Ezekiel Chapter 41 — Dimensions of the Sanctuary
Ezekiel is guided through the inner sanctuary of the temple, where he observes the detailed measurements and architectural features of the Most Holy Place.
1He brought me to the nave and measured the posts, six cubits wide on the one side and six cubits wide on the other side, which was the width of the tent.
2The width of the entrance was ten cubits,*A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. and the sides of the entrance were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side. He measured its length, forty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits.
3Then he went inward and measured each post of the entrance, two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits; and the width of the entrance, seven cubits.
4He measured its length, twenty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits, before the nave. He said to me, “This is the most holy place.”
5Then he measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the width of every side room, four cubits, all around the house on every side.
6The side rooms were in three stories, one over another, and thirty in each story. They entered into the wall which belonged to the house for the side rooms all around, that they might be supported and not penetrate the wall of the house.
7The side rooms were wider on the higher levels, because the walls were narrower at the higher levels. Therefore the width of the house increased upward; and so one went up from the lowest level to the highest through the middle level.
8I saw also that the house had a raised base all around. The foundations of the side rooms were a full reed of six great cubits.
9The thickness of the outer wall of the side rooms was five cubits. That which was left was the place of the side rooms that belonged to the house.
10Between the rooms was a width of twenty cubits around the house on every side.
11The doors of the side rooms were toward an open area that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south. The width of the open area was five cubits all around.
12The building that was before the separate place at the side toward the west was seventy cubits wide; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length ninety cubits.
13So he measured the temple, one hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with its walls, one hundred cubits long;
14also the width of the face of the temple, and of the separate place toward the east, one hundred cubits.
15He measured the length of the building before the separate place which was at its back, and its galleries on the one side and on the other side, one hundred cubits from the inner temple, and the porches of the court,
16the thresholds, and the closed windows, and the galleries around on their three stories, opposite the threshold, with wood ceilings all around, and from the ground up to the windows, (now the windows were covered),
17to the space above the door, even to the inner house, and outside, and by all the wall all around inside and outside, by measure.
18It was made with cherubim and palm trees. A palm tree was between cherub and cherub, and every cherub had two faces,
19so that there was the face of a man toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side. It was made like this through all the house all around.
20Cherubim and palm trees were made from the ground to above the door. The wall of the temple was like this.
21The door posts of the nave were squared. As for the face of the nave, its appearance was as the appearance of the temple.
22The altar was of wood, three cubits high, and its length two cubits. Its corners, its base, and its walls were of wood. He said to me, “This is the table that is before the LORD.”
23The temple and the sanctuary had two doors.
24The doors had two leaves each, two turning leaves: two for the one door, and two leaves for the other.
25There were made on them, on the doors of the nave, cherubim and palm trees, like those made on the walls. There was a threshold of wood on the face of the porch outside.
26There were closed windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch. This is how the side rooms of the temple and the thresholds were arranged.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Ezekiel 41:4
“He measured its length, twenty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits, before the nave. He said to me, “This is the most holy place.””
This verse identifies the central and most sacred area of the temple vision.
Ezekiel 41:18
“It was made with cherubim and palm trees. A palm tree was between cherub and cherub, and every cherub had two faces,”
The description of the artistic details highlights the symbolic beauty and spiritual significance of the temple's interior.
Ezekiel 41:22
“The altar was of wood, three cubits high, and its length two cubits. Its corners, its base, and its walls were of wood. He said to me, “This is the table that is before the LORD.””
This verse describes the wooden altar and identifies it as a place of communion or presence before God.
Chapter Summary
Ezekiel 41 continues the detailed vision of the restored temple. The prophet is led into the nave and then to the inner sanctuary, identified as the Most Holy Place. The text provides specific dimensions for the walls, entrances, and the numerous side rooms that surround the main structure in three stories. These side rooms become wider at higher levels as the temple walls narrow. The interior of the temple is elaborately decorated with carvings of cherubim and palm trees, symbolizing divine presence and life. Each cherub is described as having two faces: one of a man and one of a lion. The chapter also describes a wooden altar, referred to as the table before the LORD, and details the construction of the doors and windows, emphasizing the precise and sacred nature of the building's design.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Most Holy Place, also known as the inner sanctuary, is the innermost room of the temple. In Ezekiel's vision, it measures twenty cubits by twenty cubits and represents the highest degree of sanctity within the complex.
While the text focuses on their placement, these carvings follow the tradition of Solomon's Temple, symbolizing the garden of God and the presence of heavenly beings. The cherubim are described with two faces: one of a man and one of a lion.
This refers to a wooden altar measuring three cubits high and two cubits long. Unlike the bronze altar for burnt offerings, this wooden structure is specifically identified as a table that stands in the presence of God.
Study Note
The widening of the side rooms on higher levels (verse 7) indicates a unique architectural design where the temple's outer walls recessed to provide support without penetrating the main sanctuary wall.
Related Chapters
Exodus 26
Compares the measurements and design of the tabernacle's Most Holy Place with Ezekiel's vision.
1 Kings 6
Provides a parallel description of the architectural details and carvings in Solomon's Temple.
Revelation 21
Links Ezekiel's vision of a measured, holy city and temple to the vision of the New Jerusalem.
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