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CHAP. XVI. The Courts of the Temple. (Book 16)
THE dimensions and platform of the Temple it self being thus laid out, we may now the better observe the form and situation of the Courts that were before it or about it: Where, in the first place it will be needful to remember that again which was spoken before, which was, that the Temple and all the Courts about it, were not pitched so just in the middle of the Mount of the House, as that they lay in an equal distance from the four sides of the incompassing Wall, a 1.1 but they were situate more to∣wards the North-side and West, in such manner, as that they left less space betwixt them and the West, than betwixt them and the North; and less betwixt them and the North, than between them and the East; and less betwixt them and the East, than betwixt them and the South.
There were three which we may call Courts, belonging to the Temple, besides that space in the Mountain of the House without them, which was very large, and which is ordinarily called by Christian Writers, Atrium Gentium, or the Court of the Gentiles. And these three were, The Court of Israel and the Priests, the Court of the Women, and the Chel, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but properly and ordinarily the two former are only called Courts: That word in Hebrew is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 used in the Text, 2 Chron. IV. 9. and in the Chaldee Para∣phrast, Esa. I. 12. 1 Sam. III. 3. Ezek. XLIII. 8. and by the Rabbins most constantly when they speak of these places, David Kimchi gives the Etymology of it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that b 1.2 it was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (which signifies help,) because that every one that came to pray there with a good Heart was helped by the Lord his God; And much to the same purpose Rabbi Nathan, when he saith, c 1.3 they prayed there to the Lord to help them, &c. there being their last recourse for help in all exigents, as 1 King. VIII. 31, &c. the word is used in Ezek. XLIII. 14. in another sense, namely, for a border or half pace at the foot of the Altar, on which the Priests that sacrificed stood, d 1.4 as Kimchi expounds it upon that place, and which we shall meet with afterward.
These two Courts are sometimes so spoken of in Scripture, as if they were three, for there is mention of the Court of the Priests, and the great Court, 2 Chron. IV. 9. and the Court of the Women, as we shall observe by and by, and yet they were indeed but two, for though the Court of the Priests, and the Court of Israel were distinguish∣ed, yet were they not divided, but the Court of the Women was divided from them both.
The measure of the Court of Israel and the Priests (which is sometime called Empha∣tically, The Court, and sometime, The Court of Israel) e 1.5 was one hundred eighty and seven cubits long; that is, from East to West, and one hundred thirty and five broad from North to South. The Temple stood just in the middle of the breadth of it, so that the Front of the Temple or the Porch being one hundred cubits broad, this Court breadth lay seventeen cubits and an half on either side of it; and the Body of the Temple it self being but seventy cubits broad, this Court lay thirty three cubits and an half broad on either side it: Now behind the West-end of the Temple it extended but eleven cubits; so measure from the utmost West-side of it there, and you have eleven cubits behind the Temple, one hundred cubits the length of the Temple, and then it extended Eastward before the Temple seventy six cubits.
f 1.6 The Court of the Women lay just before this Court, joining to it, being of equal breadth with it, namely, one hundred thirty five cubits from North to South, but not so long as it from East to West, for it was only one hundred thirty and five cubits that way also, and so it was a perfect square.