Ezekiel 40 1

Ezekiel 40:1 kjv

In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither.

Ezekiel 40:1 nkjv

In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was captured, on the very same day the hand of the LORD was upon me; and He took me there.

Ezekiel 40:1 niv

In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city?on that very day the hand of the LORD was on me and he took me there.

Ezekiel 40:1 esv

In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me to the city.

Ezekiel 40:1 nlt

On April 28, during the twenty-fifth year of our captivity ? fourteen years after the fall of Jerusalem ? the LORD took hold of me.

Ezekiel 40 verses

Ezekiel 40 1 Meaning

Ezekiel 40:1 describes the precise chronological setting for the grand vision of the new temple, often referred to as the "Third Temple" vision. It marks the commencement of a new prophetic cycle for Ezekiel, transitioning from prophecies of judgment and future hope to detailed architectural plans and the establishment of a restored sanctuary. This verse underscores God's meticulous control over time and history, emphasizing the exact date of this profound divine encounter. The phrase "the hand of the LORD was upon me" signifies a powerful divine empowerment and inspiration, enabling Ezekiel to experience a spiritual transportation to the visionary realm where the blueprint of the future temple would be revealed.

Ezekiel 40 1 Context

Ezekiel 40:1 opens a profound section of the book (chapters 40-48), widely known as the "Temple Vision" or "New Temple" vision. This verse's immediate context marks a distinct shift in Ezekiel's prophetic message. Following lengthy prophecies of Israel's and Judah's judgment and destruction (Ezekiel 1-24), as well as pronouncements against surrounding nations (Ezekiel 25-32), and subsequent promises of spiritual restoration and a new covenant (Ezekiel 33-39), Chapter 40 inaugurates a highly detailed, visionary account of a future temple.

Historically, this vision occurred during the Babylonian exile. The people of Judah were captives, far from their homeland, and Jerusalem and its revered Temple lay in ruins. For them, the destruction of the Temple, the symbolic dwelling place of God among His people, was a profound theological and existential crisis. In this bleak historical setting, this precise and detailed vision of a magnificent new temple offered a powerful message of hope, assurance, and future restoration of God's presence among His people. It implicitly counters any despair or notion that God had abandoned His covenant or His people, or that the pagan gods of Babylon had triumphed.

Ezekiel 40 1 Word analysis

• In the twenty-fifth year: `Beśhanat` (בְּשָׁנָה - "In the year") combined with `'esrim weḥamesh` (עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ - "twenty-five"). This precise chronological marker indicates God's purposeful action in time. The "twenty-fifth year of our exile" refers to the deportation of King Jehoiachin in 598/597 BC (2 Kgs 24:15), placing this vision around 573/572 BC. This anchoring in specific time validates the prophetic message.
• of our exile: `galutenu` (גָּלוּתֵנוּ). "Our exile" underscores that Ezekiel shared the fate and experience of his people, linking the prophet intimately with the collective suffering and hope of Israel in Babylonian captivity. It is a shared identity and destiny.
• at the beginning of the year: `ro'sh hashanah` (רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה). This phrase usually refers to the start of a new calendar year. While it could refer to Nisan (spring new year) or Tishrei (fall new year), the subsequent phrase strongly points to the latter.
• on the tenth day of the month: `ba'asor laḥodesh` (בַּעֲשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ). This detail is highly significant. In the Tishrei calendar (the civil/agricultural new year), the tenth day of the seventh month (Tishrei) is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Lev 23:27-32). This sacred day, focused on national purification and reconciliation with God, provides a profound spiritual context for a vision of a restored, holy temple and renewed relationship.
• in the fourteenth year: `arba' 'esreḥ shanah` (אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה). This provides a second, independent chronological marker. Counting 14 years from Jerusalem's destruction in 586 BC also places the vision around 572 BC, closely aligning with the first marker. This double dating emphasizes the absolute accuracy and certainty of the date.
• after the city was struck down: `aḥar hekhkut ha'ir` (אַחַר הֻכְּתָה הָעִיר). "Struck down" (`hukkəṯāh`) is a strong, definitive verb, clearly referring to the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem and its first Temple in 586 BC by Nebuchadnezzar's forces (2 Kgs 25:8-10). It highlights the desolation that preceded this vision of restoration.
• on that very day: `be'etzem hayom hazeh` (בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה). "On that very day" or "on the self-same day" adds intense emphasis and confirmation to the exactness of the time, leaving no doubt about the precise moment the vision began. It underscores divine punctuality.
• the hand of the LORD: `yad YHWH` (יַד יְהוָה). This idiomatic expression consistently indicates divine power, inspiration, or compulsive enablement. It shows that the vision was not of human devising or an ecstatic trance, but a direct, powerful act of God initiating the revelation and guiding Ezekiel. It often precedes miraculous acts or significant prophetic encounters.
• was upon me: `'alayi` (עָלַי). This phrase signifies the overwhelming and authoritative presence of God's power specifically on the prophet, indicating God's direct interaction and control over Ezekiel's prophetic faculty.
• and he brought me there: `wayabi'eni shamah` (וַיָּבִיאֵנִי שָׁמָּה). This refers to a spiritual or visionary transport. Ezekiel was physically in Babylon, but divinely conveyed to a high mountain in the land of Israel for this visionary experience, much like previous visions (Ezek 8:3). "There" (`shamah`) indicates the specific visionary location from which the temple details would unfold. It is God who performs this action.

Ezekiel 40 1 Bonus section

• Theology of Time: The meticulously provided double date (25 years of exile, 14 years after the city fell) highlights a key theological point: God's work unfolds according to His precise timetable. This demonstrates divine providence and meticulous planning even in the midst of national catastrophe, reassuring the exiles that God's plan for them was firmly in motion. It refutes any notion of divine randomness or abandonment.
• The Significance of Yom Kippur: Receiving a vision of the new Temple on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) imbues the entire vision with deep theological meaning. It connects the future hope of divine presence and perfected worship with atonement for sin and spiritual cleansing. This implies a future spiritual reality where sin will be definitively dealt with, and God's dwelling among humanity can be restored in perfect holiness.
• "Our Exile": The use of the first-person plural "our exile" shows Ezekiel's solidarity with his people. He identifies with their suffering and humiliation, making the vision not just a prophecy for a distant future, but a profound message of hope shared with a suffering community in their immediate context of Babylonian captivity.

Ezekiel 40 1 Commentary

Ezekiel 40:1 is the anchoring verse for one of the most significant and detailed prophetic visions in the Old Testament. Its opening with such precise chronological markers—"the twenty-fifth year of our exile," "the fourteenth year after the city was struck down," "at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month"—is highly unusual and points to the extraordinary importance and divine validation of the ensuing revelation. The calculation places this vision on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), Tishrei 10, in 573 BC. This convergence of time—a solemn day of national repentance and cleansing—with a vision of a magnificent new temple, highlights God's plan for future reconciliation and renewed covenant fellowship, emphasizing cleansing and re-establishment of His dwelling place. The phrase "the hand of the LORD was upon me" is key; it asserts the divine origin and power behind Ezekiel's transportation into this visionary state. This was not a physical journey, but a spiritual one, where Ezekiel was divinely enabled to witness the blueprints for a temple that would symbolize God's abiding presence among His people in the messianic era.