And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits.

EZEKIEL 40:27KJV
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Ezekiel 40:27 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 40:27 mean?

Ezekiel 40:27 describes a gate in the inner court of the temple facing south, and states that the distance from this gate to another gate facing south was one hundred cubits. The verse is part of a detailed vision where Ezekiel is shown the measurements and layout of a future temple.

In this section, Ezekiel is being guided by a heavenly figure who is showing him around the temple complex. The focus here is on the precise measurement of the space between two southern gates within the inner court, emphasizing the order and symmetry of the temple’s design. This kind of detail highlights the importance of structure and careful planning in the vision Ezekiel receives.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 40:27

  • "gate" (שַׁעַר, shaʿar): This word refers to a physical gateway or entrance, which in the context of the temple, marks an important transition point between different areas.
  • "inner" (פְּנִימִי, penimi): This word means "inner" or "inside," specifying that the gate is not on the outer wall but within the temple complex, marking a more sacred or restricted area.
  • "measured" (מָדַד, madad): This verb means to measure or determine length, showing that Ezekiel’s vision is not just symbolic but includes exact physical dimensions, underlining the seriousness and reality of the vision.
  • "cubits" (אַמָּה, ammah): A cubit is an ancient unit of length, roughly the length of a forearm (about 18 inches or 45 centimeters), so one hundred cubits would be a significant distance, emphasizing the scale of the temple.

Why Ezekiel 40:27 matters

  • This verse helps readers see that Ezekiel’s vision is highly detailed and specific, not just a general idea of a temple but a carefully measured and structured place.
  • The focus on the inner court and its gates shows the importance of boundaries and access in the temple, which would have shaped how worship and rituals were carried out.
  • By connecting this measurement to other verses in the chapter, readers can better visualize the layout Ezekiel describes and understand the sense of order and holiness that the temple was meant to convey.

Where else these words appear

“south” Hebrew H1864 · used in 14 verses

  • Deuteronomy 33:23 And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess thou the west and the south.
  • Ezekiel 20:46 Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
  • Ezekiel 40:45 And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.

“inner” Hebrew H6442 · used in 29 verses

  • 1 Kings 6:27 And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.
  • Ezekiel 8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
  • Ezekiel 41:17 To that above the door, even unto the inner house, and without, and by all the wall round about within and without, by measure.

“measured” Hebrew H4058 · used in 49 verses

  • Exodus 16:18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
  • Ezekiel 40:11 And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.
  • Ezekiel 41:13 So he measured the house, an hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with the walls thereof, an hundred cubits long;

“cubits” Hebrew H520 · used in 132 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 6:16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.
  • Ezekiel 40:9 Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward.