Ezekiel 40:39
And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on either side, on which the burnt offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering were to be slaughtered.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
What's striking here isn't just the tables, but what was to happen on them: the slaughter of offerings for sin and guilt. This placement in the gate's vestibule—the threshold—underscores that entering into God's presence was intrinsically linked to dealing with sin and its consequences, even before approaching the altar. It paints a vivid picture of how central atonement was to any connection with the Holy One.
Ezekiel is being shown a detailed vision of a future temple, moving from its outer structures inwards. Following the description of chambers and pillars within the gate complex, this verse specifies functional tables placed within the gate's porch area, crucial for the preparation and slaughter of various sacrificial offerings. These tables are strategically located near where the sacrifices would be brought, highlighting the order and logistics of worship in this envisioned sanctuary.
Ever wondered about the precise layout of worship spaces? Ezekiel's vision includes specific locations for crucial actions.
Dedicated Workstations
Ezekiel's vision details tables set up within the gate's vestibule. The text specifies their purpose: for the slaughter of burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. This wasn't a haphazard arrangement; these tables were intentionally placed in a functional area leading into the inner court.
Strategic Location
Scholarly discussion suggests these tables were situated in the porch or near it, forming part of the gateway's structure. This placement indicates a deliberate design, allowing priests to carry out the initial, messy work of sacrifice in a designated zone, likely before moving the carcasses further into the temple complex. It highlights how God’s instructions for worship involved practical considerations for orderly execution.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Ezekiel 40:39 is available in the Sola app.
Ezekiel's vision describes sacrifices that seem so historical, yet point to something future. What's the connection?
A Return to Practice
This vision for Ezekiel comes during the exile, a time when the temple and its sacrificial system were absent. The detailed instructions for tables and slaughtering reflect a re-establishment of these practices. It's a blueprint for continuity, showing God's commitment to His people's covenant relationship, even after judgment.
Foreshadowing Future Fulfillment
While these instructions are about physical sacrifices, they also carry a profound prophetic weight. The burnt, sin, and guilt offerings were all part of the system designed to atone for sin and maintain fellowship with God. In a New Testament light, these historical sacrifices point forward to the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The detailed, physical actions described in Ezekiel find their perfect fulfillment in His atoning work, which covers all sin and guilt perfectly.
Understand the original words
chatta'ah · Hebrew Noun
A sacrificial rite instituted under the Mosaic Law to make atonement for specific sins committed unintentionally or against holy things, acknowledging the worshipper's need for cleansing and restoration.
asham · Hebrew Noun
A specific type of sacrifice offered as reparation or restitution for sins involving trespass against God’s holy things or against a neighbor, emphasizing the need for legal and moral satisfaction.
Ezekiel's vision of the new temple, complete with specific areas for the slaughter of sacrificial offerings, was given during the destruction and exile of his people. This detailed blueprint offered a vision of future restoration and the re-establishment of covenantal worship, providing hope amidst despair.
c. 732 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, leading to the displacement of many Israelites and a period of political and religious upheaval.
597 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Jerusalem, deports King Jehoiachin and many leading citizens, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the First Temple, ending the southern kingdom of Judah and intensifying the Babylonian exile.
c. 571 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Vision of the New Temple
The prophet Ezekiel receives a detailed vision of a new temple, city, and land, which he records in the latter part of his prophecy. This vision occurs during the Babylonian exile, offering hope for future restoration.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, and the following year issues a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples.
c. 516 BC
Completion of the Second Temple
The Second Temple is completed in Jerusalem by the returning exiles, marking a significant step in the restoration of Jewish worship and community.
This passage describes the Levitical process for the burnt offering, which would have been prepared and potentially partially handled on tables like those described in Ezekiel, highlighting the practical needs of worship.
Exodus 29:10-11This Levitical instruction for the consecration of priests involves bringing the offerings to the altar, a process that would have required designated preparation areas adjacent to the place of sacrifice.
Ezekiel 43:18-20This later passage in Ezekiel outlines the use of the altar itself for certain sin offerings, providing context for the various locations and purposes of sacrificial preparation and execution within the envisioned temple.
John 2:14-16This New Testament account shows Jesus overturning tables in the temple courts, demonstrating that such preparation areas were present in later temple structures and could become places of commerce rather than sacred service.
barnesEzekiel 40:39: "And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering."
In the porch - Not under the covered portico, which was only ten cubits broad Ezekiel 40:9 , but in the angles formed by the porch and gate-front. If the gate-building projected with its porch forward on to the pavement of the inner court, the tables were fitly placed for carrying out the directions of the Law…
clarkeEzekiel 40:39: "And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering."
The porch of the gate - The north gate of the court of the priests. See Q in the plan. Two tables - Some say of marble. See dddd in the plan.
What's striking here isn't just the tables, but what was to happen on them: the slaughter of offerings for sin and guilt. This placement in the gate's vestibule—the threshold—underscores that entering into God's presence was intrinsically linked to dealing with sin and its consequences, even before approaching the altar. It paints a vivid picture of how central atonement was to any connection with the Holy One.
Ezekiel is being shown a detailed vision of a future temple, moving from its outer structures inwards. Following the description of chambers and pillars within the gate complex, this verse specifies functional tables placed within the gate's porch area, crucial for the preparation and slaughter of various sacrificial offerings. These tables are strategically located near where the sacrifices would be brought, highlighting the order and logistics of worship in this envisioned sanctuary.
Ezekiel is being shown a detailed vision of a future temple, moving from its outer structures inwards. Following the description of chambers and pillars within the gate complex, this verse specifies functional tables placed within the gate's porch area, crucial for the preparation and slaughter of various sacrificial offerings. These tables are strategically located near where the sacrifices would be brought, highlighting the order and logistics of worship in this envisioned sanctuary.
"And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on either side, on which the burnt offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering were to be slaughtered." — What's striking here isn't just the tables, but what was to happen on them: the slaughter of offerings for sin and guilt. This placement in the gate's vestibule—the threshold—underscores that enterin…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
