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Chambers for the Temple

42 Then he led me out to the outer court, toward the north, and brought me to the chamber that was opposite the courtyard and opposite the building on the north. Its length was 175 feet[a] on the north side,[b] and its width 87½ feet.[c] Opposite the 35 feet[d] that belonged to the inner court, and opposite the pavement that belonged to the outer court, gallery faced gallery in the three stories. In front of the chambers was a walkway on the inner side, 17½ feet[e] wide at a distance of 1¾ feet,[f] and their entrances were on the north. Now the upper chambers were narrower, because the galleries took more space[g] from them than from the lower and middle chambers of the building. For they were in three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore, the upper chambers[h] were set back from the ground more than the lower and middle ones. As for the outer wall by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court facing the chambers, it was 87½ feet[i] long. For the chambers on the outer court were 87½ feet[j] long, while those facing the temple were 175 feet[k] long. Below these chambers was a passage on the east side as one enters from the outer court.

10 At the beginning[l] of the wall of the court toward the south,[m] facing the courtyard and the building, were chambers 11 like those on the north with a passage in front of them. The chambers that were toward the south were the same length and width as those on the north, and had matching exits and entrances and arrangements. 12 There was an opening at the head of the passage, the passage in front of the corresponding wall toward the east when one enters.

13 Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers that face the courtyard are holy chambers where the priests[n] who approach the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There they will place the most holy offerings—the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, because the place is holy. 14 When the priests enter, then they will not go out from the sanctuary to the outer court without taking off their garments in which they minister, for these are holy; they will put on other garments, then they will go near the places where the people are.”

15 Now when he had finished measuring the interior of the temple, he led me out by the gate that faces east and measured all around. 16 He measured the east side with the measuring stick[o] as 875 feet[p] by the measuring stick. 17 He measured the north side as 875 feet by the measuring stick. 18 He measured the south side as 875 feet by the measuring stick. 19 He turned to the west side and measured 875 feet by the measuring stick. 20 He measured it on all four sides. It had a wall around it, 875 feet long and 875 feet wide, to separate the holy and common places.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 42:2 tn Heb “100 cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
  2. Ezekiel 42:2 tn Heb “the door of the north.”
  3. Ezekiel 42:2 tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
  4. Ezekiel 42:3 tn Heb “20 cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).
  5. Ezekiel 42:4 tn Heb “10 cubits” (i.e., 5.25 meters).
  6. Ezekiel 42:4 tc Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm). The LXX and the Syriac read: “100 cubits” (= 175 feet or about 53m).
  7. Ezekiel 42:5 tn The verb יוֹכְלוּ (yokhelu) “took space” is listed by BDB 37 as אָכַל (’akhal, “eat, consume”), though it prefers to emend the text. HALOT also lists this verb as אכל (1:46) while also listing it under יכל,“prevail” (2:410-11). If אָכַל is correct, then the א (’alef) has dropped out. See the note at Ezek 21:28. BHS refers to a few medieval manuscripts and a Qumran manuscript including the א, יֹאכְלוּ instead of יוֹכְלוּ; both are pronounced the same.
  8. Ezekiel 42:6 tn The phrase “upper chambers” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied from the context.
  9. Ezekiel 42:7 tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
  10. Ezekiel 42:8 tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
  11. Ezekiel 42:8 tn Heb “100 cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
  12. Ezekiel 42:10 tc The reading is supported by the LXX.
  13. Ezekiel 42:10 tc This reading is supported by the LXX; the MT reads: “east.”
  14. Ezekiel 42:13 sn The priests are from the Zadokite family (Ezek 40:6; 44:15).
  15. Ezekiel 42:16 tn Heb “reed” (also in the following verses).
  16. Ezekiel 42:16 tn Heb “500 cubits” (i.e., 262.5 meters).

The Temple's Chambers

42 Then he led me out into (A)the outer court, (B)toward the north, and he brought me to (C)the chambers that were opposite (D)the separate yard and opposite (E)the building on the north. The length of the building whose door faced north was (F)a hundred cubits,[a] and (G)the breadth fifty cubits. Facing (H)the twenty cubits that belonged to the inner court, and facing (I)the pavement that belonged to the outer court, was (J)gallery[b] against gallery in three stories. And (K)before the chambers was a passage inward, ten cubits wide and (L)a hundred cubits long,[c] and (M)their doors were on the north. Now the upper chambers were narrower, for the galleries took more away from them than from the lower and middle chambers of the building. For they were in three stories, and they had no pillars like the pillars of the courts. Thus the upper chambers were set back from the ground more than the lower and the middle ones. And (N)there was a wall outside parallel to the chambers, toward the outer court, opposite the chambers, (O)fifty cubits long. For the chambers on the outer court were fifty cubits long, while those opposite (P)the nave[d] were (Q)a hundred cubits long. Below these chambers was (R)an entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer court.

10 In the thickness of (S)the wall of the court, on the south[e] also, opposite (T)the yard and opposite (U)the building, there were (V)chambers 11 with (W)a passage in front of them. They were similar to the chambers on the north, of the same length and breadth, with the same exits[f] and arrangements and (X)doors, 12 as were the entrances of the chambers on the south. There was an entrance at the beginning of the passage, the passage before (Y)the corresponding wall on the east as one enters them.[g]

13 Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers opposite (Z)the yard are the holy chambers, (AA)where the priests who approach the Lord (AB)shall eat the (AC)most holy offerings. There they shall put the most holy offerings—(AD)the grain offering, (AE)the sin offering, and (AF)the guilt offering—for the place is holy. 14 When the priests enter the Holy Place, they shall not go out of it into the outer court (AG)without laying there the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. (AH)They shall put on other garments before they go near to that which is for the people.”

15 Now when he had finished measuring the interior of the temple area, he led me out by (AI)the gate that faced east, and measured the temple area all around. 16 He measured the east side with (AJ)the measuring reed, 500 cubits by the measuring reed all around. 17 He measured the north side, 500 cubits by the measuring reed all around. 18 He measured the south side, 500 cubits by the measuring reed. 19 Then he turned to the west side and measured, 500 cubits by the measuring reed. 20 He measured it on the four sides. It had (AK)a wall around it, (AL)500 cubits long and (AM)500 cubits broad, (AN)to make a separation between the holy and the common.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 42:2 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  2. Ezekiel 42:3 The meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown; also verse 5
  3. Ezekiel 42:4 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew and a way of one cubit
  4. Ezekiel 42:8 Or temple
  5. Ezekiel 42:10 Septuagint; Hebrew east
  6. Ezekiel 42:11 Hebrew and all their exits
  7. Ezekiel 42:12 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain