of the courtyard - eastern, northern and southern (there was a building for a special purpose near the western wall - Ezek. 41.12 etc.); but the expression “all around” makes it possible to think that some of the rooms were located near the western wall in its free space, some of course smaller, for example. the first 3 walls have 8, the last 6. These rooms could serve as storage rooms for storing some church supplies (hence their name in the Vulgate gazophylacia); but since there were rooms in the inner court for the storage of priestly implements and parts of the sacrifices that the priests should follow (v. 44 et c., Ezek. 42.1 et d., Ezek. 46.19 et c.), then the real rooms must have been intended for the people and their sacrificial meals. In Solomon's and the second church, noble people owned such rooms at the church, each separately (2 Kings 23.11; Jer 35.4, 36.10; Neh. 13.4 et seq.; cf. Ezek. 8.8 et seq.). It is not said that the real house-rooms had several floors and that they were equipped with galleries (LXX: περιστυλα), which is noted about such rooms in the courtyard: Ezek.42.3, 6. Ezek.40:18. And this platform was on the sides of the gate, according to the length of the gate; this platform was lower. The platform (LXX: στοαι, columns περιστυλα 17th century slav. “narthexes”, meaning rooms) was not covered with the entire outer courtyard, but only part of it corresponding to the sides (slav. also: “against the rear country”) of the gate, i.e. the width of its strip was equal to the length of the gate (50 elbows - minus wall thickness 6 l.: st. 5, 6) see plan 3: y, y. This platform (Greek already περιστυλον, slav. “between pillars”) is called lower (Russian bib. “below”, Greek υποκατω, slav. “lower”)), of course, in contrast to the platform of the inner courtyard, which was 8 steps higher than the outer courtyard (Art. 37); True, the platform of the inner courtyard is not mentioned, but it must be because, as was the case in Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 7.3) and Herod’s (epist. Arist.), this courtyard was completely paved. Ezek.40:19. And he measured the width from the lower gate to the outer edge of the courtyard to be one hundred cubits, east and north. Like the gate, the courtyard must be measured, and it is enough to measure it only in width, since its length is the size of the church area; the courtyard thus has one dimension when the gates have two main ones and many secondary ones. The width of the courtyard was most easily determined by the distance between the gates, since the prophet stood next to them. From the outer gate, called here lower, since the outer courtyard was 8 steps lower than the inner one - Art. 37, to the outer edge of the inner courtyard (it is not said: to the inner gate, because there was no talk about them yet, cf. vv. 23, 27) there was a large and round number of 100 cubits. LXX: “from the uncovered (porch, threshold) of the outer gate, inward (towards) to the uncovered (threshold) of the (opposite, internal) gate looking out (to the side facing the outer courtyard)…” - “To the east and north”. The meaning of this remark, perhaps, is only that the courtyard was so wide not only in the direction measured - on its eastern part, but also on the northern part, the prophet intends to begin measuring the gates of which part now. But such a remark would say something self-evident; therefore, it is better than LXX: “seeing (one hundred cubits) to the east (definition to the measured part of the courtyard, represented as 100 cubits?) and bring me to the north.” Ezek.40:20. He also measured the length and width of the outer court gate facing north, Ezek.40:21. and side rooms next to them, three on one side and three on the other; and their pillars and their projections were of the same measure as those of the former gate: their length was fifty cubits, and their width was twenty-five cubits. Ezek.40:22. And their windows, and their projections, and their palm trees are of the same measure as those of the gate facing the east; and they come to them with seven steps, and in front of them there are ledges. The northern gate (and the southern one: vv. 24–26) were of the same size in general and in all parts as the eastern one. Of these parts they are named in Art. 21. “side rooms” (fairies), their pillars, i.e. there should be pilasters - spaces between the rooms of Art. 10 (Hebrew elav v. 9, and in v. 10 elim, but the only difference is that the second is without the pronoun “him” referring to the gate; LXX transcription here is ail v. 9, and in v. 10 ailam), elamav (Hebrew Russian); “protrusions”, which would be gevul), i.e. should (five porches A, D and E; LXX, apparently, was considered a new architectural term: τα ελαμμων, but Slav. “elamas” (narthexes); LXX † “dates”, should have come from the next article. In article 22, the smaller parts of the gate