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Ezekiel and Zechariah both follow ancient Near Eastern traditions where measuring a temple or city symbolizes cosmic order. Ezekiel shows a radiant figure measuring the new temple, and Zechariah describes a divine survey of Jerusalem.
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Ezekiel 40:3
Hebrew Bible
1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on this very day, the hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me there. 2 By divine visions he brought me to the land of Israel and placed me on a very high mountain, and on it was a structure like a city, to the south. 3 When he brought me there, I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring stick in his hand. He was standing in the gateway. 4 The man said to me, “Son of man, watch closely, listen carefully, and pay attention to everything I show you, for you have been brought here so that I can show it to you. Tell the house of Israel everything you see.”
Date: 6th Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Zechariah 2:1
Hebrew Bible
1 I looked again, and there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 I asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “To measure Jerusalem in order to determine its width and its length.” 3 At this point the angelic messenger who spoke to me went out, and another messenger came to meet him 4 and said to him, “Hurry, speak to this young man as follows: ‘Jerusalem will no longer be enclosed by walls because of the multitude of people and animals there. 5 But I,’ the Lord says, ‘will be a wall of fire surrounding Jerusalem and the source of glory in her midst.’”
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The city will be rebuilt after having been destroyed by enemies, and there is the promise of ‘holiness’ after a time of enormous defilement because of the proliferation of corpses. The perimeters of Jerusalem will be determined with a measuring line, thus indicating where the new walls will be built. For a similar act, see Ezekiel 40:3, 5; 42:16, 19; Zechariah 2:1–2. The tower of Hananel is situated on the north-east side of the city and is also mentioned in Nehemiah 3:1; 12:39; and Zechariah 14:10. The Corner Gate is probably north-west of the city (see 2 Kings 14:13; 2 Chronicles 26:9; Zechariah 14:10). Gareb and Goa are unknown. The valley is most probably the Valley of Ben Hinnom (see 2 Kings 23:10–14 where the Kidron Valley is also mentioned; see also Jeremiah 7:31–32; 19). The whole area that was so defiled will be holy to the LORD, which is an enormous contrast with the past (compare Zechariah 14:10–11, 20–21) ..."
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