Ezekiel 40:42

42 Forsooth four boards to burnt sacrifice were builded of square stones, in the length of one cubit and an half, and in the breadth of one cubit and an half, and in the height of one cubit; on which boards they shall set (the) vessels, in which burnt sacrifice and slain sacrifice is offered. (The four tables for preparing the burnt sacrifice were built of square stones, in the length of one cubit and a half, and in the breadth of one cubit and a half, and in the height of one cubit; on which tables they put the instruments, by which the burnt sacrifice, and the slain sacrifice, were slaughtered.)

Ezekiel 40:42 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 40:42

And the four tables were of hewn stone
These are either the same tables as before, the four that were on one side, and the four that were on the other; they were all made of hewn stone: in the second temple they were made of marble; so it is said in the Misnah ^F17,

``the marble tables were between the pillars;''

and they were made of marble, as the commentators ^F18 say, because that cools the flesh, and preserves it from corruption: they were both decent and durable; and may denote the continuance of the ordinance of the Lord's supper till his second coming; and which is a decent and becoming ordinance, as well as perpetual: or these were other four tables, as Cocceius thinks; and which he places without the porch, near the cell or chamber, where the burnt offering was washed, ( Ezekiel 40:38 ) , and these are said to be for that, as follows, for the burnt offering:
and also for the sin offering, and for the trespass offering, though they are not mentioned: of a cubit and an half long, and a cubit and an half broad;
just a foursquare: and one cubit high;
these were the dimensions of each table: whereupon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the
burnt offering and the sacrifice:
the knives with which they slew the creatures offered, and cut them to pieces, and the bowls and basins in which they received their blood; these were laid upon the tables, as the sacrifices were: and may signify, that in the ordinance of the Lord's supper are not only represented the sacrifice of Christ, but the means, instruments, causes, and occasion of it; the sins of his people, for which he was wounded and bruised in his body, and with which he was pierced in his soul; and here we may look on him whom we have thus pierced, and mourn; and yet rejoice that there is healing by his stripes, pardon by his blood, and atonement by his sacrifice.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Tamid, c. 3. sect. 5. & Middot, c. 3. sect. 5.
F18 Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.

Ezekiel 40:42 In-Context

40 And at the outermore side, which ascendeth to the door of the gate that goeth to the north, were two boards; and at the tother side, before the porch of the gate, were two boards. (And on the outside, as one goeth up to the opening of the northern gateway, were two tables; and on the other side, in front of the porch of the gateway, were two more tables.)

41 Four boards on this side, and four boards on that side; by the sides of the gate were eight boards, on which they offered (the sacrifices). (So, four tables on this side, and four tables on that side, by the sides of the gateway; altogether eight tables on which they offered the sacrifices.)

42 Forsooth four boards to burnt sacrifice were builded of square stones, in the length of one cubit and an half, and in the breadth of one cubit and an half, and in the height of one cubit; on which boards they shall set (the) vessels, in which burnt sacrifice and slain sacrifice is offered. (The four tables for preparing the burnt sacrifice were built of square stones, in the length of one cubit and a half, and in the breadth of one cubit and a half, and in the height of one cubit; on which tables they put the instruments, by which the burnt sacrifice, and the slain sacrifice, were slaughtered.)

43 And the brinks of the boards be of an handbreadth, and be bowed again within by compass; forsooth on the boards were fleshes of offering. (And the ledges of the tables were a hand's breadth, and were turned within all around; and on the tables were the meat for the offerings.)

44 And without the inner gate were chambers of chanters, in the inner foreyard, that was in the side of the gate beholding to the north; and the faces of those were against the south way; one of the side of the east gate, that beheld to the way of the north. (And outside the inner gate were two rooms, in the inner courtyard, one at the side of the northern gateway facing south, and one at the side of the southern gateway facing north.)