New American Standard Bible 1995

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Ezekiel

Note Journal Prayer

8

:

16

“

Then He brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
Then He brought to come in, come, go in, go Verb H935 וַיָּבֵ֣א vai·ya·ve
me into the inner inner Adjective H6442 הַפְּנִימִית֒ hap·pe·ni·mit
court enclosure, court Noun H2691 חֲצַ֣ר cha·tzar
of the LORD'S the proper name of the God of Israel Noun H3068 יְהוָה֮ Yah·weh
house. a house Noun H1004 בֵּית־ beit-
And behold, lo! behold! Particle H2009 וְהִנֵּה־ ve·hin·neh-
at the entrance opening, doorway, entrance Noun H6607 פֶ֜תַח fe·tach
to the temple a palace, temple Noun H1964 הֵיכַ֣ל hei·chal
of the LORD, the proper name of the God of Israel Noun H3068 יְהוָ֗ה Yah·weh
between an interval, space between Prepostion H996 בֵּ֤ין bein
the porch a porch Noun H197 הָֽאוּלָם֙ ha·'u·lam
and the altar, an altar Noun H4196 הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ ham·miz·be·ach,
[were] about twenty-five twenty Noun H6242 כְּעֶשְׂרִ֥ים ke·'es·rim
Analysis:

Five: Incompletion or lacking

For a person to understand the meaning of the number “five”, one must first realize that the meaning of the number ten is completion or wholeness. Since five is half of ten, the idea is that the number five represents incompletion or that which is lacking. A Scripture that expresses this idea is found in the book of John. At a place called Beit Chesed (Bethesda), there was a pool whose waters healed the sick. The reader is told that around the pool there were five porches. It is stated that on these five porches laid individuals who were not whole. Some were paralyzed and the rest of them had a variety of health problems. It is not a chance happening that these people who were lacking their health were on five porches. Another well-known passage that contains the number five is found in I Samuel 17. In the account of David and Goliath, David picks up five stones (see I Samuel 17:40). Why is the reader told the specific number and not simply that David had gathered a few stones? The answer is to assist the reader in understanding that the stone, which David hurled at Goliath, was not the source of victory. Rather, this was only the means that God used to accomplish His victory. In other words, the stone and even David, who hurled this stone at Goliath, were insufficient to bring about this victory.

One of the first places where the idea of "lacking" or "incompleteness" is seen regarding the number five is in the book of Genesis. In chapter 18, two angels are sent to Sodom to destroy the city. God tells Abraham that if 50 righteous people are found in the city, then the city will be free of this punishment (We will learn that the number 50 is related to freedom when this number is studied). This is revealed to Abraham and he responds saying, perhaps the city will lack 50 righteous people by five. It is significant that Abraham uses the number five when referring to the city lacking enough righteous people. 

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men man Noun H376 אִ֑ישׁ ish;
with their backs the hind side, back part sub H268 אֲחֹ֨רֵיהֶ֜ם a·cho·rei·hem
to the temple a palace, temple Noun H1964 הֵיכַ֤ל hei·chal
of the LORD the proper name of the God of Israel Noun H3068 יְהוָה֙ Yah·weh
and their faces face, faces Noun H6440 וּפְנֵיהֶ֣ם u·fe·nei·hem
toward the east; eastward, toward the east Noun H6924 קֵ֔דְמָה ke·de·mah,
and they were prostrating to bow down Verb H7812 מִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֥ם mish·ta·cha·vi·tem
themselves eastward eastward, toward the east Noun H6924 קֵ֖דְמָה ke·de·mah
toward the sun. sun Noun H8121 לַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ la·sha·mesh.

People

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Parallel Verses

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New American Standard Bible 1995 Then He brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun.
King James Bible Then He And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house. And house, and, behold, at the entrance to door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men five and twenty men, with their backs to toward the temple of the LORD LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they were prostrating themselves eastward worshipped the sun toward the sun.east.
Hebrew Greek English Then He brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun.