וַיּוֹלִכֵנִי אֶל־הַשָּׁעַר שַׁעַר אֲשֶׁר פֹּנֶה דֶּרֶךְ הַקָּדִים

He, the man, led me to the gate, the gate that is facing eastward.

וְהִנֵּה כְּבוֹד אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּא מִדֶּרֶךְ הַקָּדִים וְקוֹלוֹ כְּקוֹל מַיִם רַבִּים וְהָאָרֶץ הֵאִירָה מִכְּבֹדוֹ

And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the direction of the east, and its sound, which accompanied its arrival, was like the sound of many waters, ocean waves or a great current of water, and the earth shone with His glory.

וּכְמַרְאֵה הַמַּרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי כַּמַּרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר־רָאִיתִי בְּבֹאִי לְשַׁחֵת אֶת־הָעִיר הנבואה על חורבן הבית וּמַרְאוֹת כַּמַּרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי אֶל־נְהַר כְּבָר וָאֶפֹּל אֶל פָּנָי

The appearance of the vision that I saw was like the vision that I saw previously, when I came to prophesy that God would destroy the city (chaps. 8-9), and the visions were like the vision that I saw in my first prophecy, near the Kevar River (chap. 1), and I fell upon my face. The repetition of the word “vision” serves to emphasize the uniqueness of Ezekiel’s prophetic experience.

וּכְבוֹד ה' בָּא אֶל־הַבָּיִת דֶּרֶךְ שַׁעַר אֲשֶׁר פָּנָיו דֶּרֶךְ הַקָּדִים

However, in contrast to the previous visions in which God’s glory departed the Temple, the glory of the Lord entered the House via the gate that faced eastward.

וַתִּשָּׂאֵנִי רוּחַ וַתְּבִאֵנִי אֶל־הֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִי וְהִנֵּה מָלֵא כְבוֹד־ה' הַבָּיִת

A wind lifted me and brought me into the inner courtyard, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the entire House.

וָאֶשְׁמַע מִדַּבֵּר אֵלַי מֵהַבָּיִת וְאִישׁ הָיָה עֹמֵד אֶצְלִי

I heard the sound of Him speaking to me from the House, not speaking directly to me; rather, it was in the manner of overhearing a person speaking to no one in particular, and a man, the angel accompanying me, was standing next to me.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי בֶּן־אָדָם אֶת־מְקוֹם כִּסְאִי וְאֶת־מְקוֹם כַּפּוֹת רַגְלַי אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁכָּן־שָׁם בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעוֹלָם וְלֹא יְטַמְּאוּ עוֹד בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי הֵמָּה וּמַלְכֵיהֶם בִּזְנוּתָם וּבְפִגְרֵי מַלְכֵיהֶם בָּמוֹתָם

He, the divine voice, said to me: Son of man, this is the place of My throne, a common appellation for the Temple and Jerusalem in the Bible, and the place of My feet, My footstool, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. This is the place where I will dwell for all time, and the house of Israel, they and their kings, will not defile My holy name any longer with their straying by idol worship and similar practices and with the carcasses of their kings that they place on their shrines,

בְּתִתָּם סִפָּם אֶת־סִפִּי וּמְזוּזָתָם אֵצֶל מְזוּזָתִי וְהַקִּיר בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיהֶם וְטִמְּאוּ אֶת־שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי בְּתוֹעֲבוֹתָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ וָאֲכַל אוֹתָם בְּאַפִּי

when they place their threshold near My threshold, when they brought their idols into the Temple, as described above (8:16–17), and their gatepost near My gatepost, with only the wall as a separation between Me and them; and they defiled My holy name with their abominations that they committed, and I annihilated them in My anger.

עַתָּה יְרַחֲקוּ אֶת־זְנוּתָם וּפִגְרֵי מַלְכֵיהֶם מִמֶּנִּי וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְתוֹכָם לְעוֹלָם

Now a new era will begin, as they will distance their straying and the carcasses of their kings from Me, a possible allusion to the fact that the cemetery of the kings of the Davidic dynasty was situated too close to the Temple, and I will dwell in their midst forever.

אַתָּה בֶן־אָדָם הַגֵּד אֶת־בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַבַּיִת וְיִכָּֽלְמוּ מֵֽעֲוֹנֽוֹתֵיהֶם וּמָֽדְדוּ אֶת תָּכְנִֽית

You, Son of man, tell the house of Israel your prophetic vision about the House, and they will be humiliated by their iniquities, on account of which there is no Temple this day, and they shall measure, estimate in their minds, the design, the dimensions, of the Temple.