are indicated: windows, elamav (in the spelling there is a slight difference from the previous article; LXX previous article; there must be a new architectural term, unnamed in the description of the eastern one; Russian “protrusions”) and palm trees (see explanation of article 16) But in the description of the latter the measure of windows and palm trees is not indicated; καθως, “like” (i.e., instead of kemiddat - kemo). Regarding the northern gate, it is indicated how many steps there were a staircase leading to it from the space surrounding the church, which indication for some reason was not made when describing the eastern gate, where it, apparently, would have been more appropriate. There the prophet, perhaps, did not pay such attention to her. The number of these steps was symbolic: 7 (in the inner gate it was even greater: 8). The staircase to the gate, or rather its steps, had in front of it what was named in Art. 21. architectural appendage of elamav, Greek. ελαμμων. Vulg. vestibulum (Russian: “protrusions”); LXX instead of “before them” - “inside”. Maybe they just mean the 7th century threshold. A. Ezek.40:23. And into the inner court there is a gate opposite the gates of the north and east; and he measured from gate to gate a hundred cubits. Repeating what was said about the eastern part of the courtyard in the 19th century. in the application to the northern part, the verse makes an important addition there, indicating that in the inner court there were gates opposite the outer gates, so that the width of the courtyard could be measured by the distance between both gates (in the 19th century it is measured by the distance from the outer gate to the “edge of the inner court”). The prophet must not have seen the inner eastern gate with such clarity as the northern one here, and in v. 27 south. – “And the eastern ones”, reading from LXX: “like a gate looking to the east.” Ezek.40:24. And he led me south, and there was the southern gate; and he measured the same measure in the pillars and ledges. “And he led,” not: “led,” as in v. 17, because there is more and quite a significant distance. The southern gates were in every way similar to the eastern and northern ones, but their dimensions are described not in the same way as the northern ones (a good writer does not like to repeat himself), but with minor deviations. So, first of all, for some reason, such an important part of the gate as the side rooms is not mentioned (LXX puts the omitted Hebrew word “fairy” in first place), and the measurement begins directly from the pillars (should be between the side rooms), after which those mentioned in Art. 22 are immediately named. (see there) elamav, LXX τα ελαμμων, slav. "Elamy", Russian. "protrusions". Ezek.40:25. And the windows in them and in their vestibules are the same as those windows: the length is fifty cubits, and the width is twenty-five cubits. The description of the southern gate is more fragmentary and less systematic than the northern one: not all parts of the structure are named and the most important ones between them are not selected. So after the “pillars” and “protrusions” Art. 24 here are immediately called windows. At the same time, the windows are also indicated in the mysterious elamo (isn’t it a typo elamo, in its vestibule), which is Russian. I am forced to convey not “protrusions” (as in v. 21, 22, 24) but “vestibules,” while LXX continues as before, but without the preposition: “and their windows and Elam.” – “Same as those windows” – glory. “like the window of elag” (Greek του αιλαμ); the last word clearly comes from Hebrew. elleg, those; therefore note in glory. The Bible replaces it with “them”. – The list of different parts of the southern gate is interrupted in 25b by indicating their total length and width, the same as the eastern (vv. 13, 15) and northern (vv. 21). Ezek.40:26. The ascent to them is seven steps, and the vestibule is in front of them; and palm ornaments, one on this side and one on the other, on their pillars. Ezek.40:26a 22b. "Vestibule", Heb. elamav, LXX elam; “in front of them” - LXX “inside”, see Art. 22: there must of course be a vestibule - portico E (maybe a typo instead of “elamo” - see Art. 25), because it is further associated with: “Palm decorations - one on that side and one on the other on their pillars,” lit. “and its palm trees”, lo, i.e. at the “ellamav”, or “gate”, LXX: them. The porch of the portico E was the most important part of the entire construction of the gate, and if there were only two palm trees (i.e., ornaments) opposite each other, then it was better to place them on the pillars of the portico at its very exit into the courtyard of the church (the most sacred part of the gate); but it is possible that the meaning of the expression here is divisive and indicates the symmetrical arrangement of palm decorations throughout the gate