Ezekiel 43:9-19

9 "Now let them 1put away their harlotry and the corpses of their kings far from Me; and I will 2dwell among them forever.
10 "As for you, son of man, 3describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be 4ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the 5plan.
11 "If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its 6exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its laws. And write it 7in their sight, so that they may observe its whole design and all its statutes and 8do them.
12 "This is the law of the house: its entire area on the top of the 9mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

The Altar of Sacrifice

13 "And these are the measurements of the 10altar by cubits (the 11cubit 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.
14 "From the base on the ground to the lower 12ledge 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.
15 "The altar hearth shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth shall extend upwards four 13horns.
16 "Now the altar hearth shall be twelve * cubits long by twelve * wide, 14square in its four sides.
17 "The 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 15steps shall 16face the east."

The Offerings

18 And He said to me, "17Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD, 'These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is built, to offer 18burnt offerings on it and to 19sprinkle blood on it.
19 'You shall give to the Levitical priests who are from the offspring of 20Zadok, who draw 21near to Me to minister to Me,' declares the Lord GOD, 'a 22young bull for a 23sin offering.

Ezekiel 43:9-19 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 43

The temple or house of God being measured, the worship of God in it is pointed out and observed in this and the following chapter; and which, though evangelical, is expressed in the language of the Old Testament. An account is given of the glory of the Lord returning to the house, and the way he did, and his taking possession of it, which the prophet was favoured with a view of, Eze 43:1-5, a promise is made of his continuance there, provided his people behaved as they should, Eze 43:6-9, an order is given to the prophet, to show them the form and fashion, the laws, orders, and ordinances of the house to them, to be observed by them, Eze 43:10-12, then follows the measuring of the altar of burnt offerings; which, though measured before in chapter forty, the dimensions are here given, Eze 43:13-17, and the chapter is concluded with directions about the consecration of it, Eze 43:18-27.

Cross References 23

  • 1. Ezekiel 18:30, 31
  • 2. Ezekiel 37:26-28; Ezekiel 43:7
  • 3. Ezekiel 40:4
  • 4. Ezekiel 16:61, 63; Ezekiel 43:11
  • 5. Ezekiel 28:12
  • 6. Ezekiel 44:5
  • 7. Ezekiel 12:3
  • 8. Ezekiel 11:20; Ezekiel 36:27
  • 9. Ezekiel 40:2
  • 10. Exodus 27:1-8; 2 Chronicles 4:1
  • 11. Ezekiel 40:5; Ezekiel 41:8
  • 12. Ezekiel 43:17, 20; Ezekiel 45:19
  • 13. Exodus 27:2; Leviticus 9:9; 1 Kings 1:50; Psalms 118:27
  • 14. Exodus 27:1
  • 15. Exodus 20:26
  • 16. Ezekiel 40:6
  • 17. Ezekiel 2:1
  • 18. Exodus 40:29
  • 19. Leviticus 1:5, 11; Hebrews 9:21, 22
  • 20. 1 Kings 2:35; Ezekiel 40:46; Ezekiel 44:15
  • 21. Numbers 16:5, 40
  • 22. Leviticus 4:3; Ezekiel 43:23; Ezekiel 45:18
  • 23. Ezekiel 45:19; Hebrews 7:27

Footnotes 18

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