Ezekiel 41:22 - Exposition

The altar. This was the altar of incense ( Exodus 30:1 , etc.), which stood in the holy place in contradistinction to the altar of burnt offering, which was located in the outer court. The altar of burnt offering in Solomon's temple was of brass ( 2 Chronicles 4:1 ), and in the tabernacle of shittim wood ( Exodus 27:1 ); the altar of incense in the tabernacle ( Exodus 30:1 ) and in Solomon's temple ( 1 Kings 7:48 ) was constructed of wood overlaid with gold, but in this temple only of wood. Plumptre, commenting on this, writes, "Possibly Ezekiel shared the feelings of Daniel ( Daniel 9:25 ), that the rebuilding would be 'in troublous times,' and did not contemplate an abundance of gold as likely to be the outcome of the scant offerings of an impoverished people." The dimensions of this altar in the tabernacle were two cubits high and one cubit long and broad; in the Solomonic temple, though not stated, they were probably the same as in the tabernacle; in Ezekiel's temple they were three cubits high, two cubits long (and probably two cubits broad). The corners of the altar were most likely "the horns, or horn-shaped points projecting at the cornets." The length. Ewald, Keil, Smend, and others, after the LXX ; change into "base," "stand," or "pedestal," on the ground that the length has been already mentioned, and that one does not usually speak of a length being of wood; but it does not strike one as peculiarly objectionable to say that the altar had corner pieces, a length, and walls (or sides) of wood, meaning thereby to intimate that it was wholly constructed of timber. When the prophet's attention had been directed to it, the guide who accompanied him observed, This is the table that is before the Lord , not because, as Bottcher conjectured, the altar was regarded as including the table of showbread, but because in the Law the offerings laid upon the altar had been spoken of as the bread of God (see Le Ezekiel 26:6 , Ezekiel 26:8 , Ezekiel 26:17 , Ezekiel 26:21 , 22; and comp. Malachi 1:7 ); and because in this vision table and altar appear to be used inter-changeably (see Ezekiel 44:16 ).