Ezekiel 43:10-20

10 But thou, son of man, show the temple to the house of Israel, and be they ashamed of their wickednesses; and mete they the building, (But thou, son of man, show this Temple to the house of Israel, and measure they the building, and be they ashamed of their wickednesses.)
11 and be they ashamed of all things which they did. Thou shalt show to them, and thou shalt write before the eyes of them the figure of the house, and of the building thereof; the out-goings, and the enterings, and all the describings thereof, and all the commandments thereof, and all the order thereof, and all the laws thereof; that they keep all the describings thereof, and commandments thereof, and do those. (And if they be ashamed of all the things which they have done, then thou shalt show them, and thou shalt draw before their eyes the plan for this Temple, and for its building; the goings out, or the exits, and the enterings, or the entrances, and all its describings, and all its rules and regulations, and all its order, and all its laws; so that they follow all of its describings, and its rules and regulations, and do them.)
12 This is the law of the house (of the Lord), in the highness of the hill; all the coasts thereof in compass is the holy of holy things; therefore this is the law of the house (of the Lord). (This is the law of the House of the Lord, on the highness of the hill; all the area surrounding it is most holy; and so this is the law of the Temple.)
13 Forsooth these be the measures of the altar, in a veriest cubit, that had a cubit and a span; in the bosom thereof was a cubit in length, and a cubit in breadth; and the end thereof till to the brink, and one span in compass; also this was the ditch of the altar. (And these be the measurements of the altar, in a true cubit, that is, a cubit and a span; its bottom, or its base, was a cubit in height, and a cubit in breadth, or projecting out; and all around its outside edge was a ditch, one span deep; this was the altar's ditch, or its gutter.)
14 And from the bosom of the earth till to the last height were two cubits, and the breadth of one cubit; and from the less height (of the pedestal), till to the greater height (of the pedestal), were four cubits, and the breadth was of one cubit; (And from the top of the base on the ground, unto the top of the second base, was two cubits, set-in one cubit from the edge; and from the top of the second base, unto the top of the pedestal, was four cubits, set-in one cubit from the edge;)
15 forsooth that ariel, that is, the higher part of the altar, was of four cubits; and from the altar till to above were four horns. (and the altar was four cubits high; and at the corners all around the altar were four horns, each horn one cubit high.)
16 And the altar of twelve cubits in length was four-cornered with even sides, by twelve cubits of breadth. (And the top of the altar was twelve cubits in length, by twelve cubits in breadth, that is, four-cornered with equal sides.)
17 And the height of fourteen cubits of length was by fourteen cubits of breadth, in four corners thereof. And a crown of half a cubit was in the compass thereof, and the bosom thereof was of one cubit by compass; forsooth the degrees thereof were turned to the east. (And so the space for the altar was fourteen cubits in length, by fourteen cubits in breadth, unto its four corners. And a rim of half a cubit was all around it, and its bottom, or its base, was set-in one cubit all around; and its steps were turned toward the east.)
18 And he said to me, Thou, son of man, the Lord God saith these things, These be the customs of the altar, in whatever day it is made, that men offer on it burnt sacrifice, and blood be shed out. (And he said to me, Thou, son of man, the Lord God saith these things, These be the customs for the altar, or the way to consecrate it, once it is made, so that people can offer burnt sacrifice on it, and blood can be thrown against it.)
19 And thou shalt give to priests and deacons that be of the seed of Zadok, that nigh to me, saith the Lord God, that they offer to me a calf of the drove for sin. (Thou shalt give to the levitical priests, who be the descendants of Zadok, and who alone may come near me, saith the Lord God, a calf from the herd, that they offer to me for a sin offering.)
20 And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and shalt put on four horns thereof, and on four corners of [the] height, and on the crown in compass; and thou shalt cleanse it, and [fully] make clean. (And thou shalt take some of its blood, and shalt put it on the four horns on the top of the altar, and on the four corners of the middle section, and on the the crown all around it; and so thou shalt cleanse it, and make it fully clean.)

Ezekiel 43:10-20 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.