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Rooms for the Priests

42 Then the man led me out of the Temple courtyard by way of the north gateway. We entered the outer courtyard and came to a group of rooms against the north wall of the inner courtyard. This structure, whose entrance opened toward the north, was 175 feet[a] long and 87 1⁄2 feet[b] wide. One block of rooms overlooked the 35-foot[c] width of the inner courtyard. Another block of rooms looked out onto the pavement of the outer courtyard. The two blocks were built three levels high and stood across from each other. Between the two blocks of rooms ran a walkway 17 1⁄2 feet[d] wide. It extended the entire 175 feet of the complex,[e] and all the doors faced north. Each of the two upper levels of rooms was narrower than the one beneath it because the upper levels had to allow space for walkways in front of them. Since there were three levels and they did not have supporting columns as in the courtyards, each of the upper levels was set back from the level beneath it. There was an outer wall that separated the rooms from the outer courtyard; it was 87 1⁄2 feet long. This wall added length to the outer block of rooms, which extended for only 87 1⁄2 feet, while the inner block—the rooms toward the Temple—extended for 175 feet. There was an eastern entrance from the outer courtyard to these rooms.

10 On the south[f] side of the Temple there were two blocks of rooms just south of the inner courtyard between the Temple and the outer courtyard. These rooms were arranged just like the rooms on the north. 11 There was a walkway between the two blocks of rooms just like the complex on the north side of the Temple. This complex of rooms was the same length and width as the other one, and it had the same entrances and doors. The dimensions of each were identical. 12 So there was an entrance in the wall facing the doors of the inner block of rooms, and another on the east at the end of the interior walkway.

13 Then the man told me, “These rooms that overlook the Temple from the north and south are holy. Here the priests who offer sacrifices to the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. And because these rooms are holy, they will be used to store the sacred offerings—the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. 14 When the priests leave the sanctuary, they must not go directly to the outer courtyard. They must first take off the clothes they wore while ministering, because these clothes are holy. They must put on other clothes before entering the parts of the building complex open to the public.”

15 When the man had finished measuring the inside of the Temple area, he led me out through the east gateway to measure the entire perimeter. 16 He measured the east side with his measuring rod, and it was 875 feet long.[g] 17 Then he measured the north side, and it was also 875 feet. 18 The south side was also 875 feet, 19 and the west side was also 875 feet. 20 So the area was 875 feet on each side with a wall all around it to separate what was holy from what was common.

Footnotes

  1. 42:2a Hebrew 100 cubits [53 meters]; also in 42:8.
  2. 42:2b Hebrew 50 cubits [26.5 meters]; also in 42:7, 8.
  3. 42:3 Hebrew 20[-cubit] [10.6-meter].
  4. 42:4a Hebrew 10 cubits [5.3 meters].
  5. 42:4b As in Greek and Syriac versions, which read Its length was 100 cubits [53 meters]; Hebrew reads and a passage 1 cubit [21 inches or 53 centimeters] wide.
  6. 42:10 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads east.
  7. 42:16 As in 45:2 and in Greek version at 42:17, which reads 500 cubits [265 meters]; Hebrew reads 500 rods [5,250 feet or 1,590 meters]; similarly in 42:17, 18, 19, 20.

The Chambers

42 Then he (A)brought me out into the (B)outer court, the way (C)toward the north; and he brought me to the (D)chamber which was opposite the (E)separate area and opposite the (F)building toward the north. Along the length, which was [a]one (G)hundred cubits, was the north door; the width was fifty cubits. Opposite the [b](H)twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and opposite the (I)pavement which belonged to the outer court, was [c](J)gallery corresponding to [d]gallery in three stories. Before the (K)chambers was an inner walk ten cubits wide, a way of [e]one hundred cubits; and their openings were on the north. Now the upper chambers were [f]smaller because the [g](L)galleries took more space away from them than from the lower and middle ones in the building. For they were in (M)three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper chambers were [h]set back from the ground upward, more than the lower and middle ones. As for the (N)outer wall by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court facing the chambers, its length was fifty cubits. 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 one (O)hundred cubits. Below these chambers was the (P)entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer court.

10 In the [i]thickness of the (Q)wall of the court toward the east, facing the (R)separate area and facing the building, there were (S)chambers. 11 The (T)way 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 [j]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 (U)wall toward the east, as one enters them.

13 Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers, which are opposite the (V)separate area, they are the (W)holy chambers where the priests who are (X)near to Yahweh shall eat the (Y)most 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 [k]without (Z)laying there their (AA)garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they shall come near to that which is for the people.”

15 Then he had finished measuring the inner house; he brought me out by the way of the (AB)gate which faced toward the east and measured it all around. 16 He measured on the east [l]side with the measuring reed 500 reeds by the (AC)measuring reed. 17 He measured on the north side 500 reeds by the measuring reed. 18 On the south side he measured 500 reeds with the measuring reed. 19 He turned to the west side and measured 500 reeds with the measuring reed. 20 He measured it [m]on the four sides; it had a (AD)wall all around, the (AE)length 500 and the (AF)width 500, to (AG)divide between the holy and the profane.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 42:2 Approx. 150 ft. long and 75 ft. wide or 45 m and 22.5 m
  2. Ezekiel 42:3 Approx. 30 ft. or 9 m
  3. Ezekiel 42:3 Or passageway
  4. Ezekiel 42:3 Or passageway
  5. Ezekiel 42:4 Or one cubit in width
  6. Ezekiel 42:5 Lit shorter
  7. Ezekiel 42:5 Or passageways
  8. Ezekiel 42:6 Or reduced
  9. Ezekiel 42:10 Lit width
  10. Ezekiel 42:11 Lit judgments
  11. Ezekiel 42:14 Lit but there they shall lay
  12. Ezekiel 42:16 Lit spirit, so in ch, cf. 39:29; 43:5
  13. Ezekiel 42:20 Lit toward the four winds