- four:
- It is certainly most obvious to interpret these measures, not of cubits, but of the measuring reed which the prophet's conductor had in his hand; according to which, the city would be about thirty-six miles in circumference, and nine miles on each side of the square; which was nearly nine times larger than the greatest extent to which Jerusalem ever attained (See note on "Now when he had made an endª° of¹ measuringª the innerª house,ª he brought me forthª° towardª the gateª whose¹ prospectª [is] towardª the east,ª and measuredª° it round about.ª" {Ezk 42:15}, and see note on "He measuredª° the eastª sideª with the measuringª reed,ª fiveª°² hundredª reeds,ª with the measuringª reedª round about.ª" {Ezk 42:16}.) The large dimensions of the city and land were perhaps intended to intimate the extensive and glorious propagation of the gospel in the times predicted; and the land was not called Canaan, nor the city Jerusalem, probably because they were figurative of spiritual blessings to the church and to Israel.
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