וְאִֽם־נִכְלְמוּ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ צוּרַת הַבַּיִת וּתְכֽוּנָתוֹ וּמֽוֹצָאָיו וּמֽוֹבָאָיו וְֽכָל־צֽוּרֹתָו וְאֵת כָּל־חֻקֹּתָיו וְכָל־צוּרֹתָו וְכָל־תּֽוֹרֹתָו הוֹדַע אוֹתָם וּכְתֹב לְעֵֽינֵיהֶם וְיִשְׁמְרוּ אֶת־כָּל־צֽוּרָתוֹ וְאֶת־כָּל־חֻקֹּתָיו וְעָשׂוּ אוֹתָֽם

If they are humiliated by everything that they have done, inform them of the form of the House and its design, its exits, its entrances, and all its forms and all its statutes, its dimensions, structure, and governing rules, and all its forms and all its laws, and write it in a book so that these matters will be before their eyes, and they will therefore keep its entire form and all its statutes and perform them when the time comes. Present them with the detailed description of the Temple so that it will be possible to study it, become enthusiastic and excited over it, and imagine the future construction of the Temple.

זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַבָּיִת עַל־רֹאשׁ הָהָר כָּל־גְּבֻלוֹ סָבִיב סָבִיב קֹדֶשׁ קָֽדָשִׁים הִנֵּה־זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַבָּֽיִת

This is the law of the House: It should be built atop the mountain. Its entire border all around is a sacred Sanctum. It is more sacred than the rest of the holy city of Jerusalem. Behold, this is the law of the House.

וְאֵלֶּה מִדּוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ בָּֽאַמּוֹת אַמָּה אַמָּה וָטֹפַח וְחֵיק הָֽאַמָּה וְאַמָּה־רֹחַב וּגְבוּלָהּ אֶל־שְׂפָתָהּ סָבִיב זֶרֶת הָֽאֶחָד וְזֶה גַּב הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ

The verses that follow describe the large altar that would be situated in the courtyard, outside the Sanctuary. In the Torah, too, the command to erect an altar preceded the command to construct the Tabernacle. These are the measurements of the altar in cubits: Each cubit is one cubit and a handbreadth. Before stating the measurements of the altar, the verse notes that the cubits with which the altar is measured are six-handbreadth cubits, one handbreadth larger than regular cubits. Next, the verse depicts the structure of the altar in the manner of its construction, from the bottom upward: The base of the depression in which the altar was built is one cubit wide around the altar, and its border a strip of elevated earth surrounding the altar at its edge all around, one span, half a cubit. This is the foundation of the altar. The Sages explain that whereas the rest of the altar is measured with a cubit of six handbreadths, the base alone is measured with cubits of five handbreadths.

וּמֵחֵיק הָאָרֶץ עַד־הָֽעֲזָרָה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה שְׁתַּיִם אַמּוֹת וְרֹחַב אַמָּה אֶחָת וּמֵהָֽעֲזָרָה הַקְּטַנָּה עַד־הָֽעֲזָרָה הַגְּדוֹלָה אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת וְרֹחַב הָֽאַמָּֽה

From the base on the ground, the floor upon which the altar rests, until the surface of the lower stratum, the bottom square block of the altar, is two cubits in height. The base of the altar, which is mentioned in the Torah as well, is a flat, square block upon which the rest of the altar is constructed. It is two cubits high, and the width of the extension of the base beyond the width of the altar itself is one cubit in each direction; and from the surface of the low stratum, the base, to the high stratum, a square block placed on top of the base, is a height of four cubits, twice the height of the base, and the width of this block too, by which it extends beyond the width of the block upon which it is placed, is one cubit. The function of this extension, which the Sages call the sovev, meaning the surrounding ledge, is to enable the priests to encircle the altar.

וְהַֽהַרְאֵל אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת וּמֵהָֽאֲרִאֵיל וּלְמַעְלָה הַקְּרָנוֹת אַרְבַּֽע

The Harel, the upper square block of the altar upon which the offerings are burned, is four cubits. The Sages interpret the word harel as a form of the word ariel, which is derived from arye, the Hebrew word for lion. Some explain that it is a symbol for divine sanctity. Yet others maintain that harel is derived from the words har, mountain, and el, which can mean a stronghold or a fortress. And above the Ariel, the Harel, are the four horns, which protrude from the four corners of the altar, as stated in the Torah. This concludes the description of the vertical dimensions of the altar.

וְהָֽאֲרִאֵיל שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אֹרֶךְ בִּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה רֹחַב רָבוּעַ אֶל אַרְבַּעַת רְבָעָֽיו

Ezekiel now turns to the horizontal dimensions of the altar, starting from the top of the structure and going downward: The Ariel is square, twelve in length by twelve in width, to each of its four sides.

וְהָֽעֲזָרָה אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה אֹרֶךְ בְּאַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה רֹחַב אֶל אַרְבַּעַת רְבָעֶיהָ וְהַגְּבוּל סָבִיב אוֹתָהּ חֲצִי הָֽאַמָּה וְהַחֵֽיק־לָהּ אַמָּה סָבִיב וּמַֽעֲלֹתֵהוּ פְּנוֹת קָדִֽים

The high stratum, the middle block, is fourteen in length by fourteen in width to its four sides. The border all around it, a small fence or balcony, is one-half of a cubit, and its foundation, the extension of the base beyond the middle block, is a cubit all around, as stated above, and its ramp faces east.

