The Meaning of Ezekiel 43:17 Explained

Ezekiel 43:17

KJV: And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east.

YLT: And the border is fourteen long by fourteen broad, at its four squares, and the border round about it is half a cubit, and the centre to it is a cubit round about, and its steps are looking eastward.'

Darby: And the settle was fourteen cubits long by fourteen broad in the four sides thereof; and the border about it, half a cubit; and the bottom thereof a cubit round about: and its steps looked toward the east.

ASV: And 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the settle  [shall be] fourteen  [cubits] long  and fourteen  broad  in the four  squares  thereof; and the border  about  it [shall be] half  a cubit;  and the bottom  thereof [shall be] a cubit  about;  and his stairs  shall look  toward the east. 

What does Ezekiel 43:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The second tier was14cubits (23feet4inches) square. It too had a curb around its upper edge that formed a gutter, and that curb was half a cubit high (10 inches, cf. Ezekiel 43:13). There were to be steps up to the altar from the east. Formerly the Lord had forbidden the use of steps leading up to His altars ( Exodus 20:24; Exodus 20:26). The total size of this altar was about18 cubits (30 feet) square at the bottom, 20 feet square at the top, and16 feet8 inches high. Solomon"s brazen altar had been smaller (cf. 2 Chronicles 4:1). This design made this altar resemble a small ziggurat.

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 43

1  The returning of the glory of God into the temple
7  The sin of Israel hindered God's presence
10  The prophet exhorts them to repentance and observation of the law of the house
13  The measures
18  and ordinances of the altar

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 43:17 mean?

And the ledge four [and] ten [cubits] long four [and] ten and wide on four its sides and with a rim around it of half a cubit and its base to one cubit all around and its steps face toward the east
וְהָעֲזָרָ֞ה אַרְבַּ֧ע עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה אֹ֗רֶךְ בְּאַרְבַּ֤ע עֶשְׂרֵה֙ רֹ֔חַב אֶ֖ל אַרְבַּ֣עַת רְבָעֶ֑יהָ וְהַגְּבוּל סָבִ֨יב אוֹתָ֜הּ חֲצִ֣י הָאַמָּ֗ה וְהַֽחֵיק־ לָ֤הּ אַמָּה֙ סָבִ֔יב וּמַעֲלֹתֵ֖הוּ פְּנ֥וֹת קָדִֽים

וְהָעֲזָרָ֞ה  And  the  ledge 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲזָרָה  
Sense: enclosure.
אַרְבַּ֧ע  four 
Parse: Number, feminine singular construct
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה  [and]  ten  [cubits] 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
אֹ֗רֶךְ  long 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹרֶךְ  
Sense: length.
בְּאַרְבַּ֤ע  four 
Parse: Preposition-b, Number, feminine singular construct
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
עֶשְׂרֵה֙  [and]  ten 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
רֹ֔חַב  and  wide 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹחַב  
Sense: breadth, width, expanse.
אַרְבַּ֣עַת  four 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
רְבָעֶ֑יהָ  its  sides 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: רֶבַע  
Sense: fourth part, four sides.
וְהַגְּבוּל  and  with  a  rim 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.
סָבִ֨יב  around 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
חֲצִ֣י  of  half 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֲצִי 
Sense: half.
הָאַמָּ֗ה  a  cubit 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
וְהַֽחֵיק־  and  its  base 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹוק 
Sense: bosom, hollow, bottom, midst.
אַמָּה֙  one  cubit 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
סָבִ֔יב  all  around 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
וּמַעֲלֹתֵ֖הוּ  and  its  steps 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַעֲלָה 
Sense: what comes up, thoughts.
פְּנ֥וֹת  face  toward 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
קָדִֽים  the  east 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָדִים  
Sense: east, east wind.