Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 41:7
And [there was] an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house [was still] upward, and so increased [from] the lowest [chamber] to the highest by the midst.
7. What the verse means to say is that the side-chambers widened in the second and third stories through the retreating of the wall of the house. The present text being assumed it might read: “and there was a widening of the side-chambers and an encompassing (by them) ever upwards; for the encompassing of the house was (the more) ever upwards, round about the house” the meaning being that the higher the three story building rose the broader it grew and the closer it encompassed the house, i.e. appeared to encroach upon the house owing to the retreat of the wall. Another sense of the present reading would be got if the word rendered “encompass” could be supposed to be something which the house did, viz. “turn,” turn in, retreat. The sense would remain the same. LXX. omits “encompassing” after “widening” and instead of “for the encompassing” &c. it reads: according to the appendage (projection, i.e. the ledge) out of the wall giving the same general meaning.
the breadth of the house ] The words mean: the house became broader upwards an impossible sense. Either “house” must be omitted with LXX., or the clause read: and it broadened toward the house (or, inwards) ever upward. Subject is the side building.
and so increased ] The words state how the various stories communicated with one another, according to the clear statement, 1Ki 6:8. Read: and from the lowest one went up to the highest and to the middle story, or possibly with R.V., by the middle story. LXX. perspicuously: that they might go up from the chambers below to the upper chambers, and from the middle chambers to the third story. Syr. is equally distinct.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
An enlarging – The wall for the side-chambers had for the ground story its full thickness of five cubits Eze 41:9 – then it was diminished one cubit, so as to form a ledge whereon to rest the beams of the floor of the second story, and again was further diminished one cubit for the floor of the third story. Thus there was an enlarging of the second story of the chambers by one cubit, and of the third story by two cubits beyond the breadth of the chambers on the ground-floor.
A winding about still upward – Winding stairs led upward from one story to another.
The winding about of the house – A collective expression for the various winding staircases to the side-chambers which extended on the north, west, and south sides.
And so increased … – Rather, and the lowest story was such that one went by the middle story up to the highest. The winding stairs were not visible outside, so that one could not go to the upper story without passing through the middle story.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Eze 41:7
And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward.
Enlargement upwards
As the temple ascended in height, so it still was wider and wider; even from the lowest chambers to the top. And this was to show us that Gods true Gospel temple, which is His Church, should have its enlargedness of heart still upward, or most for spiritual and eternal things (Isa 55:5; Col 3:1). Indeed it is the nature of grace to enlarge itself still upward, and to make the heart widest for the things that are above. The temple, therefore, was narrowest downwards, to show that a little of earth or this world should serve the Church of God. One may say of the fashion of the temple, as some say of a lively picture, it speaks. I say, its form and fashion speaks; it says to all saints, to all the Churches of Christ, Open your hearts for heaven, be ye enlarged upward. I read not in Scripture of any house, but this that was enlarged upwards, nor is there anywhere, save only in the Church of God, that which doth answer this similitude. All others are widest downward, and have the largest heart for earthly things. The Church only has its greatest enlargements towards heaven. (John Bunyan.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 7. An enlarging, and a winding about] Perhaps a winding staircase that-widened upward as the inner wall decreased in thickness; this wall being six cubits thick; as high as the first story, five from the floor of the second story to that of the third, and four from the floor to the ceiling of the third story: and thus there was a rest of one cubit in breadth to support the stories.-Newcome.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
An enlarging, viz. of the side chambers, so much of breadth added to the chamber as was taken from the thickness of the wall; that is, two cubits in the uppermost, and one cubit in the middlemost, more than in the lowest chambers.
A winding about; winding stairs which enlarged as the rooms did, and these run up between each two chambers, from the bottom to the top; so there were two doors at the head of each pair of stairs, one door opening into one chamber, and the other into the opposite chamber: or else you must make the chambers thoroughfares, and suppose passages through all. These stairs, as they rose in height, enlarged themselves too.
Round about, i.e. on all sides of the house where these chambers were, which, as observed, was on three sides of the house.
The breadth of the house; of each chamber.
