And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;

EZEKIEL 40:28KJV
Know the Bible

Ezekiel 40:28 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 40:28 mean?

Ezekiel 40:28 describes how Ezekiel is led to the inner court of the temple through the south gate, where the gate is measured using the same measurements as before. This verse continues the detailed vision Ezekiel receives of a future temple, focusing on the precise layout and dimensions of its entrances.

In this scene, Ezekiel is being guided by a heavenly figure through a vision, and the measuring of the temple’s south gate shows the careful attention to detail in God’s design. The inner court is a more restricted area, and the repeated measurements highlight the order and consistency in the temple’s construction as Ezekiel records what he sees.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 40:28

  • "brought" (הֵבִיא, hevi): This word means to bring or lead, emphasizing that Ezekiel is not moving on his own but is being guided purposefully through the vision.
  • "inner" (פְּנִימִי, penimi): This word refers to something inside or more inward, clarifying that Ezekiel is now entering a deeper, more exclusive part of the temple complex.
  • "measured" (מָדַד, madad): This verb means to measure, stressing the act of carefully determining the size or dimensions, which is a repeated theme in Ezekiel’s temple vision.
  • "measures" (מִדָּה, middah): This noun means measurement or standard, and its use here underlines that the same standard is being applied to each gate, pointing to uniformity and order.

Why Ezekiel 40:28 matters

  • Ezekiel 40:28 helps clear up that the temple vision is not random or symbolic only, but includes very specific and repeated measurements, suggesting a real structure or at least a real standard of order.
  • The verse shows that the inner court is accessible only through measured gates, hinting at boundaries and levels of access in the temple, which would have been meaningful to Ezekiel’s audience.
  • This detail connects to the wider passage by showing that every part of the temple, even repeated elements like gates, is important and intentionally designed, reflecting the care and holiness associated with God’s dwelling place.

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;

“measures” Hebrew H4060 · used in 53 verses

  • Exodus 26:2 The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.
  • Nehemiah 3:20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
  • Ezekiel 40:24 After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures.