Ezekiel 40:38 · Bible study
Ezekiel 40:38 Commentary: Washing the Burnt Offering at the North Gate
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the meaning of the chamber by the north inner gate for washing sacrifices in Ezekiel's temple vision, its connection to Levitical law and typology
Research Summary
- Meaning: A chamber by the north inner gate for washing the burnt offering, part of Ezekiel’s temple vision.
- Key words: “chamber” (cell/room), “wash” (ceremonial cleansing), “burnt offering” (Hebrew ‘olah).
- Main debate: Whether the chamber belongs only to the north gate (Gill, JFB) or applies to all inner gates; also literal vs. typological reading.
- Theological theme: Purity and preparation for sacrifice; Christ as the spotless offering.
- Best use: Preaching or teaching on holiness, Christ’s sufficiency, and the continuity between Old and New Testament worship.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
There was a chamber with a doorway by the portico in each of the inner gateways. There the burnt offering was to be washed.
WEB World English Bible 2000
A room with its door was by the posts at the gates. They washed the burnt offering there.
KJV King James Version 1769
And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And a chamber with the door thereof was by the posts at the gates; there they washed the burnt-offering.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And the chamber and its opening is by the posts of the gates, there they purge the burnt-offering.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And there was a cell and its entry by the posts of the gates; there they rinsed the burnt-offering.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And at every chamber was a door in the forefronts of the gates: there they washed the holocaust.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y había allí una cámara, y su puerta con postes de portales; allí lavarán el holocausto.
E sua câmara e sua porta estavam junto dos pilares das portas, onde lavavam a oferta de queima.
Il y avait une chambre qui s’ ouvrait vers les poteaux des portes, et où l’ on devait laver les holocaustes.
Und unten an den Pfeilern an jedem Tor war eine Kammer mit einer Tür, darin man das Brandopfer wusch.
Haar kameren nu en haar deuren waren bij de posten der poorten; aldaar wies men het brandoffer.
E c’era una camera con l’ingresso vicino ai pilastri delle porte; quivi si lavavano gli olocausti.
Były też komory i drzwi ich przy podwojach bram, a tam omywano całopalenia.
Была также комната, со входом в нее, у столбов ворот: там омывают жертвы всесожжения.
門洞 的柱 旁有屋子 和門；祭司（原文是他們）在那裡 洗 燔祭牲。
And there was a room with a door in the covered way of the doorway, where the burned offering was washed.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse describes a chamber adjacent to the pillars of the inner gate, specifically the north gate, where the burnt offering was washed. Gill and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown emphasize that only the north gate is intended, consistent with Leviticus 1:11, which requires sacrifices to be killed on the north side of the altar. Keil and Delitzsch clarify that the Hebrew preposition b’ (ב) means the chamber was by the pillars, not inside them, since the pillars were too narrow for a room. The washing itself follows Leviticus 1:9, where the priest washes the innards and legs of the animal. Most see this as a practical arrangement for preparing sacrifices; several also find typological significance pointing to Christ’s immaculate offering.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal architectural feature: The verse appears in a series of detailed temple measurements; the context treats it as a real chamber for the future temple.
- Typological/Christological: Gill and others see the washing as prefiguring the purity of Christ’s sacrifice and even baptism; cross-references to Leviticus and Hebrews support a typological reading.
- North-gate specific interpretation: Leviticus 1:11 and Ezekiel 8:5 associate the north gate with sacrifices; some commentators argue the chamber belongs only to that gate, not all gates.
What is clear: The chamber was located by the pillars of the inner gate and used for washing the burnt offering, a practice rooted in Levitical law (Lev 1:9, 11).
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Location of the chamber | It is by the posts/pillars of the inner gate, near the entrance. | Some argue it belongs only to the north gate (Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown), while others see it as a general feature of all inner gates (Cambridge Bible notes uncertainty). |
| Literal vs. typological reading | The verse describes a practical arrangement for the sacrificial system. | Some read it as historical instructions for a future temple (literal), while others, like Gill, see it as mystically prefiguring Christ and baptism (typological). |
| Washing of the burnt offering | Refers to washing the innards and legs (Lev 1:9), a standard Mosaic practice. | No significant debate on the ritual itself; it is consistent with Levitical law. |
| Connection to Christ | Christians see the sacrificial system as pointing to Christ’s atonement. | The extent to which this specific chamber and washing prefigures Christ varies; some explicitly connect to baptism (Starchius via Gill). |
| Textual basis | The Hebrew text is stable and well-attested. | The Septuagint presents a different arrangement, but it is not consistent with itself (Cambridge Bible). Most follow the Masoretic Text. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Ezekiel 40, 48 records a vision given to the prophet in exile, roughly 573 BC, of a restored temple and its worship. This temple was not built after the return from Babylon; instead, Christians and Jews have long debated whether it describes a literal future sanctuary or a symbolic picture of God’s presence with his people.
The inner court was reserved for priests. The north gate held special importance because Leviticus 1:11 specifies that burnt offerings were to be slaughtered “on the north side of the altar.” Washing the animal’s innards and legs (Leviticus 1:9; 8:21) was a priestly duty performed before the offering was burned. In Solomon’s temple, large basins served this purpose (2 Chronicles 4:6). Here, a specific chamber by the gate provided a dedicated space, likely with water access. The phrase “burnt offering” (Hebrew ‘olah) means “that which goes up” and refers to the whole animal consumed by fire, symbolizing total dedication.
The chamber’s location at the threshold between outer and inner courts may have allowed priests to receive the animal from worshipers, wash it, and carry it to the altar. This practical detail underscores the care required in approaching a holy God, a theme that runs throughout the vision.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text of Ezekiel 40:38 is stable across manuscripts. The Masoretic Text reads clearly, with no significant variants noted by the consulted commentators. The Septuagint (LXX) offers a somewhat different description of the chambers, though it is not internally consistent (Cambridge Bible). Most interpreters rely on the Hebrew as the primary witness.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Ezekiel’s temple vision has been read in multiple ways. Early church fathers such as Origen interpreted the details allegorically, seeing the temple as a type of the church and the soul. Medieval exegetes often combined literal and allegorical senses. During the Reformation, commentators like Calvin focused on the literal meaning but also saw shadows of Christ and the sacraments. In the 19th century, critical scholars (Keil, Delitzsch) treated the passage as a literal blueprint for a future temple, while others (Gill) emphasized its typological and mystical significance, linking the washing chamber to Christ’s sacrifice and, through Starchius, to baptism. Modern interpreters continue to debate the precise relationship between this vision and the person of Jesus.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- A designated place for preparation, God provides a specific chamber near the altar for washing the sacrifice, showing that approaching him requires order and purity.
- The north gate connection, The north side was where sin offerings were slain (Lev 1:11). This location points forward to Christ, who was crucified outside Jerusalem (traditionally Golgotha, north of the city), bearing sin.
- Washing and wholeness, The burnt offering was washed inside and out, prefiguring the spotless Lamb of God and calling believers to holiness of heart and life.
Five-point outline
- The chamber: God makes room for purification.
- The location: at the gate, between courts, a place of transition from worship to deeper worship.
- The act: washing the innards and legs, a thorough cleansing.
- The offering: the burnt offering, wholly consumed for atonement.
- The Christological echo: Jesus offered himself without blemish, and we are cleansed by his blood.
Illustration hooks
- A clean kitchen prep station before a banquet, nobody wants food prepared in a dirty space.
- A shoe-cleaning station at the entrance of a home: you remove dirt before entering.
- Car wash before a parade: the vehicle must be spotless to represent the event.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does the Bible spend so much time on temple measurements and details like this?
- Does this mean I have to be perfectly clean before I come to God?