building (see explanation of Art. 16 con.). The symmetrical arrangement of palm ornaments is a new detail reported by the prophet: when viewing the northern and southern gates, more than one such detail was added to the picture of the gate, apparently completely outlined by the eastern gate. Ezek.40:27. And into the inner court there was a south gate; and he measured from the gate to the south gate a hundred cubits. Ezek.40:27 v. 19 (see vol.) and 23. Ezek.40:28. And he brought me through the southern gate into the inner court; and measured the same measure at the south gate. The measurement and survey of the inner courtyard begins from the southern gate, because the prophet stands there. To measure these gates, the prophet walks with his companion along their entire length to the courtyard, as is done later in v. 32 with the eastern gate. Ezek.40:29. And their side rooms, and their pillars, and their porches were of the same measure, and the windows in them in their porches were all around; the total length is fifty cubits, and the width is twenty-five cubits. The most important parts of the gate building are named: the side rooms (v. 7), the pillars between them (v. 10) and the vestibules (elammav, see explanation of art. 22, 25, 26) with windows in them (Hebrew lo, him), i.e. in the gate and in the elammav (narthexes, - there must be a singular number, see explanation of art. 25 and 26) and the size is indicated gate All this in the inner gates was quite the same size as the outer gates. Ezek.40:30. The porches were twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. Gives an indication about the porches (Hebrew elamot, for some reason the plural) that the porch was 25 long (cf. Art. 14 according to the Alex. Code; see its explanation), and 5 loc wide. (according to article 9: 10 - see their explanation). The verse is not in almost all LXX codes (even in the Slavic translation) and in some. Heb.; therefore it is considered an erroneous option 29b. Ezek.40:31. And they had porches for the outer court, and palm trees were on their pillars; the ascent to them is eight steps. Being in general similar to the outer gates, the inner gates also had differences from them, namely three differences: 1) their vestibule, - precisely the vestibule of the gate of Art. 9, (Russian “narthexes”, because in Hebrew the word elammav again has a double meaning, see the explanation of vv. 22, 25, 26; LXX here is already αιλαμ in the singular, but for some reason with a member in the gender p. του; Slav. “elama”) was “to the outer court”, therefore, occupied the front part of the gate (see plan 2A), and not the back (was located in front of threshold B, and threshold F opened directly onto the courtyard), as opposed to the outer gate. Being more sacred than the outer courtyard, the inner courtyard with its outer porch reminded those who entered it of its holiness, which required spiritual cleansing at its very threshold. 2) Thus, those pillars with palm decorations (from this verse, more confidently than from previous mentions of palm trees, we can conclude that palm trees decorated only two pillars of the vestibule), which completed the building of the outer gate, began the building of the inner gate. Since the thickness of these pillars is the same - 2 cubits of 9 tbsp. - there was also the front wall of the gate vestibule, and since in the inner gate it was supposed to enter the wall surrounding the inner courtyard, to be part of it, then this wall was of the same thickness (which is why it is not measured anywhere, but only mentioned by chance in Ezek. 42.7, 10). 3) The third difference between the internal gates and the external ones was that the staircase leading to them was not 7, but 8 steps, the number is 1 more than the most sacred number, which serves as a symbol of all completeness. Since (as shown in the explanation of Art. 6) the steps were 1-3 meters high, the inner courtyard rose above the outer courtyard at a height of 2-2-3 meters - a height at which everything that was happening in the inner courtyard could be visible from the outer courtyard, especially in its depths, near the church. Ezek.40:32. And he led me by the eastern gate into the inner court; and measured the same measure at this gate. “And he led me (see explanation of v. 24) by the eastern gate into the inner court,” - from Hebrew: “and he led me by the inner court to the east.” The Prophet had already entered the courtyard by the southern gates and it was closer for him to go to the eastern gate through this courtyard. Thus, the survey of the inner courtyard is not done in the same order as the outer one: there are eastern, northern and southern gates; here are southern, eastern and northern. This, perhaps, was not only because the path was shorter this way (the southern inner gate was closest to the southern outer gate), but also so as not to enter the inner courtyard through such a sacred eastern gate (cf. Ezek. 44.1 etc.). LXX freely: “And bring me into the gate, looking to the east, and measure me...” Ezek.40:33. And their side rooms, and their pillars, and their porches were of the same measure; and the windows in them and their porches were all around; the length is fifty cubits, and the width is twenty-five cubits. Ezek.40:34. They had porches on the outer court, and palm trees on their pillars on both sides; the ascent to them is eight steps. Ezek.40:35. Then he led me to the northern gate, and measured the same measure in it. Since this is already the 3rd gate (to the inner courtyard), the expression is shorter than in 32 et seq. Art. about the eastern gate. Ezek.40:36. There were side rooms with them, their pillars and their porches, and the windows in them were all around; in all the length is fifty cubits, and the breadth is twenty-five cubits. That’s why there is no “window in them” after “and in their vestibule,” as in vv. 25–29 and 33. Ezek.40:37. They had porches on the outer court, and palm trees on their pillars on both sides; the ascent to them is eight steps. See explanation of v. 31; but in Heb. “the porches” are not elammo, as it is there, but for some reason elav, “its pillars”; Perhaps the prophet, instead of the vestibule, names its most prominent part - the two entrance pillars; LXX whatever: τα ελαμμων, “elamas”. A - porch to the hall. B – first threshold. D – side rooms, fairy. C – passage. E – pillars, elim. F – second threshold. a, b, c, d – sacrificial tables inside the vestibule (Ezek.40.39). e, f, g, h – sacrificial tables inside the vestibule (Ezek.40.40). e, f, k, g – location of external tables according to LXX. O – blood flow according to LXX (Ezek.40.38, 40) Ezek.40:38. There was also a room with an entrance to it, near the gate posts: there they wash the burnt offerings. “There was also a room with an entrance to it at the gate posts.” Lit.: “and the room and its door are in the gate posts.” It is unclear from the text 1) whether this room was an extension to the gate or was located in the gate building itself; if the first, then it was necessary to indicate on which side of the gate this extension was located, as was done with the rooms of the 44th century; therefore, the second is more likely. 2) It is not indicated in which pillars, Heb. Elim, there was this room; in view of the fact that the pillars of the vestibule (plan 1e and f) were of small thickness, only 2 cubits, one must think that this room was located in the pillars that divided the side rooms or separated the outermost ones from the vestibule; the latter is more likely; but it remains unknown which of these 2 pillars contained the room. In view of the similarity of Heb. the words elim with the word elam “narthex” do not rule out the possibility that here we are not talking about pillars, but about the porch; then the addition “its door” would be more understandable: “and the door to Elam”: from the vestibule there was a door into the room, because in it the victims were washed, who were slaughtered in the vestibule on special tables. LXX: “and the barriers (παστοφορια - see the explanation of v. 17) and their doors (θυρωμα personal. room with a door) and their Elams." Such a room was literally located at all three internal gates (in Hebrew the last word is plural). Therefore, it is hardly fair to place this room only in the eastern gate (see Ber. Krech.) on the grounds that the rooms at the northern gate. and south had a different purpose (v. 44), that the church spring flowed precisely from under the eastern gate (Ezek. 47.1–2) and that these gates were always closed, while through the northern one. and south people passed by. It is even less likely that this room is placed (Geth. Geng. Currey) only at the northern gate on the grounds that the burnt offering, which was washed in this room, according to the law of Moses, was slain on the northern side of the altar (Lev. 1.11, 13). LXX: “before the second gate (if of those named, then the eastern one, or: before the second door of the gate, in the part leading to the inner courtyard) drainage,” i.e. for the water of the ablution indicated below. “There they wash the burnt offerings,” that is, according to Lev. 1:9 Its entrails and legs are the more unclean parts. The remark foreshadows the great significance of this sacrifice, which will be discussed later. Washing was necessary for this only sacrifice, as the most holy. A special room was required for ablution so as not to desecrate the church with it. To Vatik. and other codes there is no 2nd half of the verse; The entire verse is missing from all ancient translations except the LXX. Ezek.40:39. And in the porch of the gate there were two tables on one side and two on the other side, to slaughter on them burnt offerings and sin offerings and trespass