He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.
He measured the east side ... five hundred reeds. The Septuagint substitute 'cubits' for "reeds," to escape He measured the east side ... five hundred reeds. The Septuagint substitute 'cubits' for "reeds," to escape the immense compass assigned to the whole, namely, a square of 500 rods or 3,000 cubits (two feet each; Ezekiel 40:5, "a measuring reed of six cubits long") - in all, a square of one and one-seventh miles - i:e., more than all ancient Jerusalem; also, there is much space thus left unappropriated. Fairbairn rightly supports the English version, which agrees with the Hebrew. The vast extent is another feature marking the ideal character of the temple. It symbolizes the grit enlargement of the kingdom of God when Yahweh-Messiah shall reign at Jerusalem, and from thence to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 2:2-4; Jeremiah 3:17; Romans 11:12; Romans 11:15 ).