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Ezekiel 43:16

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 43:16 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the altar hearth shall be twelve [cubits] long by twelve broad, square in the four sides thereof.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the altar hearth shall be twelve [cubits] long by twelve broad, square in the four sides thereof.
Ezekiel 43:16 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 43

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
13And these are the measures of the altar by cubits (the cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth): the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about a span; and this shall be the base of the altar.
14And from the bottom upon the ground to the lower ledge shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser ledge to the greater ledge shall be four cubits, and the breadth a cubit.
15And the upper altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth and upward there shall be four horns.
16And the altar hearth shall be twelve [cubits] long by twelve broad, square in the four sides thereof.
17And the ledge shall be fourteen [cubits] long by fourteen broad in the four sides thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit round about; and the steps thereof shall look toward the east.
18And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt-offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.
19Thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that are of the seed of Zadok, who are near unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord Jehovah, a young bullock for a sin-offering.
← Ezekiel 43:15Ezekiel 43:17 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, &c.] The length of it, from east to west, was twelve cubits; and the breadth, from north to south, was the same; so that it was a proper foursquare, as follows: Christ the altar, or the doctrine of his sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of men, is the doctrine of the twelve apostles of Christ, and embraced by the twelve times twelve, the 144,000 that belong unto him: square in the four squares thereof; as the altar in the tabernacle, and Solomon’s temple, were, (<022701>Exodus 27:1 <140401>2 Chronicles 4:1), denoting the largeness of Christ’s sacrifice, the perfection of it, and its stability and permanency, to take away the sin,…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“square in the four squares--square on the four sides of its squares [FAIRBAIRN].”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“altar - Ariel was to be an exact square on all sides. Compare Exodus 27:1; Revelation 21:16. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“twelve cubits: Exo 27:1; Ch2 4:1; Ezr 3:3 square: Exo 38:1, Exo 38:2 Ezekiel 43:17”
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Related study paths

Read Ezekiel 43 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification