Yehezkiel 40:1-4

Vision of the New Temple

40:1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city ¹  was struck down, on this very day, ²  the hand ³  of the Lord was on me, and he brought me there. ⁴  40:2 By means of divine visions ⁵  he brought me to the land of Israel and placed me on a very high mountain, ⁶  and on it was a structure like a city, to the south. 40:3 When he brought me there, I saw ⁷  a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring stick in his hand. He was standing in the gateway. 40:4 The man said to me, “Son of man, watch closely, listen carefully, and pay attention ⁸  to everything I show you, for you have been brought here so that I can show it to you. ⁹  Tell the house of Israel everything you see.”

[40:1]  ¹ sn That is, Jerusalem.

[40:1]  ² tn April 19, 573 b.c.

[40:1]  ³ tn Or “power.”

[40:1]  sn Hand in the OT can refer metaphorically to power, authority, or influence. In Ezekiel God’s hand being on the prophet is regularly associated with communication or a vision from God (3:14, 22; 8:1; 37:1; 40:1).

[40:1]  ⁴ sn That is, to the land of Israel (see v. 2).

[40:2]  ⁵ tn The expression introduces the three major visions of Ezekiel (1:1; 8:3; 40:2).

[40:2]  ⁶ tn The reference to a very high mountain is harmonious with Isa 2:2.

[40:3]  ⁷ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[40:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and set your mind on.”

[40:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “in order to show (it) to you.”