וַיּאמֶר אֵלַי בֶּן־אָדָם כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי אֱלוֹהִים אֵלֶּה חֻקּוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ בְּיוֹם הֵעָֽשׂוֹתוֹ לְהַֽעֲלוֹת עָלָיו עוֹלָה וְלִזְרֹק עָלָיו דָּֽם

He said to me: Son of man, so said the Lord God: These instructions are the statutes of the altar on the day of its making, to offer up on it burnt offerings and to sprinkle the blood of the offerings on it. The burnt offering is the primary offering brought on a regular, daily basis. That is why this altar is known as “the altar of the burnt offering.” The other offerings are described as offered on, meaning subsequent to, the daily burnt offering.

וְנָֽתַתָּה אֶל־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים הַֽלְוִיִּם אֲשֶׁר הֵם מִזֶּרַע צָדוֹק הַקְּרֹבִים אֵלַי נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי אֱלוֹהִים לְשָֽׁרְתֵנִי פַּר בֶּן־בָּקָר לְחַטָּֽאת

You shall give to the priests, the Levites, who are from the tribe of Levi, who are from the descendants of Tzadok, the High Priest in Solomon’s Temple, who are near to Me, who are loyal and dedicated to God, to serve Me – the utterance of the Lord God – a young bull as a sin offering.

וְלָֽקַחְתָּ מִדָּמוֹ וְנָתַתָּה עַל־אַרְבַּע קַרְנֹתָיו וְאֶל־אַרְבַּע פִּנּוֹת הָֽעֲזָרָה וְאֶֽל־הַגְּבוּל סָבִיב וְחִטֵּאתָ אוֹתוֹ וְכִפַּרְתָּֽהוּ

You shall take from its, the bull’s, blood, and you shall place it on its, the altar’s, four horns, on the four corners of the high stratum, and on the border of the altar’s base, all around. As stated in the Torah, after blood from an offering has been sprinkled upon the altar, the rest of the blood is poured upon the base of the altar. And you shall cleanse it, the altar, and atone for it, thereby rendering it fit for divine service. Similar expressions appear with regard to the bull brought as a sin offering during the dedication of the Tabernacle in the days of Moses.

וְלָקַחְתָּ אֵת הַפָּר הַֽחַטָּאת וּשְׂרָפוֹ בְּמִפְקַד הַבַּיִת מִחוּץ לַמִּקְדָּֽשׁ

You shall take the bull of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the designated place of the House, or at the end of the House, which is outside the Sanctuary. Alternatively, mifkad is the name of a building or area.

וּבַיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי תַּקְרִיב שְׂעִֽיר־עִזִּים תָּמִים לְחַטָּאת וְחִטְּאוּ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כַּֽאֲשֶׁר חִטְּאוּ בַּפָּֽר

On the second day you shall present an unblemished goat as a sin offering, and they shall cleanse the altar as they cleansed it with the bull.

בְּכַלּֽוֹתְךָ מֵֽחַטֵּא תַּקְרִיב פַּר בֶּן־בָּקָר תָּמִים וְאַיִל מִן־הַצֹּאן תָּמִֽים

When you finish cleansing by means of the sin offering of a male goat, you shall present an unblemished young bull and an unblemished ram from the flock.

וְהִקְרַבְתָּם לִפְנֵי ה' וְהִשְׁלִיכוּ הַכֹּֽהֲנִים עֲלֵיהֶם מֶלַח וְהֶֽעֱלוּ אוֹתָם עֹלָה לַֽה'

You shall present them before the Lord, and the priests shall cast salt upon them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.

שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תַּֽעֲשֶׂה שְׂעִֽיר־חַטָּאת ליּוֹם וּפַר בֶּן־בָּקָר וְאַיִל מִן־הַצֹּאן תְּמִימִים יַֽעֲשֽׂוּ

Seven days you shall offer a goat as a sin offering for each day, and they shall offer a burnt offering of an unblemished young bull and ram from the flock. It is unclear whether the aforementioned sin offering of a young bull must also be prepared each day, just like on the first day.

שִׁבְעַת יָמִים יְכַפְּרוּ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְטִֽהֲרוּ אֹתוֹ וּמִלְאוּ יָדָֽו

Seven days they shall atone for the altar and cleanse it, and they shall inaugurate it for its function, to bring offerings upon it. This concludes the description of the dedication of the altar in the future Temple. These sacrificial rites do not appear in the Torah but were instructed to Ezekiel as a provisional edict.

וִֽיכַלּוּ אֶת־הַיָּמִים וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי וָהָלְאָה יַֽעֲשׂוּ הַכֹּֽהֲנִים עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶת־עוֹלֽוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת־שַׁלְמֵיכֶם וְרָצִאתִי אֶתְכֶם נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי אֱלוֹהִים

They, the priests, shall conclude the days of dedication; when they conclude, it will be from the eighth day onward that the priests shall offer upon the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, and I will grant you propitiation – the utterance of the Lord God.