Eze 40:5 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Ezek 40:5-16: 40:5-16 The exact architectural details of the Temple are difficult to translate, but the overall impression of these gates was unmistakable. They were fortress-like constructions, designed to keep out unauthorized intruders. The eastern gateway is described first since it was the most important. It lay on the sacred east–west axis of the Temple along which the entire construction was oriented, and it was the gate through which the glory of the Lord would finally return (43:1-5 ). 40:5 a wall completely surrounding the Temple area: Walls regulate and define space, marking an “inside” and an “outside.” This wall was substantial; its function was to separate the “profane” area outside the Temple from the holy area inside so that this crucial distinction would never again be blurred (see 22:26 ).

a40:5-16►

b43:1-5►

‏ Ezekiel 40:5

Summary for Ezek 40:5-16: 40:5-16 ^a The exact architectural details of the Temple are difficult to translate, but the overall impression of these gates was unmistakable. They were fortress-like constructions, designed to keep out unauthorized intruders. The eastern gateway is described first since it was the most important. It lay on the sacred east–west axis of the Temple along which the entire construction was oriented, and it was the gate through which the glory of the Lord would finally return (43:1-5 ^b). 40:5 ^c a wall completely surrounding the Temple area: Walls regulate and define space, marking an “inside” and an “outside.” This wall was substantial; its function was to separate the “profane” area outside the Temple from the holy area inside so that this crucial distinction would never again be blurred (see 22:26 ^d).