- How does an Old Testament washing chamber relate to Jesus’ sacrifice and baptism?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits within Ezekiel’s detailed vision of a restored temple. At first glance, it seems like architectural trivia. But the location and purpose of this chamber carry weighty significance for understanding worship, sacrifice, and the work of Christ. Use the questions below to explore the passage together.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the placement of this chamber? (Look at verses 35, 40 for context.)
- Why was washing necessary for a burnt offering? (Read Leviticus 1:9.) What did it symbolize?
- Why might the chamber be located specifically at the north gate? (Consider Leviticus 1:11 and the geography of sacrifice.)
- How does this preparation relate to the way we approach God today?
- In what ways does the washing of the burnt offering point to Jesus Christ?
- Some Christians see a connection to baptism here. What do you think? Does the chamber represent cleansing before communion with God?
- How can this verse shape your understanding of holiness in everyday life?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 1:9 | but he shall wash its innards and its legs with water. The priest shall burn all of it on the altar, for a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. |
| Leviticus 8:21 | He washed the innards and the legs with water; and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma. It was an offering made by fire to Yahweh, as Yahweh commanded Moses. |
| I Kings 6:8 | The door for the middle side rooms was in the right side of the house. They went up by winding stairs into the middle floor, and out of the middle into the third. |
| II Chronicles 4:6 | He also made ten basins, and put five on the right hand and five on the left, to wash in them. The things that belonged to the burnt offering were washed in them, but the sea was for the priests to wash in. |
| Ezekiel 40:12 | and a border before the lodges, one cubit on this side, and a border, one cubit on that side; and the side rooms, six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side. |
| Ezekiel 40:17 | Then he brought me into the outer court. Behold, there were rooms and a pavement made for the court all around. Thirty rooms were on the pavement. |
| Ezekiel 41:10 | Between the rooms was a width of twenty cubits around the house on every side. |
| Ezekiel 41:11 | The doors of the side rooms were toward an open area that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south. The width of the open area was five cubits all around. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
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What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the chambers mentioned here are a new detail, not previously described. He situates them north of the altar, beside the pillars that lined the gate-building, and notes that the gate-building itself contained multiple gates.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights textual uncertainty in the description of sacrificial arrangements at the inner gate. The Hebrew likely reads "gate" singular, not plural, and the Septuagint offers a different reading for "posts." It remains unclear which gateway is meant and whether the tables stood in the inner court or the outer court before the steps.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the provision made for cleansing: the chambers and entry were positioned directly under the gate's posts, the very place where priests washed the burnt offering. This arrangement ensured that purification happened at the threshold, before the sacrifice ever approached the altar.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads the chamber by the north gate not as a place for literal sacrifices, since those are abolished, but as a type pointing to Christ’s sacrifice. The washing of the burnt offering, he says, symbolizes the spotless purity of that one offering. He notes that some connect
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB clarifies that the washing of burnt offerings occurred only at the north gate, not at all gates. They support this by pointing to the command in Leviticus that sacrifices be killed north of the altar and to Ezekiel's earlier reference to the north gate as "the gate of the altar."
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues each inner gate had one cell by its pillars for washing the burnt-offering, rejecting views that placed cells only at one gate or inside the pillars themselves. The washing was for burnt-offerings only, not all sacrifices, and the porch tables held prepared flesh, not for actual slaughtering.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange treats Ezekiel's temple vision as a symbolic representation of the coming kingdom of God, not a literal blueprint for a rebuilt structure. He argues that the detailed measurements point to the spiritual realities of the Messianic age and the Christian Church, where God's presence dwells among His people in a new way.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees the precise measurements and architectural details of the inner court gates as rich with spiritual meaning. For him the repeated numbers, the palm-tree carvings, and the eight steps all symbolize the beauty, order, and grace that mark access to God's presence, while the washing chambers stress the necessity of purification before drawing near.