Ezekiel 43:13

13 And these are the measures of the altar in cubits: (the cubit being a cubit and a hand's measure;) its hollow base is a cubit high and a cubit wide, and it has an overhanging edge as wide as a hand-stretch all round it:

Ezekiel 43:13 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 43:13

And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits
Of the altar of burnt offering, which though measured before, the dimensions were not given till now; see ( Ezekiel 40:47 ) , this altar was a type of Christ, ( Hebrews 13:10 ) with respect to his deity, which is greater than the sacrifice of his human nature, the support of it, which sanctified it, and gave virtue and efficacy to it, and rendered it acceptable to God, ( Matthew 23:19 ) and the measures of it are said to be after the cubits used in the measuring of places and things belonging to this house, described; and what these were appears by what follows: the cubit is a cubit and an hand breadth;
not the common cubit, but what was larger than that by a hand breadth, or three inches: even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit;
or, "the bosom" F20; that is, the foundation of the altar, as the Targum and Jarchi; the basis, foot, or settle of it; this was a cubit high, and a cubit broad: and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span;
the edge or "lip" F21, of this bottom or settle, was a cubit broad, for the priests to stand and go round the altar, and to this there was a border of a span, or half a cubit, to prevent their slipping; or else to keep the blood, poured at the foot of the altar, from running upon the pavement: and this shall be the higher place of the altar;
or the projection or jetting of it out beyond others, which was further than any other part; otherwise it was the lower part of the altar.


FOOTNOTES:

F20 (qyx) "sinus", Montanus; "gremium", Munster, Cocceius, Starckius. Ben Melech interprets it the middle of the altar.
F21 (htpv) "labium ejus", Pagninus, Montanus.

Ezekiel 43:13 In-Context

11 And they will be shamed by what they have done; so give them the knowledge of the form of the house and its structure, and the ways out of it and into it, and all its laws and its rules, writing it down for them: so that they may keep all its laws and do them.
12 This is the law of the house: On the top of the mountain all the space round it on every side will be most holy. See, this is the law of the house.
13 And these are the measures of the altar in cubits: (the cubit being a cubit and a hand's measure;) its hollow base is a cubit high and a cubit wide, and it has an overhanging edge as wide as a hand-stretch all round it:
14 And from the base on the earth level to the lower shelf, the altar is two cubits high and a cubit wide; and from the smaller shelf to the greater shelf it is four cubits high and a cubit wide.
15 And the fireplace is four cubits high: and coming up from the fireplace are the horns, a cubit high.
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