This is the law of the temple: This clause introduces the regulations and instructions for life that will apply when the new Temple comes into being.

The whole territory round about upon the top of the mountain shall be most holy: The main focus of the laws that cover the new Temple is that it will be most holy, that is, “very holy” (New International Reader’s Version). It “must be kept sacred” (Contemporary English Version). This is in contrast to the way that the previous Temple had often been desecrated and defiled by the actions of the priests and the people of Israel before the exile. In the future the whole territory round about upon the top of the mountain will be holy, that is, not just the site of the building itself, but all the area on top of Mount Zion, as well as surrounding land that will act as a buffer (see 45.1-3). For holy see the comments on 41.3-4. New International Reader’s Version renders this clause as “The whole area on top of Mount Zion will be very holy.”

Behold, this is the law of the temple: God stresses the importance of this law by repeating the first clause of this verse. The dramatic word Behold is added to give further emphasis (see Ezek 43.2).

A model for this verse is:

• “Here is the most important rule of the Temple. You must keep all the area around the top of the mountain where the Temple is fit for my worship.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .