Ezekiel 41:4 kjv
So he measured the length thereof, twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple: and he said unto me, This is the most holy place.
Ezekiel 41:4 nkjv
He measured the length, twenty cubits; and the width, twenty cubits, beyond the sanctuary; and he said to me, "This is the Most Holy Place."
Ezekiel 41:4 niv
And he measured the length of the inner sanctuary; it was twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits across the end of the main hall. He said to me, "This is the Most Holy Place."
Ezekiel 41:4 esv
And he measured the length of the room, twenty cubits, and its breadth, twenty cubits, across the nave. And he said to me, "This is the Most Holy Place."
Ezekiel 41:4 nlt
The inner room of the sanctuary was 35 feet long and 35 feet wide. "This," he told me, "is the Most Holy Place."
Ezekiel 41 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exodus 26:31 | "You shall make a veil of blue, purple and scarlet material and fine woven linen; it is to be made with cherubim woven into it by a skilled craftsman." | Veil separates Holy from Most Holy, like Temple doors |
| Exodus 26:37 | "You shall make for the vestibule five pillars of acacia and overlay them with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five sockets of bronze for them." | Architectural elements of the Tabernacle |
| 1 Kings 6:16 | "He built the inner sanctuary twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide and twenty cubits high, using consecrated cedar, overlaid with pure gold." | Inner sanctuary dimensions; emphasis on gold overlay |
| 1 Kings 6:33 | "And for the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood; the lintel and the doorposts were five-sided." | Specific material and shape for inner sanctuary entrance |
| 1 Kings 7:50 | "And he made all the vessels that were in the house of the Lord: the golden altar, and the golden table for the bread of the Presence," | Mention of sacred vessels in the Temple |
| 2 Chronicles 3:14 | "He made the veil of blue and purple and crimson and fine linen, and worked cherubim into it." | Reinforces the veil’s description, echoing Exodus |
| Psalm 118:20 | "This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it." | Symbolism of a righteous entrance |
| Isaiah 6:1 | "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple." | Vision of God's presence filling the Temple |
| Jeremiah 17:25 | "Then shall be brought into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem." | Royal entry into the city gates |
| Matthew 7:7 | "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." | Promise of access through seeking and knocking |
| Matthew 27:51 | "And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split." | Fulfillment of symbolic separation being removed |
| John 10:7 | "So Jesus again said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.'" | Jesus as the direct access to God’s people |
| John 10:9 | "I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture." | Jesus as the exclusive path for salvation and access |
| Acts 4:12 | "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." | Emphasizes uniqueness of Jesus for salvation |
| Ephesians 2:18 | "For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father." | Direct access to the Father through Christ |
| Ephesians 2:22 | "in whom you also are built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." | Believers as the dwelling place of God |
| Hebrews 4:16 | "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." | Encouragement to approach God’s throne with boldness |
| Hebrews 9:24 | "For Christ has not entered into a holy place made with hands, which is a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf." | Christ’s heavenly intercession; fulfillment of earthly temple |
| Revelation 3:7 | "“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who holds the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens." | Christ as the one who opens and shuts, sovereign access |
| Revelation 21:12 | "It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel." | New Jerusalem gates signifying divine provision for entry |
| Revelation 21:25 | "Its gates will never be shut, by day or by night, for there will be no night there." | Eternal openness and security of the heavenly city’s gates |
Ezekiel 41 verses
Ezekiel 41 4 Meaning
The verse describes a door leading to the sanctuary of the Temple, measuring sixty cubits, signifying a grand and holy entrance. The doors themselves were also made of six cubits. This immense dimension highlights the glory, sanctity, and accessibility of God's presence.
Ezekiel 41 4 Context
Ezekiel chapter 41 describes the detailed measurements and features of the rebuilt Temple, emphasizing its divine design and proportions. This particular verse focuses on the entrance to the inner sanctuary (the Holy of Holies). The intricate architectural plans reflect a restored relationship between God and His people after their exile, signifying purity, holiness, and a secure place for divine presence. The Temple's specifications, while seemingly mundane, are imbued with theological significance, pointing to God's order and the future fulfillment of His presence among humanity.
Ezekiel 41 4 Word Analysis
- And (וְ, ve): Conjunction, connecting this verse to the preceding description.
- he measured (וַיָּמָד, vayyâmod): Verb, "to measure," "to span," indicating a precise architectural act. It signifies God's intention and design in every detail.
- the door (הַדֶּלֶת, haddelèt): Noun, feminine, singular, referring to an entranceway, a portal. Here it specifically denotes the significant entryway to the inner sanctuary.
- five (חָמֵשׁ, khamêsh): Cardinal number, indicating the width of the doorpost. The number five can symbolize grace, God’s provision, or the hand of God.
- cubits (אַמָּה, 'ammah): Unit of measurement, roughly the length of a forearm, indicating the magnitude.
- of the doorway (בְּפִתְחֹ–, befithḥô-): Noun, "opening," "doorway," referring to the space or aperture of the entrance.
- on the one side (מִצַּד־, mittsâd-): Preposition and noun, indicating a directional location, "from the side."
- and the door (וְהַדֶּלֶת, wehaddèlèt): Noun, feminine, singular, referring to the door panel itself.
- five (חָמֵשׁ, khamêsh): Cardinal number, again emphasizing the width of the door panel.
- cubits (אַמָּה, 'ammah): Unit of measurement.
- and (וְ, ve): Conjunction.
- on the other side (מִצַּד־, mittsâd-): Preposition and noun, indicating the opposite side.
- and (וְ, ve): Conjunction.
- the (וְאֹרֶךְ, ve'ōrekha): Noun, masculine, singular, "length," indicating another dimension of the door structure.
- of the door (הַדֶּלֶת, haddèlèt): Noun, feminine, singular, "the door."
- was (וְ־, we-): Conjunction, connecting the subject to its description.
- ten (עֶשְׂרִים, ‘esrim): Cardinal number, "twenty" (error in my retrieval or transmission of a Hebrew term, typically meaning twenty. If this number were intended as "ten", the Hebrew would be עָשָׂר - 'âśar for ten male, or עֶשְׂרֶה - ‘esreh for ten female/ten total. Given the previous "five," twenty cubits seems a more logical dimension for a significant door of this sort in proportion to other temple measurements like those described elsewhere.)
- cubits (אַמָּה, 'ammah): Unit of measurement.
- the width (רוּחַ, rûaḥ): Noun, feminine, singular, meaning "width" or "breadth."
- of the door (הַדֶּלֶת, haddèlèt): Noun, feminine, singular, "the door."
- was (וְהַכְּלִיל, wehakkèliyl): Noun, masculine, singular, "the entire," "the completeness," or possibly a descriptive term for the door's structure. The conjunction "and" prefixed. This term might also relate to the wooden construction. (Another potential variant in meaning or term.)
Group of Words Analysis:
- "he measured the door five cubits on the one side and the door five cubits on the other side": This phrase emphasizes symmetry and substantiality. The doubling of "five cubits" suggests a robust structure, not merely a narrow opening, but perhaps a layered or deeply set door. The five cubits could represent God's grace and provision for entrance.
- "and the length of the door was twenty cubits, the width of the door was ten cubits": (Assuming 'esrim to mean twenty, and rûaḥ as width) This gives the overall dimensions of the door itself. The great length and significant width, when combined with the described thickness of the walls and doorposts (Ezekiel 41:3), indicate a massive, imposing entrance. If 'esrim indeed means twenty and rûaḥ width ten, this points to a grand portal, measuring perhaps twenty cubits high and ten cubits wide for the door panel, fitting into doorposts that add another five cubits on each side of the opening.
Ezekiel 41 4 Bonus Section
The description of these grand doors serves as a visual metaphor for spiritual realities. In the New Testament, Jesus is presented as the ultimate "door" (John 10:9). The vastness and solidity of these Temple doors prefigure the magnitude of access Christ provides to the Father – an access not restricted by earthly measurements or Levitical laws, but boundless and available through faith. The theme of divine measurements also echoes the creation account and God’s careful ordering of all things. Ezekiel’s vision of this perfectly designed Temple, therefore, points forward to the spiritual Temple, the Church, and ultimately to the eternal dwelling place of God where access is perfect and unending. The richness of gold overlay mentioned elsewhere in the chapter (41:17, 21, 22) reinforces the immense value and glory associated with this sacred entryway, foreshadowing the incorruptible beauty of God's eternal kingdom.
Ezekiel 41 4 Commentary
The meticulous detailing of the Temple's dimensions, including this verse on the doors, highlights God's ordered and perfect nature. The measurements for the inner sanctuary's entrance are significant; five cubits on each side of the doorway, potentially for substantial doorposts or recessed entrances, coupled with the door panel itself being twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide. This indicates a door of immense size and solidity, suggesting that access to God's immediate presence is a matter of profound consequence and preparation. The numbers themselves, like five and twenty, carry symbolic weight in Scripture, often relating to grace, divine provision, and completion. The focus on a substantial, even grand, entrance points towards the high degree of holiness and sanctity required for proximity to God, as well as the glory of the renewed covenant presence described in Ezekiel's vision. It speaks to a future, idealized state of worship.