round about, there might be very fair chambers, and
yet a good handsome open court in the middle; at
either end chambers of ten cubits broad, and yet an
open space of twventy cubits between; and on either
side chambers of seven or eight cubits broad, and yet an
open space of fourteen or sixteen cubits between: thus
therefore, adds he, it seems to be, that there were fair
chambers round about, which were roofed over as other
buildings; and in the middle was an open court, round
about which were boiling-ranges, whose chimneys went
up in the inner walls of the chambers, or the walls to
the open place: thus the inner court served for boil-
ing-places, and the rooms round about for other uses;
see the two following verses. The measnre of the
courts were, of forty cubits long, and thirty broad;
an oblong quadrangle: these four corners were of one.
measure; the courts that were in these four corners
were, of the same measure, as to length and breadth;
denoting the equality or'Gospel churches, being of the
same faith, order and discipline, powerand authority.
Ver. 23. And there was a row of building round about
in them, &c.]] Within tim courts, not on the outside
of them: these were either chambers to eat the sacri-
fices in when boiled; or they were sheds which covered
the cooks, and the meat they were boiling, from the
rain, &c.: the Targum renders it," and walls were
"made to them round about;" to the court: and so
Jarchi and Kimchi interpret this row of building of a
stone wall: round about them four; the four courts at
the four corners: and it was made with boiling-places
under the rows round about; under these rows of build-
ing, chambers or sheds; or under these stone walls
were furances, and coppers, and caldrons, set on them,
for the boiling of the sacrifices.
Ver. 24. Then said he unto me, these are the places of
them that boil, &c.] The kitchens, in which those
whose business it was to boil the sacrifices did it; and
who they were are next declared: where the ministers
of the house shah boil the sacrifice of the people; these
seem to be the Levitea, as distinct from the priests
before mentioned; though in this prophecy.they are
both used ofthe same persons; see ch. xliv. 15. the sa-
crifice of the people were the peace-offerings, which the
people might eat of, but were first to be boiled; typical
of peace and reconciliation made by Christ, held forth in
the ministry of the word, called from thence the word
of reconciliation: of the boiling of sacrifices, see the
note oft ver. o_0. The Targum is," the holy sacrifices
', of the people ;" see Rom. xii. 1. Heb. xiii. 16. 1 Pet.
ii.&

CHAP.

THIS chapter gives an account of the vision of the
holy waters, and'of the borders of the holy land, and
the division of it to Israelites and strangers. The
waters are described by the original and spring of them,
yet. 1, 2. by the progress and increase of them, ver. 3,
4, 5. by the healing and. quickening nature of them,
and the places where they were so, and were not, vet.
8, 9, 10, 11. and by the trees which grew upon the
banks of them, ver. 6, 7, le. The borders of the holy
]and are fixed, ver. 13, 14. the northern border, ver.
15, 16, 17. the eastern border, yet. 18. the southern,
vet. 19. and the western, ver. 90. which is to be divided
by lot to the tribes of Israel, and the strangers that so-
journ among them, vet. 21, 22, 23.
Ver. 1. Afterward he brought me again unto the door
of the house, &c.] The door of the temple, even of
the holy of holies; hither the prophet is said to be
brought again, or brought back{x}; for he was last in the
corners of the outward court, viewing the kitchens
or boiling-places of the ministers; but now he was
brought back into the inner court, and to the door that
led into the holiest of all: and, behold/for it was
matter of admiration, as well as of observation and
attention: waters issued out from under the threshold of
the house eastward; this is a new thing, to which there
was nothing like it, either in the first or second temple.
Ariateas {y} indeed relates what he himself saw, "a
"never-failing con flux of water-, as of a large fountain,
"naturally flowing underneath, and wonderful re-
" ceptacles under ground; to each of which were
"leaden pipes, through which the waters eame in on
"every side, for five furlongs about the temple, and
"washed away the blood of the sacrifices ;" and so
the Talmudists {z} say, there was an aqueduct from the
fountain of Etam, and pipes laid from thence to supply
the temple with water, for the washing and boiling of
the sacrifices, and keeping the temple clean: but these
waters are quite different; they are such as came out
of the temple, and not what were carried by pipes into
it; nor were they a common sewer to carry off the
filth of it, but formed a delightful and useful river.
The fountain of them is not declared, only where they
were first seen to issue out, under the threshold of the
house eastward; the threshold of the door of the most
holy place; so that they seem to take their rise from
the holy of holies, the seat of the divine Majesty, and
throne of God, with which agrees Rev. xxii. 1. and
so the Talmudists {a} say, that this fountain came first
from the house of the holy of holi'es, under the
threshold of the door of it, which looked to the east:
for the fore front of the house stood toward the east; the
holy of' holies was at the west end of the temple; but
the front of it, and so the door into it, was to the east,
and from hence these waters flowed: and the waters
came down .from under from the right side 6f the house;
they are said to come down, because the temple was
high built upon the top of a mountain; and from under,
that is, the threshold of the door of it; or rather in
subterraneous passages, till they appeared from under
that; and this was on the right side of the house; that

{x} \^ynbvyw\^ reduxit me, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius,
Starckius.
{y} Hist. 70 Interpret. p. 32, 33. Ed. Oxon. 1692,
{z} T. Hieros. Yoma, fol. 41. Cippi Hebr. p. 10.
{a} T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 77. 2.