Read & explore together
The East Gate
Ezekiel 40:5–16 carefully measures the east gate of the house area. The repeated numbers, matching rooms, and details such as windows and palm trees show a planned, ordered entrance rather than a casual description.
Understanding the passage
The setting of this message
In this passage, a man with a measuring reed measures the outside wall and then the gate facing east. The verses move step by step from the wall and stairs to thresholds, lodges, porch, opening, roof width, posts, total length, windows, and palm-tree decoration.
Ezekiel 40:5–16Main takeaway
This passage presents the east gate as a carefully measured and ordered part of the house area.
Explore the message
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01The wall and the first measurementsThe description begins outside, with a wall all around the house area. The measuring reed is explained as six cubits long, with each cubit including a hand width.
Explanation
The description begins outside, with a wall all around the house area. The measuring reed is explained as six cubits long, with each cubit including a hand width. The man first measures the wall’s thickness and height, and both are one reed. This gives a clear starting point for everything that follows.
02The east gate and its thresholdsNext he comes to the gate that faces east and goes up its steps. He measures the threshold of the gate, then another threshold, each one reed wide.
Explanation
Next he comes to the gate that faces east and goes up its steps. He measures the threshold of the gate, then another threshold, each one reed wide. The passage then notes lodges, with space between them, and again mentions the threshold near the porch toward the house. The measurements keep the reader focused on structure and arrangement.
03Porch, rooms, and matching designThe porch of the gate is measured, including its size and posts. Then the side rooms on both sides are counted: three on one side and three on the other.
Explanation
The porch of the gate is measured, including its size and posts. Then the side rooms on both sides are counted: three on one side and three on the other. Their measurements match, and the posts on each side also share one measure. The gate is presented as balanced and carefully planned.
04Widths, borders, and total spanThe opening of the gate is ten cubits wide, and the gate length is thirteen cubits. Borders stand before the lodges, and the side rooms are measured equally on both sides.
Explanation
The opening of the gate is ten cubits wide, and the gate length is thirteen cubits. Borders stand before the lodges, and the side rooms are measured equally on both sides. The gate is then measured from one roof to the other, twenty-five cubits, door against door. The total distance from the entrance to the inner porch is fifty cubits.
05Posts, windows, and palm treesThe passage closes with more gate details. Posts are mentioned, and the court reaches to the posts around the gate.
Explanation
The passage closes with more gate details. Posts are mentioned, and the court reaches to the posts around the gate. Closed windows belong to the side rooms and their posts within the gate all around, and windows also appear around inward by the arches. Palm trees stand on each post, adding repeated decoration to the measured design.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What is measured first before the east gate itself is described?
Look at the opening verse of the passage and notice the wall around the house area, including its thickness and height.
02How does the passage show that the gate rooms and posts were arranged evenly?
Notice the repeated matching numbers on both sides: three rooms on each side, one measure for the three, and one measure for the posts.
03Which final details show that the gate description includes more than bare measurements?
Read the last verse and list the features named there besides size, especially the windows and the palm trees on each post.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Ezekiel 40:5–16
5Behold, there was a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed six cubits long, of a cubit and a hand width each. So he measured the thickness of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.
6Then he came to the gate which looks toward the east, and went up its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate, one reed wide; and the other threshold, one reed wide.
7Every lodge was one reed long and one reed wide. Between the lodges was five cubits. The threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate toward the house was one reed.
8He measured also the porch of the gate toward the house, one reed.
9Then he measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its posts, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was toward the house.
10The side rooms of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side. The three of them were of one measure. The posts had one measure on this side and on that side.
11He measured the width of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits;
12and a border before the lodges, one cubit on this side, and a border, one cubit on that side; and the side rooms, six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.
13He measured the gate from the roof of the one side room to the roof of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits, door against door.
14He also made posts, sixty cubits; and the court reached to the posts, around the gate.
15From the forefront of the gate at the entrance to the forefront of the inner porch of the gate were fifty cubits.
16There were closed windows to the side rooms, and to their posts within the gate all around, and likewise to the arches. Windows were around inward. Palm trees were on each post.