And the breadth of the door was ten cubits; and the sides of the door were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side: and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits: and the breadth, twenty cubits.

EZEKIEL 41:2KJV
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Ezekiel 41:2 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 41:2 mean?

Ezekiel 41:2 describes the measurements of the entrance and the main room of the temple Ezekiel sees in his vision: the doorway is ten cubits wide, with five-cubit sides on each side, and the inner sanctuary measures forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. This verse gives specific dimensions to convey the structure and layout of the temple’s holy place.

In this vision, the prophet Ezekiel is being shown a detailed plan of a future temple by a heavenly guide. The measurements are precise, emphasizing the order and design of the temple as something set apart and significant. These details help the reader picture the scale and symmetry of the sacred space Ezekiel is describing.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 41:2

  • "Breadth" (רֹחַב, rochav) and "length" (אֹרֶךְ, orekh) are used here to specify the exact size of the doorway and the room, highlighting the careful planning of the temple’s architecture.
  • "Cubits" (אַמָּה, ammah) is the unit of measurement, roughly the length of a forearm, showing that these are real, tangible dimensions and not just symbolic.
  • "Sides" (כָּתֵף, katef) refers to the doorposts or the structural sides of the doorway, indicating the solidity and framing of the entrance.

Why Ezekiel 41:2 matters

  • The detailed measurements clear up any ambiguity about the size and proportions of the temple’s main entrance and inner room, showing that this vision is about a real, physical structure.
  • The emphasis on symmetry and order in the design points to the importance of holiness and intentionality in the worship space.
  • By connecting these measurements to the rest of Ezekiel’s temple vision, the verse helps the reader understand the overall layout and significance of the temple in Ezekiel’s prophecy.

Where else these words appear

“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;

“sides” Hebrew H3802 · used in 58 verses

  • Exodus 27:14 The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
  • Joshua 18:13 And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Atarothadar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Bethhoron.
  • Isaiah 46:7 They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.

“breadth” 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.

“length” Hebrew H753 · used in 90 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 6:3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.
  • Ezekiel 40:33 And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, were according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.