Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 46:22
In the four corners of the court [there were] courts joined of forty [cubits] long and thirty broad: these four corners [were] of one measure.
22. courts joined ] The term “joined” is obscure, not occurring elsewhere. Possibly: enclosed courts. LXX. appears to have read: small (the words differ in one letter).
these four corners ] lit. the four of them had one measure, they being in the corners. The word in the corners, or, cornered, is deleted in the Heb. tradition by points over it, and not rendered in LXX. and Vulg.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They were then an oblong quadrangle, and all of equal capacity for length and breadth.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22. courts joinedFAIRBAIRNtranslates, “roofed” or “vaulted.” But thesecooking apartments seem to have been uncovered, to let the smoke andsmell of the meat the more easily pass away. They were “joined”or “attached” to the walls of the courts at the corners ofthe latter [MENOCHIUS].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
In the four corners of the court there were courts joined,…. To the side walls of the outward court, which met in right angles: or, “were made with chimneys” r, as some render it; that the smoke of the fire of the kitchens in them, and the steam of the boiled flesh, might ascend through them. So the Jewish writers, as Jarchi and Kimchi, from the Misnah s, generally interpret the word, that these courts were made so as to let out the smoke, and were not roofed or floored over t; and in which treatise and also by Maimonides u; the uses of them in the second temple are observed: for in answer to the question, what do they serve for? it is said, at the southeast was the chamber of the Nazarites, where they boiled their peace offerings, and shaved their hair, and put them under the pot; at the northeast was the wood chamber, where the priests that had blemishes wormed the wood; and any wood, in which a worm was found, was rejected from the altar: at the northwest was the chamber of the lepers: of that which was at the southwest, saith R. Eliezer Ben Jacob, I have forgot (some render it found) of what use it is; but Abba Saul says, there they put the wine and oil, wherefore it was called the oil chamber. These four chambers, according to the same treatise, were in the four corners of the court of the women, and consisted of forty cubits long, but were not roofed; and so, they say, they will be in future time, according to this passage of Scripture. These places, as Dr. Lightfoot w observes, are called by the prophet “courts”, and in everyone of them places to boil the sacrifices in; and yet they are allotted to other uses in the Misnah, and which seem to require that they should be roofed; all which may consist together, he says: for, grant everyone of these spaces to be built within, with chambers round about, there might be very fair chambers, and yet a good handsome open court in the middle; at either end chambers of ten cubits broad, and yet an open space of twenty cubits between; and on either side chambers of seven or eight cubits broad, and yet an open space of fourteen or sixteen cubits between: thus therefore, adds he, it seems to be, that there were fair chambers round about, which were roofed over as other buildings; and in the middle was an open court, round about which were boiling ranges, whose chimneys went up in the inner walls of the chambers, or the walls to the open place: thus the inner court served for boiling places, and the rooms round about for other uses; see the two following verses. The measure of the courts were,
of forty cubits long, and thirty broad; an oblong quadrangle:
these four corners were of one measure; the courts that were in these four corners were, of the same measure, as to length and breadth; denoting the equality of Gospel churches, being of the same faith, order and discipline, power and authority.
r “atria caminata”, Junius Tremellius, Polanus, Cocceius “fumosa”, Tigurine version, Castalio; “fumigata”, Starckius. s Middot, c. 2. sect. 5. t Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. u Hilchot Beth Habechira, c. 5. sect. 8. w Prospect of the Temple, c. 18. p. 1092, 1093.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Eze 46:22. In the four corners, &c. These little courts were in the shape of an oblong square, joined with inner walls to the outside walls of the court. The Hebrew word, keturoth, translated joined, may be rendered made with chimneys; which sense agrees with the uses for which these courts were designed. See Calmet.
REFLECTIONS.1st, The rules here prescribed for the place and manner of God’s worship, like the preceding solemnities, differ far from those prescribed by the law of Moses.
1. The east gate, which at other times was always shut, chap. Eze 44:2 was to be opened for the prince on the sabbaths, the new moons, and when the prince offered a voluntary sacrifice; though, it seems, he must not go through it into the inner court, but stand in the porch, by the post of the door, whence he might see the priests offering the sacrifice that he brought. By the north and south gates the people were to enter the courts of the house, observing always to return by the gate opposite that by which they came in: and on the sabbaths and new moons they were to attend the prince at the east gate, who should be in the midst of them, their leader and example in the holy service. Note; (1.) It is the greatest glory of a prince to be a pattern of true piety to his people. (2.) They who are the highest on earth, will, when they know themselves, think themselves honoured in the meanest place in the church of God. (3.) With Christ our king at our head, we may boldly draw near to the throne of God, and be assured of gracious acceptance in his sight. (4.) When we set our hearts toward the heavenly temple, we must not look back, but, still forgetting the things which are behind, must press forward to those that are before.
2. The sacrifices which the prince must provide are, a daily burnt-offering of a lamb; on the sabbath six lambs and a ram; on the new moons a young bullock was moreover added: all of them without blemish, with their several meat and drink offerings, some of which were much larger than was ordered by the law of Moses, while those for the lambs are left to his ability. Our offerings at God’s altar must be proportioned to the prosperity with which he has blessed us. Where he has given much, he expects the more.
2nd, If a prince wanted to leave an inheritance to any of his children, he is permitted to settle a part of his possessions upon him, and it would continue to his descendants for ever; but if he made a gift of land to any of his servants, it must revert to his family again at the year of Jubilee. These gifts must be out of his own patrimony, and not the fruits of oppression, or the plunder of his people. A king must by his mild and equitable rule gain the love of his subjects; this will prove his greatest riches; for then they will be devoted under God to his service.
3rdly, The altar being so liberally supplied as above with sacrifices, part of which belonged to the priests, and were to be eaten in the holy place, there were boilers and ovens near their chambers, where they prepared these holy things; none of which might be carried out into the utter court to sanctify the people, who might fancy, that partaking of these holy things would recommend them to God’s favour, or that but touching them communicated virtue. Such superstitious conceits the ministers of the sanctuary must never countenance.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 46:22 In the four corners of the court [there were] courts joined of forty [cubits] long and thirty broad: these four corners [were] of one measure.
Ver. 22. Courts joined. ] Or made with chimneys. Caminata, vaporaria. See on Eze 46:21 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
courts joined = courts covered over, or closed courts, cloisters.
corners. Hebrew. m hukzaoth, This hybrid word has the extraordinary points (App-31) or dots on the top, denoting that it does not properly belong to the primitive text. It is omitted in Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate. The clause should therefore read: “these four were of the some measure” (see Ginsburg’s Introduction, pp. 382-3).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
court: These court in the corners of the outer court, or court of the people, appear to have been a kind of uncovered apartments, surrounded with little chambers for the cooks, and used for dressing the peace offerings of the people. On these their families and friends feasted; and portions were sent to the poor, the widow, and the orphan; and thus the spirit of devotion preserved the spirit of mercy, charity, and benevolence, in the land.
joined: or, made with chimneys
corners: Heb. cornered, Eze 46:22
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 46:22. This verse refers to the same smaller courts referred to in the preceding verse and adds some information about their size and other arrangement. Each of the courts was 40 by 30 cubits in size. Joined la rendered bound to by Young which is a reasonable translation, as we know they were near the main wall of the larger court.