New American Standard Bible 1995

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Ezekiel

42

:

17

He measured on the north side five hundred reeds by the measuring reed.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
He measured to measure Verb H4058 מָדַ֖ד ma·dad
on the north north Noun H6828 הַצָּפֹ֑ון ha·tza·fo·vn;
side breath, wind, spirit Noun H7307 ר֣וּחַ ru·ach
five five Noun H2568 חֲמֵשׁ־ cha·mesh-
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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hundred hundred Noun H3967 מֵאֹ֥ות me·'o·vt
reeds a stalk, reed Noun H7070 קָנִ֛ים ka·nim
by the measuring measure, measurement, stature, size, a garment Noun H4060 הַמִּדָּ֖ה ham·mid·dah
reed. a stalk, reed Noun H7070 בִּקְנֵ֥ה bik·neh

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 He measured on the north side five hundred reeds by the measuring reed.
King James Bible He measured on the north side side, five hundred reeds by reeds, with the measuring reed.reed round about.
Hebrew Greek English He measured on the north side five hundred reeds by the measuring reed.