Increased; grew broader by one cubit in every upper room or chamber; from five in the lowest to six in the middle, and to seven in the highest chamber.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. the breadth . . . so increasedfrom the lowest . . . to the highestthat is, the breadth ofthe interior space above was greater than that below.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers,…. These chambers, as they rose up in stories one above another, were larger and larger; those in the middlemost storey were larger than those in the lower storey by a cubit; so much being taken out of the thickness of the wall, to make the rests or rebatements for the beams of the floor to rest upon, by which so much was gained in breadth for the chambers; and those in the upper storey, for the same reason, were a cubit broader than those in the middle, and two cubits broader than the lowermost; the floor of the first and lower storey was four cubits broad, Eze 41:5 the floor of the second five cubits; and the floor of the third or uppermost six cubits. The wall of the temple at the bottom was six cubits thick, Eze 41:5, at the middlemost storey five cubits; and at the uppermost four: and all this may denote the enlargement of the church of Christ, as it comes nearer the heavenly state; the present state of the church may be signified by the lower storey, where the chambers are narrowest; the state of the church in the latter day glory, or spiritual reign of Christ, by the middlemost, when it will be enlarged; its converts being very numerous, Isa 49:19 and the New Jerusalem church state by the uppermost storey; which city or state will be very large, and next to heaven, or the ultimate glory; see Re 21:16. The “winding” that went upwards to the side chambers were winding stairs, which went up from one storey to another, higher and higher; see 1Ki 6:8. The Misnic doctors say c, that in the second temple these winding stairs went from one side of the temple to the other, from the north east to the northwest; by which they went up to the roofs of these chambers and to the upper room over the sanctuary. These may signify the various afflictions and tribulations, trials and exercises, in which the Lord leads his people, and by which the churches of Christ pass from one state to another:
for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: not on the outside, but within; properly round about the chambers, which are here called the house:
therefore the breadth of the house was still upward; became broader and broader, as it rose up higher and higher:
and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst; from being only four cubits broad in the lowest storey, it became five cubits in the middlemost, and from thence six cubits in the highest.
c Misn. Middot, c. 4. sect. 5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(7) And there was an enlarging.The description in this verse is difficult to understand, and has called out much variety of opinion. The main facts are clear: that there was an increase in the width of each storey of the side chambers by the distance which the wall receded, as is expressly said in 1Ki. 6:6; but whether there was a corresponding recession in the thickness of the outer wall of the chambers is not stated. It is also plain that the side chambers surrounded the house; and that the two upper storeys were reached by a winding staircase (w [Eze. 40:44-49]). It is impossible to enter into more detail without a careful discussion of the words in the original, the meaning of some of which is disputed.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘And the side-chambers were broader as they went round the house level by level. For the surrounds of the house went up level by level around the house. So the breadth of the house continued upwards, and one went from the lowest level to the highest level via the middle level.
The rooms on the upper floor were the largest, , the rooms on the second floor were not as large, and the rooms on the first floor were the smallest. We are given no detail or explanation. What we do know is that it indicated that in God’s heavenly temple there was a place for man. He could enter and serve there.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 41:7 And [there was] an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house [was still] upward, and so increased [from] the lowest [chamber] to the highest by the midst.
Ver. 7. And there was an enlarging and a winding about still upward. ] This might inmind God’s people of heavenly mindedness, whereby their hearts will be enlarged when got once above the world, as birds sing sweetly when got aloft into the air.
Went still upward. an enlarging = a broadenieg.
there was: Heb. it was, made broader, and went round, 1Ki 6:8, Mat 13:32, Heb 6:1
an enlarging: In the same proportion in which the thickness of the wall decreased, the chambers increased, so that the middle story was one cubit larger, and the upper story two cubits larger, than the lower rooms; and a winding staircase, which widened in the same manner as the rooms, ascended from the bottom to the top.
Reciprocal: Eze 41:5 – side chamber Eze 42:5 – were higher than these
Eze 41:7. The three-storied groups of chambers were unique in their plan, for each one was wider than the one under it. In going from the ground floor or pavement to the top Btory, the stairway was on the inside so that it was necessary to ascend by way of the middle story. Such a plan might give the unit a top-heavy appearance, and that would explain why it was braced by being fastened to the side wall.
Eze 41:7-8. And there was an enlarging Namely, of the side-chambers; so much of breadth added to the chambers as was taken from the thickness of the wall: see the preceding note; and a winding about still upward Winding stairs, which enlarged as the rooms did, went up between each two chambers from the bottom to the top; and there were two doors at the top of each pair of stairs, one door opening into one chamber, and the other into the opposite one. For the winding about, &c. The stairs, as they rose in height, enlarged themselves too; round about the house On all sides of the house, where these chambers were. Therefore the breadth was still upward It became broader by one cubit in every upper chamber. I saw also the height of the house Of the chambers which rose to three stories high. The foundations, &c., were a full reed of six great cubits The lowest chamber had properly a foundation laid on the earth, but the floor of the middle and the highest story must be accounted here a foundation; so from the ground to the ceiling of the first room were six great cubits; from the first to the second, six great cubits; and from the third floor to the roof of the chamber, a like number; to which if we add one cubit for the thickness of each of the three floors, you have twenty-one cubits, or ten yards and a half for height.
The rooms on the upper floor were the largest, presumably because not as much space was required for a hallway and stairs. The rooms on the second floor were not as large because more space was needed for the hallway and stairs, and the rooms on the first floor were the smallest for the same reason.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)