Ezekiel 42

Chambers of the Temple

1 Then he ¹brought me out into the ²outer court, the way ³toward the north; and he brought me to the ⁴chamber which was opposite the ⁵separate area and opposite the ⁶building toward the north.

2 Along * the length, which was a ⁷hundred cubits, was the north door; the width was fifty cubits.

3 Opposite the ⁸twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and opposite the ⁹pavement which belonged to the outer court, was ¹⁰gallery corresponding * to gallery in three stories.

4 Before the ¹¹chambers was an inner walk ten cubits wide, a way of one hundred cubits; and their openings were on the north.

5 Now the upper chambers were smaller because the ¹²galleries took more space away from them than from the lower and middle ones in the building.

6 For they were in ¹³three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore * the upper chambers were set back from the ground upward, more than the lower and middle ones.

7 As for the ¹⁴outer wall by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court facing the chambers, its length was fifty cubits.

8 For the length of the chambers which were in the outer court was fifty cubits; and behold, the length of those facing the temple was a ¹⁵hundred cubits.

9 Below these chambers was the ¹⁶entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer court.

10 In the thickness of the ¹⁷wall of the court toward the east, facing * the ¹⁸separate area and facing * the building, there were ¹⁹chambers.

11 The ²⁰way in front of them was like the appearance of the chambers which were on the north, according to their length so was their width, and all their exits were both according to their arrangements and openings.

12 Corresponding to the openings of the chambers which were toward the south was an opening at the head of the way, the way in front of the ²¹wall toward the east, as one enters them.

13 Then he said to me, "The north chambers and the south chambers, which are opposite * the ²²separate area, they are the ²³holy chambers where * the priests who are ²⁴near to the LORD shall eat the ²⁵most holy things. There they shall lay the most holy things, the grain offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering; for the place is holy.

14 "When the priests enter, then they shall not go out into the outer court from the sanctuary without ²⁶laying there their ²⁷garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they shall approach that which is for the people."

15 Now when he had finished measuring the inner house, he brought me out by the way of the ²⁸gate which faced toward the east and measured it all around.

16 He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds by the ²⁹measuring reed.

17 He measured on the north side five hundred reeds by the measuring reed.

18 On the south side he measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.

19 He turned to the west side and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.

20 He measured it on the four sides; it had a ³⁰wall all around, the ³¹length five hundred and the ³²width five hundred, to ³³divide between the holy and the profane.

Ezekiel 42 Commentary

Chapter 42

- In this chapter are described the priests' chambers, their use, and the dimensions of the holy mount on which the temple stood. These chambers were many. Jesus said, In my Father's house are many mansions: in his house on earth there are many; multitudes, by faith, are lodging in his sanctuary, and yet there is room. These chambers, though private, were near the temple. Our religious services in our chambers, must prepare for public devotions, and further us in improving them, as our opportunities are.

Cross References

• 1. Ezek 40:17, 28, 48; Ezekiel 41:1
• 2. Ezekiel 40:17, 20
• 3. Ezekiel 40:20
• 4. Ezekiel 40:17; Ezekiel 42:4
• 5. Ezekiel 41:12; Ezekiel 42:10, 13
• 6. Ezekiel 41:12
• 7. Ezekiel 41:13
• 8. Ezekiel 41:10
• 9. Ezekiel 40:17
• 10. Ezekiel 41:15, 16; Ezekiel 42:5
• 11. Ezekiel 46:19
• 12. Ezekiel 42:3
• 13. Ezekiel 41:6
• 14. Ezekiel 42:10, 12
• 15. Ezekiel 41:13, 14
• 16. Ezekiel 44:5; Ezekiel 46:19
• 17. Ezekiel 42:7
• 18. Ezekiel 42:1, 13
• 19. Ezekiel 40:17
• 20. Ezekiel 42:4
• 21. Ezekiel 42:7
• 22. Ezekiel 42:1, 10
• 23. Exodus 29:31; Leviticus 7:6; Leviticus 10:13, 14, 17
• 24. Leviticus 10:3; Deuteronomy 21:5; Ezekiel 40:46
• 25. Leviticus 6:25, 29; Leviticus 14:13; Numbers 18:9, 10
• 26. Ezekiel 44:19
• 27. Exodus 29:4-9; Leviticus 8:7, 13; Isaiah 61:10; Zechariah 3:4, 5
• 28. Ezekiel 40:6; Ezekiel 43:1
• 29. Ezekiel 40:3
• 30. Isaiah 60:18; Ezekiel 40:5; Zechariah 2:5
• 31. Ezekiel 45:2; Revelation 21:16
• 32. Ezekiel 45:2; Revelation 21:16
• 33. Ezekiel 22:26; Ezekiel 44:23; Ezekiel 48:15

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "passageway"
• [b]. Or "passageway"
• [c]. Lit "shorter"
• [d]. Or "passageways"
• [e]. Or "reduced"
• [f]. Lit "width"
• [g]. Lit "but there they shall lay"
• [h]. Lit "toward the four winds"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 42

In this chapter are a description of some chambers in the northern part of the outward court, Eze 42:1-12, an account of the use made of them by the priests, Eze 42:13,14, the measuring of the area, or whole compass of ground, on which the whole building before measured stood, with the wall that surrounded it, Eze 41:15-20.