The Man with a Measuring Rod

(Zechariah 2:1-5)

1In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was on me, and brought me thither. 2In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me on a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south. 3And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate. 4And the man said to me, Son of man, behold with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I shall show you; for to the intent that I might show them to you are you brought here: declare all that you see to the house of Israel.

The East Gate

5And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed. 6Then came he to the gate which looks toward the east, and went up the stairs thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad; and the other threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad. 7And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed. 8He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed. 9Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward. 10And the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side. 11And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits. 12The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side. 13He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another: the breadth was five and twenty cubits, door against door. 14He made also posts of three score cubits, even to the post of the court round about the gate. 15And from the face of the gate of the entrance to the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits. 16And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and windows were round about inward: and on each post were palm trees.

The Outer Court

17Then brought he me into the outward court, and, see, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were on the pavement. 18And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement. 19Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate to the forefront of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northward.

The North Gate

20And the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof, and the breadth thereof. 21And the little chambers thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits. 22And their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure of the gate that looks toward the east; and they went up to it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them. 23And the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate an hundred cubits.

The South Gate

24After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures. 25And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits. 26And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them: and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, on the posts thereof. 27And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits.

The Gates of the Inner Court

28And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures; 29And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad. 30And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad. 31And the arches thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were on the posts thereof: and the going up to it had eight steps.

32And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures. 33And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, were according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad. 34And the arches thereof were toward the outward court; and palm trees were on the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.

35And he brought me to the north gate, and measured it according to these measures; 36The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits. 37And the posts thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were on the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.

Eight Tables for Sacrifices

38And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering. 39And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering. 40And at the side without, as one goes up to the entry of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other side, which was at the porch of the gate, were two tables. 41Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew their sacrifices. 42And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and an half long, and a cubit and an half broad, and one cubit high: whereupon also they laid the instruments with which they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice. 43And within were hooks, an hand broad, fastened round about: and on the tables was the flesh of the offering.

Rooms for the Priests

44And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north. 45And he said to me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house. 46And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister to him.

The Inner Courtyard

47So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar that was before the house.

48And he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side. 49The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits, and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.