Ezekiel 40:43

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.)

Ezekiel 40:43 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 40:43

And within were hooks, a hand broad, fastened round about,
&c.] These, very probably, were fastened on the posts of the gate, near which were the washing room for the sacrifices, ( Ezekiel 40:38 ) , on which they were hung, when they were flayed, or the skin took off: in the slaughter house in the second temple, to the north of the altar, there were eight low stone pillars, upon which were boards of cedar foursquare, and iron hooks were fixed in them; and there were three rows of them in each, on which they hung the sacrifices ^F19, which were one above another; on the lowest they hung a lamb, on the middlemost a ram, and on the highest a bullock; these hooks stood out a hand's breadth from the pillars ^F20: such like iron hooks were fixed on the walls and pillars in the court, where they slew the passover lamb, on which they hung it, and skinned it ^F21: this may denote either, as Cocceius suggests, the exaltation of Christ, who suffered and was raised for our justification; or rather the lifting of him up, and holding him forth to view, as a suffering Saviour, in the ministry of the word, and in the ordinance of the supper. And upon the tables was the flesh of the offering:
here another word is used, and may design that part of the flesh of the sin offering that was eaten by the priest, ( Leviticus 6:25 Leviticus 6:26 ) so that these tables were feasting tables also; as the table of the Lord, or the ordinance of the Lord's supper, is a feast of fat things, a feast of love; a table where the flesh of Christ is laid, which is meat indeed, and only to be fed upon by those that are made kings and priests unto God. Now these tables being many show that there will be a large number of Gospel churches everywhere; and wherever they are there will be tables: the ordinance of the Lord's supper will be celebrated in the four parts of the world; at present it is chiefly in the northern part, and where these tables were seen in this vision.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 Misn. Tamid, c. 3. sect. 5. & Middot, c. 3. sect. 5.
F20 Lipman. Tzurath Beth Hamikdash, sect. 34.
F21 Misn. Pesachim, c. 5. sect. 9.

Ezekiel 40:43 In-Context

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.)

45 And he said to me, This chamber, that beholdeth (to) the south way, is of the priests that watch in the keepings of the temple. (And he said to me, This room, that faceth south, is for the priests who serve in, or who be in charge of, the Temple.)