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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.”

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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

Chambers and promenades

42 Then he led me north to the outer courtyard and brought me into the set of chambers opposite the yard and the structure to the north. The length of the facade at the north entrance was one hundred fifty feet, its depth seventy-five feet. It was next to the twenty chambers that belonged to the inner courtyard and next to the pavement of the outer courtyard, and it had three courses of promenades. In front of the chambers there was a passage fifteen feet wide, and to the inside, a passage eighteen inches wide. The entrance to the chambers was on the north. The upper chambers were smaller, because the promenades took up more space from them than from the first and second stories. This was because the promenades were arranged in three levels, but they didn’t have columns like those in the courtyards. For this reason, the top story was narrower than the first and second stories. A stone wall ran parallel to the chambers facing the outer courtyard. It was seventy-five feet long, the same length, seventy-five feet, as the chambers facing the outer courtyard. Those facing the temple were one hundred fifty feet. 9-10 These chambers were entered from the outer courtyard at the end of the courtyard wall, because the entrance was at the end of the chambers at the east. South of the yard and the building, there were more chambers with a passage 11 in front of them. The design of the chambers resembled the ones to the north in length and width, as well as in all their exits. The arrangement of the entrances 12 to the chambers on the south side was identical as well. One entered from the east at the beginning of the corresponding wall.

13 Then he said to me, “The north and south chambers that face the building and the yard are the holy chambers where the priests eat the offerings that have been brought to the Lord. They are most holy. Here they will place the most holy things, the grain offering, the purification offering, and the compensation offering. The place is holy. 14 When the priests enter, they won’t go out of the sanctuary to the outer courtyard. There they will place the priestly vests that they wore when they were ministering, because these garments are also holy. They will put on other garments when they go out to the people’s area.”

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