Ezekiel 40:44 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Ezekiel 40:44
And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.
the shoulder (proper · noun, common feminine singular construct
east
הַקָּדִ֔יםha.ka.Dim
H6921
the fore or front part · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
gate
שַׁ֣עַרSha.'ar
H8179
an opening · noun, common masculine singular construct
prospect
פְּנֵ֖יpe.Nei
H6440
the face (as the part that turns) · noun, common masculine plural construct
toward
דֶּ֥רֶךְDe.rekh
H1870
a road (as trodden) · noun, common both genders singular construct
north
הַצָּפֹֽןha.tza.Fon
H6828
properly · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
1 Chronicles 6:31-32 And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had rest.
1 Chronicles 16:41-43 And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy e…
Ezekiel 40:23 And the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate an hundre…
Ezekiel 40:27 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.
1 Chronicles 25:1-31 Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophes…
Ezekiel 40:7 And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the g…
Ezekiel 40:10 And the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts…
Ezekiel 40:17 Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Ezekiel 40:39–end
In these verses we have an account,
I. Of the tables that were in the porch of the gates of the inner court. We find no description of the altars of burnt-offerings in the midst of that court till Eze 43:13. But, because the one altar under the law was to be exchanged for a multitude of tables under the gospel, here is early notice taken of the tables, at our entrance into the inner court; for till we come to partake of the table of the Lord we are but professors at large; our admission to that is our entrance into the inner court. But in this gospel-temple we meet with no altar till after the glory of the Lord has taken possession of it, for Christ is our altar, that sanctifies every gift.…
the chambers of the singers--two in number, as proved by what follows: "and their prospect (that is, the prospect of one) was toward the south, (and) one toward the north." So the Septuagint.
Adam Clarke on Ezekiel 40:41
Four tables - These were in the porch of the north gate, in the court of the priests: on them they slew, flayed, and cut up the victims. See dddd in the plan.
John Gill on Ezekiel 40:44
And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers,.... These singers are true believers in Christ, members of Gospel churches; whose duty and privilege it is to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; which is a part of internal, spiritual, and evangelical worship, Ephesians 5:19, these are the spiritual harpers, that have harps in their hands, and make melody in their hearts, and are able to sing the songs of electing, redeeming, calling, pardoning, justifying, and adopting grace; these deservedly have a place in the churches of Christ, in the inward court, being inward court worshippers, even all such who sing with the spirit and the understanding; for these chambers were in the…
Was he not burning as if with the heat of midday fervor, who was inflamed, saying: "As the deer longs for the springs of water, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul has thirsted for the living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God?" Who again said: "I will sing and understand in the immaculate way, when will you come to me?" He who said this was also kindled with this ardor: "Now you dismiss, Lord, your servant according to your word in peace, because my eyes have seen your salvation." Therefore, because we come from the Gentiles, but we set before ourselves the holy fathers of Judea for imitation in divine love, we are like certain treasury chambers of the singers on the side of the gate that looks toward the way of the North, but we keep our faces toward the way of the South.
But lest anyone think that I violently bend the words of the Holy Spirit to my understanding, and say that I should not have changed the signification of the holy Church which I once gave concerning the inner gate, by the shining grace of almighty God, let us hold to those things which we have begun, so that both the inner gate signifies the Church, which leads us to inner joys; and the treasuries, singers, priests, the temple, the altar, sacrifices are in the court which is outside the gate, and yet are not outside the Church. For if we search with subtle investigation, nothing prevents it being understood that we perceive the inner gate, as was said, to be the holy Church. Of which it is now said: And outside the inner gate, treasuries of singers in the inner court. For there are two things that are mentioned: the inner gate, and outside this the inner court, so that this same court is both outer and inner, outer from the gate, but inner, as we said before, from the gates which he added in narrating.
And it should be noted that these same treasuries are said to be between the gate of the North and the East, because evidently after the Lord's incarnation a multitude of nations came to the faith, and among those faithful peoples themselves and the sacraments of the Lord's incarnation which they love from the depths of their hearts, the hearts of those who love rise up. Therefore let the holy treasuries have the gate of the East on one side and of the North on the other, because among those very mysteries of their redemption which they follow, and certain carnal people whom they also tolerate within the holy Church, many advance in strong love toward God, grow in virtues, seek the coming of the eternal Judge, and between those things which they love and those which they tolerate, like certain treasuries, they preserve the riches of the spirit in their mind. Nor do they fail between the sacraments which they love and certain contrary things which they bear, because they direct their faces toward the Southern way. For what do we suffer that our fathers did not previously endure for love of the Lord?
Dictionary and topics
Music · Chambers for musicians in the temple, in Ezekiel’s vision — Chambers for musicians in the temple, in Ezekiel’s vision
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Keil & Delitzsch on Ezekiel 40:38-47
The Cells and Arrangements for the Sacrificial Worship by and in the Inner Court
Eze 40:38. And a cell with its door was by the pillars at the gates; there they had to wash the burnt-offering. Eze 40:39. And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that, to slay thereon the burnt-offering, the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering. Eze 40:40. And at the shoulder outside, to one going up to the opening of the gate toward the north, stood two tables; and at the other shoulder, by the porch of the gate, two tables. Eze 40:41. Four tables on this side and four tables on that side, at the shoulder of the gate; eight tables on which they were to slaughter. Eze 40:4…
The hooks might be used to store the knives and implements mentioned in 40:42.
Rashi on Ezekiel 40:44
And outside the Inner Gate outside the gate’s hall space, within the Inner Court’s space, as explained at the end of this verse.
the chambers of the choristers the chambers of the Levites who sing.
and they faced southward their entrance[s] were towards the south.
one to the side of the Eastern Gate One chamber was to the side of the Eastern Gate.
facing northward Its entrance was toward the north.