offerings. While, according to the Mosaic Law, sacrifices must be slain at the northern side of the altar, in the mysterious church of Ezekiel, the most important, at least, sacrifices: burnt offerings, a sacrifice for sin (Lev. 4.3 et c.) and for a crime (Lev. 5.19; glorified “for ignorance”) were slain in the vestibule of the gate, it must be that the special holiness of this church is not desecrated by sin, which for the sinner is carried by a living animal. The slaughter was carried out, perhaps, as in the previous church, on special tables, of which there were 4 for this need (perhaps according to the number of cardinal points); they were located symmetrically (like everything in the mysterious church), 2 on each side of the vestibule (see plan 2 - a, b, c, d). Thus, already the inside of the gate, with the appearance of the sacrificial tables, introduced the one entering into the divine service, the main part of which was the sacrifices. Ezek.40:40. And at the outer side, at the entrance to the opening of the north gate, there were two tables, and at the other side, near the porch of the gate, two tables. In remembrance that, according to the Mosaic Law, the sacrifice was sacrificed on the northern side of the altar, at the northern inner gate, in addition to the mentioned tables in the vestibule for the slaughter of victims, there were tables for the same purpose on the sides of the gate, also numbering 4, and also symmetrically located (Plan 2 - e, f, g, h.) The location of the tables outside the gate made it convenient to distribute parts from them to the people after separating the priestly part from the sacrificial animal. LXX: “and from behind the drainage of burnt offerings (about which the text of LXX speaks in v. 38, see its explanation) of the doors looking to the north, two meals to the east against the back country (of the doors) of the second (that is, at the end of the gate jutting into the inner courtyard, where their second doors were) and opposite the Elam gate (i.e., at the opposite part of the gate, facing the outer courtyard) two meals to the east"; therefore, according to LXX, the tables were located on only one side of the northern gate, the main, eastern one (plan 2-e, f, k, e), because there was also a drain for blood (see Chapter 38). Ezek.40:41. Four tables on one side and four tables on the other side, on each side of the gate: a total of eight tables on which the victims would be slaughtered. The verse apparently indicates the total number of tables for slaughtering victims at the northern gate and in its building: in the vestibule of the gate there were 4 tables and 4 outside, for a total of 8; - and it is indicated that they were located symmetrically, so that at each wall of the gate on both sides there were 4 tables: 2 inside and 2 outside. LXX: “four about this country, four about it against the back country of the gates (i.e., on the outer wall of the gate there are 4 tables, and on the other side of it, i.e. inside the gate, 4 tables), they will slaughter slaughters: right around the table of slaughters” (i.e., the slaughter of victims is done no other way than against the mentioned and slaughter tables - not on the side of the altar, as in Moses' Tabernacle). The last words of the LXX “directly eat meals, kills” are better attributed to the next. verse, seeing in them an indication of where the 4 stone tables for slaughter weapons described in that verse were located. Ezek.40:42. And the four tables for preparing the burnt offering were of hewn stones, one cubit and a half long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one cubit high; instruments for slaughtering burnt offerings and other sacrifices are placed on them. In addition to the indicated eight tables, about which it is not said what material they were made of, there were 4 more stone (stones from ancient times were considered the most suitable material for the altar; the pagans also had a cult of stones) tables, about which in turn it is not said where they stood (the LXX may say; see the explanation of v. 41 - end), perhaps because this is clear from their purpose. It was 1 1 2 l. length, 1 1 2 l. lat. and 1 l. heights and served to store weapons for slaughtering victims; The burnt offering in its generic concept is mentioned as the most sacred sacrifice. Ezek.40:43. And hooks in one hand were attached to the walls of the building all around, and sacrificial meat was placed on the tables. "Hooks". So according to Targ. translated hashefataim. Sacrificial animals were hung from these hooks to remove their skin. But such a meaning for real Heb. the words are doubtful and do not fit with the context, which speaks exclusively about tables; The indication of the measure for hooks is also unclear - “in the palm of your hand.” Therefore, it is better with the LXX to read the word sefatam - “their edge”: “and they have a fence (γεισος, side, cornice) little hewn to the palm (height) inside” (i.e. on the board of the table, and not outside it, instead of the Hebrew babait, Russian “to the walls of the building” LXX read mibait, from the inside). This “fence” did not allow sacred particles to fall from the table. meat and the shedding of blood to avoid their trampling. Similar to Vulg.: labia, lips. Hence the further remark is understandable: “and (because) sacrificial meat was placed on the tables,” which, however, was read completely differently by LXX: “at the top of the meal there is a cover (canopy) to cover it from rain and heat,” which was necessary both for the sacrifice and for the priests, since some of the tables stood outside the gate building; and the “narthex of the gate”, where the rest of the tables stood, could have been without a roof (cf. Art. 15 according to LXX). Ezek.40:44. Outside the inner gate were rooms for the singers; in the courtyard, on the side of the north gate, one faces south, and the other, on the side of the south gate, faces north. Verse in Hebrew t. speaks of rooms for singers, which could indicate that at the described time everything will sing and rejoice. But due to the fact that these rooms in st. 45 and 46 turn out to be intended for priests, whom Ezekiel, just as strictly as the Mosaic Law, separates from the Levites (singers and guards) and in view of other roughnesses in this verse of Heb. i.e., now interpreters unanimously follow here the LXX, who instead of sharim “singers,” read shetayim, two (rooms). “Outside the inner gate”, which is not said; meanwhile, from what follows it is clear that the described rooms were located near the northern and southern gates. It’s clearer - LXX: “and lead me into the inner courtyard.” - “Rooms”, Hebrew. lishkot (to grasp from the root, to contain), Greek. εξεδπαι – in class. covered passages in front of the house, equipped with seats; glory “obstacles”, non-passable rooms, in contrast to the fairy, walk-through rooms. (Fartusov. Plans and facades of Noah’s Ark, the Tabernacle of Moses, 1 and 2 Jerusalem Temples and Solomon’s Palace. M. 1909, 4); Vulg. gazophylacia (treasury for jewelry). Next, these rooms were of a completely different kind than the gate stations. 7 and etc. - taim, fairy. There was a third kind of room - in Ezekiel 13.5, see the explanation there. "Side" glory. “opposite the rear country of the gate”, i.e. at the part of the gate that juts out into the inner courtyard. As can be seen from what follows - at the eastern wall of both gates. See plan No. 3 - C and D. - “One faces the south” - (Hebrew - an obvious mistake: “to the east”: gakkadim instead of gaddar, maybe this is a remnant of the indication of the eastern wall of the gate, at which the rooms were located), and the other, “facing the north”; In this way, the rooms turned their faces, i.e., pediments, their doors, towards each other and towards the middle of the courtyard, towards the altar (cf. v. 46). Slav. “those looking to the north” (i.e., the southern gate) facing the north with the entrance to the room. Ezek.40:45. And he said to me: “This room, which faces south, is for the priests who keep watch over the church; Both rooms are intended only for priests (before, such rooms must have been used by the laity, desecrating the church: Ezek. 8.7 etc.). The immediate purpose of the rooms - for dressing the priests in liturgical clothes - is apparently spoken of by Ezek.44.17. The right room in relation to the one entering the church by the eastern gate (to the Lord - Ezek. 44.1 etc.), facing the blessed south, is intended for priests carrying out more honorable duties, performing their next service ("those who watch the watch") in the church building itself (lit. "houses"), in the sanctuary (burning incense, keeping the lamp burning), changing the showbread; see explanation of Ezek.41.22). Ezek.40:46. and the room that faces north is for the priests who keep watch over the altar: these are the sons of Zadok, who are one of the sons of Levi who draw near to the Lord to serve Him.” The left room, facing north, was intended for priests with less honorable duties, vigilant on guard of the altar (glorified "breviary") standing in the courtyard, whose duties therefore did not extend beyond the courtyard and did not concern the saint. buildings. Since the prophet first mentions priests, he makes a remark about the tribal composition of this class: the right to the priesthood given by the law of Moses to all the direct descendants of Aaron, here, due to historical circumstances, indicated in Ezek. 44.15 (cf. 1 Kings 2.36, 27, 35; 1 Chr. 29.22), is limited only to the descendants of Zadok; only they, from the entire tribe of Levi, retained the right to that special approach to God that the priests have through their service in the sanctuary and at the altar. Ezek.40:47. And