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The Chambers for the Priests

42 Then he brought me out into the outer court, toward the north; and he brought me into the chamber that was opposite the separate yard and which was opposite the building on the north. Before the length of a hundred cubits was the north door, and the width was fifty cubits.[a] Opposite the twenty cubits[b] that belonged to the inner court, and opposite the pavement that belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in three stories. In front of the chambers was a passage on the inner side, ten cubits wide and one hundred cubits[c] deep; and their doors faced north. Now the upper chambers were shorter. For the galleries were higher than these, than the lower and the middle ones of the building. For they were in three stories, but had no pillars as the pillars of the courts. Therefore the building was set back more than the lowest and the middle ones from the ground. And a wall that was outside was parallel to the chambers, toward the outer court, opposite the chambers; its length was fifty cubits. For the length of the chambers that were in the outer court was fifty cubits. And the length of those before the temple was a hundred cubits. From under these chambers was the entrance on the east side as one goes into them from the outer court.

10 The chambers were in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, opposite the separate yard and opposite the building, 11 with a passage in front of them; they were like the appearance of the chambers which were toward the north, of the same length and width. And all their exits and arrangements were according to plan. 12 Corresponding to the doors of the chambers that were facing south was a door at the head of the passage way, the passage way directly in front of the wall toward the east.

13 Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the Lord shall eat the most holy offerings. There they shall lay the most holy offerings—the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering—for the place is holy. 14 When the priests enter it, then they shall not go out of the holy place into the outer court, but there they shall lay their garments in which they minister, for they are holy. And they shall put on other garments, and shall approach those things which are for the people.”

15 Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner temple, he brought me out by the gate that faces east, and measured it all around. 16 He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred cubits[d] with the measuring reed all around. 17 He measured the north side with the measuring reed round about, five hundred reeds. 18 He measured the south side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds. 19 He turned about to the west side and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. 20 He measured it by the four sides. It had a wall all around, five hundred reeds long and five hundred wide,[e] to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 42:2 About 175 feet long and 88 feet wide, or 53 meters long and 27 meters wide.
  2. Ezekiel 42:3 About 35 feet, or 11 meters.
  3. Ezekiel 42:4 About 18 feet wide and 175 feet long, or 5.3 meters wide and 53 meters long.
  4. Ezekiel 42:16 Five hundred cubits equal about 875 feet, or 265 meters; and in vv. 17, 18, and 19.
  5. Ezekiel 42:20 Five hundred cubits equal about 875 feet, or 265 meters.

42 Then he brought me forth into the outer court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was over against the building toward the north. Before the length of a hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits. Over against the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and over against the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery [a]in the third story. And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits’ breadth inward, a way of [b]one cubit; and their doors were toward the north. Now the upper chambers were shorter; for the galleries took away from these, more than from the lower and the middlemost, in the building. For they were in three stories, and they had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the uppermost was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground. And the [c]wall that was without by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court before the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits. For the length of the chambers that were in the outer court was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were a hundred cubits. And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the outer court.

10 In the thickness of the [d]wall of the court toward the east, before the separate place, and before the building, there were chambers. 11 And the way before them was like the appearance of the way of the chambers which were toward the north; [e]according to their length so was their breadth: and all their egresses were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors. 12 And according to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door at the head of the way, even the way directly before the [f]wall toward the east, as one entereth into them.

13 Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they are the holy chambers, where the priests that are near unto Jehovah shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meal-offering, and the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering; for the place is holy. 14 When the priests enter in, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the outer court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy: and they shall put on other garments, and shall approach to that which pertaineth to the people.

15 Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about. 16 He measured on the east [g]side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. 17 He measured on the north [h]side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed round about. 18 He measured on the south [i]side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. 19 He turned about to the west [j]side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. 20 He measured it [k]on the four sides: it had a wall round about, the length five hundred, and the breadth five hundred, to make a separation between that which was holy and that which was common.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 42:3 Or, in three stories
  2. Ezekiel 42:4 According to Septuagint and Syriac, a hundred cubits.
  3. Ezekiel 42:7 Or, fence
  4. Ezekiel 42:10 Or, fence
  5. Ezekiel 42:11 Or, they were as long as they, and as broad as they
  6. Ezekiel 42:12 Or, fence
  7. Ezekiel 42:16 Hebrew wind.
  8. Ezekiel 42:17 Hebrew wind.
  9. Ezekiel 42:18 Hebrew wind.
  10. Ezekiel 42:19 Hebrew wind.
  11. Ezekiel 42:20 Hebrew toward the four winds.