Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 46:21
Then he brought me forth into the utter court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court [there was] a court.
21 24. The kitchens for cooking the sacrificial meals of the people. These were situated in the four corners of the outer court. In each of the four corners was a small enclosure or court 40 cubits long and 30 broad ( Eze 46:21-22); and in these were situated the kitchens, where the “ministers of the house,” the subordinate officials (Eze 44:10-14), boiled the people’s offering for their sacrificial meal ( Eze 46:23-24), Fig. 3 M.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The utter court; either the court of the people, or more likely the court of the priests or Levites, called here utter court, because it was more outward than the court of the temple.
To pass by the four corners, to go about the whole square of the court.
In every corner, where the side walls did meet in right angles.
A court; a smaller court made up on the outer sides with the walls of the greater square, and on the inside made with two walls, the one forty cubits long, the other thirty cubits broad.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Then he brought me forth into the utter court,…. From the holy chambers of the priests, and from viewing the place where they boiled the sacrifices, and baked the meat offering:
and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; in each of the four corners of the outward court there was another court; signifying that there will be courts or churches in the several parts of the world in the latter day.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(21) The utter court.The prophet had just been in those chambers which, although they stood within the area of the outer court, were considered as belonging to the inner. He is now brought into the outer court, properly so called.
In every corner of the court there was a court.In each of the angles of the outer court a place was set apart for the boiling of the flesh of the peace offerings. These were of considerable size40 cubits by 30 (Eze. 46:22), and appear to have been enclosed by a wall but not covered above. The word translated joined is of very uncertain meaning, but its most probable sense is enclosed. These courts are marked E on Plan II.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘Then he brought me out into the outer court and made me pass by the four corners of the court, and behold in every corner of the court here was a (smaller) court. In the four corners of the court there were enclosed courts, forty cubits long and thirty broad. These four in the four corners were of one measurement. And in them was a row of masonry around them, round about the four, and it was made with hearths at the bottom of the rows which were round about. Then he said to me, “these are the kitchens where the ministers of the house will boil the people’s sacrifices.” ’
Finally Ezekiel was led to four kitchens, one in each corner of the outer court and was told that these were for the boiling of the part of the sacrifices of which the people could eat. Thus the temple was to be a place of sacral feasting as well as of worship. And this idea was sanctioned by these being in the heavenly temple.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 46:21 Then he brought me forth into the utter court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court [there was] a court.
Ver. 21. In every corner of the court there was a court. ] And buildings in every of them for the same purpose round about. Eze 46:22 These served, saith Jerome, to set forth the four parts of the world, out of all which the Church is gathered by ministers, &c. It served also, saith another, to show that in God’s house, which is his Church, there shall always be provision both for his ministers and people. Those that have but from hand to mouth have their bread hot, as it were, from God’s hand, which is best of all.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Eze 46:21-24
21Then he brought me out into the outer court and led me across to the four corners of the court; and behold, in every corner of the court there was a small court. 22In the four corners of the court there were enclosed courts, forty cubits long and thirty wide; these four in the corners were the same size. 23There was a row of masonry round about in them, around the four of them, and boiling places were made under the rows round about. 24Then he said to me, These are the boiling places where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifices of the people.
Eze 46:22 corners. . .enclosed Both of these words are uncertain.
1. corners – the verb (BDB 893) is found only here in the OT. Many OT scholars assume it is a Hophal participle. The noun is found in Ezek. 26:24; Eze 36:29; Eze 46:21(twice). It could refer to a corner post. Many of Ezekiel’s architectural terms are rare and uncertain.
2. enclosed – BDB 883 () could also mean vaulted or covered (NEB, REB). JPSOA has uncovered, following the Mishnah (Middoth 2.5). The Septuagint assumes a different stem (), smaller, and is followed by Peshitta, NRSV, TEV, and NJB or possibly the same size (NEB, JPSOA footnote. REB).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
utter = outer. The boiling places.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
in every corner of the court there was a court: Heb. a court in the corner of a court; and a court in a corner of a court, Eze 46:21
Reciprocal: Eze 10:5 – outer Eze 40:17 – the outward
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 46:21. Court is a rather indefinite word whose general meaning is any space enclosed by a fence or wall or otherwise marked off from the surrounding area, hence in this verse we read of courts within a court. Moffatt renders this, at the four comers of the court there were four small courts.”
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eze 46:21-24. Behold, in every corner of the court there was a court At every corner, where the side walls met in right angles, there was another little court. There were courts joined of forty cubits long, &c. These little courts were in the shape of an oblong square, joined with inner walls to the outside walls of the greater court. The marginal reading, made with chimneys, gives a sense which very well agrees with the uses for which the courts were designed. There was a row of buildings round about in them Namely, on the inside of these courts. Then said he, These are the places, &c. As there was a place in the inner court for boiling the trespass and sin-offering, Eze 46:19-20; so these boiling-places might be appointed for boiling the peace-offerings, which were esteemed inferior in holiness to those above mentioned, and therefore, perhaps, were dressed by the Levites, or inferior ministers; whereas the former were boiled by the priests in the court properly belonging to them.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The same person then took Ezekiel out to the outer court and showed him the four corners of that court. In each of the four corners there was a courtyard 40 cubits (66 feet 8 inches) by 30 cubits (50 feet). Within each of these enclosures there were ledges with fireplaces underneath that created cooking areas where the priests were to boil the sacrifices that the people brought to the temple. Since the people would eat some of the sacrifices they brought, the outer court would be a place of both spiritual worship and social interaction. There they would enjoy fellowship with other worshippers as well as fellowship with God.