he measured the courtyard to be a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide: it was four-cornered; and in front of the church stood an altar. The size of the inner courtyard is determined by the number that has always served as a symbol of the most perfect completeness and completeness, 100 cubits, and is expressed in the most perfect figure - a square (the length and width are the same). This value is undoubtedly calculated in such a way that the angles between the gates are not taken into account (only the value of the square eeff' on the 3rd plane is calculated): otherwise the free space of the courtyard would be only 50 x 50 cubits and would be very narrow. The altar standing in the middle of this square could be seen equally from all 3 gates, in front of which the praying people stood in the outer courtyard. About the construction of the altar in Ezek.43.13 et al. Ezek.40:48. And he brought me to the porch of the church, and measured in the pillars of the porch five cubits on one side and five cubits on the other; and the gate is three cubits wide on one side and three cubits wide on the other. The measurement of the church itself (literally “house”) begins, behind which, according to the measurement of the courtyard, is now the turn. The measurement begins with those pillars (LXX “ail” transcription) of the porch (“elama”), which opened the entrance to the church (plan 4: I, B) and corresponded to the famous Jachin and Boaz of Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 7.15–21; see vol.), being the same as those columns, approximately in thickness. The thickness of each of these pillars is indicated as 5 cubits (at the gate of the courtyard there are only 2 cubits - v. 9). Since the goal is to indicate the thickness of the entire door (more precisely, the gate, since such a thickness is too large for a door; see the explanation of Ezekiel 41.23), the thickness of both pillars is indicated separately: five cubits on one side and five cubits on the other. Following this, only LXX indicates the width of the door bay (plan 4: sa): “the breadth of the door is fourteen lactae,” a very important indication missed by the Masoret. t. probably due to the similarity of the last word of the phrase with the ending of the next. phrases (homo-ioteleuton). The width of the doors in the vestibule, the sanctuary (Ezek.42.2) and the holy of holies (Ezek.42.3) are in relation to each other in arithmetic proportionality: 14-10-6. And the further date is more fully read in LXX: “and the side of the door,” that is, the rest of the gate or door, made up of a wall and forming, as it were, large doorposts, (plan 4: ab. cd.) - “three lacti about this country and three about it”; rus. “And the gate is three cubits wide on one side and three cubits wide on the other.” Consequently, the entire width of the vestibule is 3 + 14 + 320 l.; Wed track. Art. As it stands, the Masoretic text at the end of the verse seems to indicate the width of both halves of the doors. Ezek.40:49. The length of the porch is twenty cubits, and the width is eleven cubits, and there are ten steps ascending into it; and there were supports for the pillars, one on one side and the other on the other. The length of the vestibule, according to the usual usage of the prophet, is the larger of the two dimensions, which in this case corresponds to the width of the church (pl. 4: j-i); on the contrary, in 1 Kings 6.3. The width is indicated by the non-circular and non-symbolic number 11; therefore it is better in LXX: “12”. – While there were 7 steps leading to the outer gate, 8 to the inner gate, a huge staircase of 10 steps leads to the church itself, as a sign of its special holiness. But this figure is read here only as LXX; Masoretic text instead of Eser. ten has the same design as Asher, which. – Behind this staircase there should have been another threshold (pl. 4: A; cf. Eze. 9.3, 10.4) of the same thickness as the foundation protruding around the entire church (pl. 4: SS; Eze. 41.8, 11; cf. Isa. 6.4 according to Heb.). - “and there were supports at the pillars.” Lit.: “and the columns (ammudim) at the pillars (elim), LXX elim read αιλαμ, the porch (“and the pillar byahu at the ailam”), due to which the ambiguity of the Masoretic text is eliminated, according to which, in addition to the “pillars” of Art. 47 At the entrance, 3 cubits thick, there were two more pillars of unknown thickness. The pillars at the entrance had the immediate purpose of supporting the top of the portal; hence their name here is ammudim, supports, foundations. Such pillars were common in Egyptian churches; they were especially remarkable in the Tire church of Melqart (Herrod. II, 44), in the Paphros and Hierapolis churches (Nowack Archaol IV, 1.76). With their height they raised the thoughts of those entering the church to God. You might be interested in: