THEOSISJerome of Stridon
And he measured the structure from the house, which was a hundred cubits in length, as well as the separate building and its walls, also a hundred cubits long. The width of the house at the front and of the separate building on the eastern side was a hundred cubits. He assessed the length of the separate building located at the rear, measuring a hundred cubits on both sides, along with the inner temple and the courts’ vestibules. There were pathways and uneven windows surrounding three sides, aligned with each threshold, and a wooden platform encircled the entire area; this platform extended to the windows, which remained closed. The thresholds of both the inner and outer parts of the house, as well as the walls all around, maintained precise proportions.
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The cherubim and palm trees were intricately crafted, with a palm tree situated between the cherubim; each cherub possessed two faces, one facing the palm tree with a human visage and the other with a lion’s face. This design extended throughout the entirety of the house. From the bottom up to the top of the doors, cherubim and palm trees were carved along the walls of the temple. The threshold was square, and the front of the sanctuary was oriented towards a wooden altar, which stood three cubits tall and two cubits in length, with its corners and walls also made of wood.
He measured the length of the house at a hundred cubits, including the surrounding space and walls, each measuring a hundred cubits. The width of the temple’s face, along with the surrounding area, was also a hundred cubits. He also measured the length of the area at the front of the other structures behind the house, as well as both sides, reaching a length of a hundred cubits. The temple, along with its corners and outer trees, was covered in wood, with three windows designed to let in light. The entire structure, including the adjacent area, was enveloped in wood from top to bottom, with threefold windows that allowed views into the inner and outer parts of the house. The entire wall, on both the inner and outer sides, was well-measured, adorned with carved cherubim and palm trees positioned between each cherub. Each cherub bore two faces: one facing the palm tree as a man and the other as a lion; the artistry of the cherubim and palm trees enveloped the structure from the floor to the ceiling.
The sanctuary and temple opened from the four corners in front of the holy of holies, appearing like a wooden altar, with a height of three cubits, a length of two cubits, and a breadth of two cubits, complete with horns, bases, and wooden walls. The term “against,” translated by LXX at the start of this account, where it states "and measured against the house," is absent in the Hebrew. However, descriptions of the holy of holies and the inner temple convey that after ninety cubits, it measures a hundred cubits on three sides—representing the perfect number of ten decades—allowing us to serve the Lord in thought, word, and deed, as noted in the apostolic tradition. This tradition teaches us to grasp the dimensions of breadth, length, depth, and height (Eph. 3:18). Regarding the separate building mentioned in the Hebrew text, the LXX refers to this as a part and a gap, which do not connect to the temple’s walls but possess distinct walls of their own nearby.