Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle.

EZEKIEL 41:1KJV
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Ezekiel 41:1 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 41:1 mean?

Ezekiel 41:1 describes Ezekiel being brought to the temple in his vision, where a guide measures the posts at the entrance, each six cubits wide, which matches the width of the tabernacle. The verse highlights the careful measurement and structure of this visionary temple.

In this scene, Ezekiel, a prophet among the Jewish exiles in Babylon, is being led by a heavenly guide through a vision of a future temple. The guide measures the entrance posts, emphasizing their size and symmetry. This detailed description shows the importance of order and design in the temple, connecting it to the earlier tabernacle from Israel’s history.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 41:1

  • "temple" (הֵיכָל, heikhal): This word points to the main sanctuary building, not just any structure, underlining the significance of the place Ezekiel is seeing.
  • "posts" (אֵיל, 'ayil): This term refers to the large supporting pillars or posts at the entrance, suggesting strength and stability in the temple’s design.
  • "tabernacle" (אֹהֶל, ohel): The use of this word links the vision back to the portable sanctuary from Israel’s wilderness period, showing continuity between the old tabernacle and this new temple vision.

Why Ezekiel 41:1 matters

  • Ezekiel 41:1 connects the visionary temple to Israel’s earlier worship spaces by matching the measurements to the tabernacle, showing a sense of continuity and fulfillment.
  • The detailed measurements stress the orderliness and intentionality of God’s design, countering any idea that worship or sacred space is random or haphazard.
  • This verse sets the tone for the following chapters, where precise architectural details highlight the holiness and separateness of the temple in Ezekiel’s vision.

Where else these words appear

“side” Hebrew H6311 · used in 6 verses

  • Genesis 19:12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
  • 1 Samuel 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
  • Isaiah 22:16 What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?

“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;

“temple” Hebrew H1964 · used in 76 verses

  • 1 Samuel 1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
  • Nehemiah 6:10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
  • 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.

“broad” Hebrew H7341 · used in 89 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 6:20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
  • Ezekiel 41:3 Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits.