מָדַ֛ד ר֥וּחַ הַקָּדִ֖ים בִּקְנֵ֣ה הַמִּדָּ֑ה חֲמֵשׁ־אֲמֹ֥ות קָנִ֛ים בִּקְנֵ֥ה הַמִּדָּ֖ה סָבִֽיב׃
He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed, round about.
Morphology
- מָדַד (madad) – Root: מדד (madad); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “He measured”; Notes: Describes the act of taking measurements, continuing the vision’s detailed description of the temple boundaries.
- רוּחַ (ruaḥ) – Root: רוח (ruaḥ); Form: Noun feminine singular; Translation: “side” or “direction”; Notes: Here used to mean a compass direction (“quarter,” “side”), not “spirit.”
- הַקָּדִים (ha-qadim) – Root: קדמה (qedem); Form: Definite noun masculine plural (directional term); Translation: “the east”; Notes: Indicates the eastern boundary being measured.
- בִּקְנֵה (bi-qneh) – Root: קנה (qanah); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “with the reed of”; Notes: Refers to the measuring instrument used for determining length or distance.
- הַמִּדָּה (ha-middah) – Root: מדד (madad); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the measurement”; Notes: The standard unit or reed measure used throughout Ezekiel’s temple vision.
- חֲמֵשׁ (ḥamesh) – Root: חמשׁ (ḥamesh); Form: Numeral feminine singular; Translation: “five”; Notes: Indicates the number associated with the following measurement unit.
- אֲמֹות (ʾamot) – Root: אמה (ʾammah); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “cubits”; Notes: Standard measure of length, roughly 18 inches or 45 centimeters; part of the unit defining a reed.
- קָנִים (qanim) – Root: קנה (qanah); Form: Noun masculine plural; Translation: “reeds”; Notes: Denotes the plural unit of measurement, each reed being six long cubits.
- בִּקְנֵה (bi-qneh) – Root: קנה (qanah); Form: Preposition בְּ + noun masculine singular construct; Translation: “with the reed of”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes precision of measurement.
- הַמִּדָּה (ha-middah) – Root: מדד (madad); Form: Definite noun feminine singular; Translation: “the measurement”; Notes: Repeated phrase underscores the use of a standardized measuring tool.
- סָבִיב (saviv) – Root: סבב (savav); Form: Adverb; Translation: “around” or “all around”; Notes: Indicates encompassing measurement, marking the complete enclosure of the temple area.