Lexical Summary mibneh: Structure, Building Original Word: מִבְנֶה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance frame From banah; a building -- frame. see HEBREW banah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom banah Definition structure NASB Translation structure (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מִבְנֶה] noun masculine structure, construct כְּמִבְנֵהעִֿיר Ezekiel 40:2 like the structure of city. Topical Lexicon Usage in Scripture The Hebrew noun מִבְנֶה occurs once, in Ezekiel 40:2, within the opening scene of Ezekiel’s final vision: “He took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city”. The term denotes the collective architectural complex Ezekiel beholds before the angelic guide measures out the new sanctuary (Ezekiel 40:3–42:20). Visionary Context in Ezekiel Ezekiel receives this vision in the twenty-fifth year of Israel’s exile (Ezekiel 40:1). Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple lie in ruins (Ezekiel 33:21), yet the prophet is transported to a lofty mountain where he sees “some buildings” (הַמִּבְנֶה) that foreshadow a restored sanctuary and city. The lone appearance of מִבְנֶה underlines the uniqueness of the structure: it is no ordinary compound but the divinely ordered pattern of the future dwelling place of God among His people. Symbolic and Prophetic Significance 1. Restoration: The vision heralds a reversal of the destruction described earlier (Ezekiel 9–10; 24). The singular “structure” anticipates national and cultic renewal after exile (Ezekiel 37:26–28). Historical Background and Architectural Detail The vision’s timing (573 B.C.) places it between the first exile returns under Cyrus and the later rebuilding led by Zerubbabel (Ezra 3). While Second Temple architecture would differ, Ezekiel’s idealized design supplied theological motivation for post-exilic builders and later influenced Second Temple refurbishment under Herod. Archaeologically, the description preserves the most extensive set of dimensions in Scripture, illuminating ancient Near-Eastern temple planning. The Temple as a Pattern of Divine Order Ezekiel’s “structure” reprises the paradigm seen in Moses’ tabernacle (Exodus 25:9) and Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 6:1). In every age God supplies a blueprint that reflects His order, purity, and accessibility through sacrifice. Ezekiel’s courts, chambers, altars, and thresholds reveal a graded movement from profane to most holy, underscoring that worshipers must approach God on His terms. Ministry and Worship Implications • Priestly Responsibility: Ezekiel 44 delineates priestly duties, reminding spiritual leaders today of the call to guard doctrinal purity (1 Timothy 4:16). Christological and Eschatological Perspectives Jesus embodies and surpasses every earthly sanctuary: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The meticulous “structure” of Ezekiel 40 ultimately points to the incarnate Word in whom “all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:9). Revelation 21:22 merges Ezekiel’s temple-city imagery with the Lamb’s eternal reign: “I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” Until that consummation, believers are “being built together into a dwelling place for God” (Ephesians 2:22). Practical Application for Believers 1. Cultivate Hope: If God could envision restoration amid Babylonian captivity, He can restore broken lives and churches today (Romans 15:4). In sum, the solitary occurrence of מִבְנֶה in Ezekiel 40:2 anchors a sweeping biblical theology of God dwelling with His people—past, present, and future—through a visible, ordered, and ultimately Christ-fulfilled “structure.” Forms and Transliterations כְּמִבְנֵה־ כמבנה־ kə·miḇ·nêh- kəmiḇnêh- kemivnehLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 40:2 HEB: מְאֹ֔ד וְעָלָ֥יו כְּמִבְנֵה־ עִ֖יר מִנֶּֽגֶב׃ NAS: and on it to the south [there was] a structure like a city. KJV: mountain, by which [was] as the frame of a city INT: A very and a structure A city to the south 1 Occurrence |
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