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42 Then he brought me out into the outer court, the way toward the north. Then he brought me into the room that was opposite the separate place, and which was opposite the building toward the north. Before the length of one hundred cubits[a] was the north door, and the width was fifty cubits. Opposite the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and opposite the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in the third floor. Before the rooms was a walk of ten cubits’ width inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors were toward the north. Now the upper rooms were shorter; for the galleries took away from these, more than from the lower and the middle, in the building. For they were in three stories, and they didn’t have pillars as the pillars of the courts. Therefore the uppermost was set back more than the lowest and the middle from the ground. The wall that was outside by the side of the rooms, toward the outer court before the rooms, its length was fifty cubits. For the length of the rooms that were in the outer court was fifty cubits. Behold, before the temple were one hundred cubits. From under these rooms was the entry on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court.

10 In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, before the separate place, and before the building, there were rooms. 11 The way before them was like the appearance of the rooms which were toward the north; according to their length so was their width: and all their exits were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors. 12 According to the doors of the rooms that were toward the south was a door at the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one enters into them.

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

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Footnotes

  1. 42:2 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.

The Vision of the Outer Court

42 Then he brought me to the outer, north-facing courtyard into the chamber that stood opposite the structure that was facing north. It stood 100 cubits[a] long and 50 cubits[b] wide, with a door in the middle.[c] Opposite the 20 cubits[d] wide inner court, and opposite the paved area that comprised the outer court, there were three stories of galleries that faced each other. In front of the chambers there was an inner walkway ten cubits wide and 100 cubits[e] wide, the openings to which were on the[f] north. The upper chambers were narrower, since the galleries required more space than did the lower and middle portions of the building. The three part structure had no columns, unlike the courts, which is why the upper chambers were offset from the ground upward, more so than the lower and middle chambers.

The outer wall by the side of the chambers toward the outer court and facing the chambers was 50 cubits[g] long. While the chambers in the outer court were 50 cubits[h] in length, the chambers facing the Temple were 100 cubits[i] long. Below these chambers, as one might enter from the outer court, was the east side entrance. 10 There were chambers built into the thick part of the wall of the court facing the east; that is, facing the separate area toward the front of the building, 11 with a passageway in front of them, similar in appearance to the chambers that were on the north, proportional to their length and width, with all of their exits according to their arrangements and doorways. 12 Corresponding to the chamber doorways facing the south was an opening at the beginning of the passage; that is, the passage in front of the corresponding part of the wall facing east as one might enter.

The Place for Holy Things

13 Then he told me, “The north and south chamber, which are opposite the courtyard, are consecrated areas where the priests who approach the Lord will eat consecrated offerings and lay the consecrated grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings, because the area is holy. 14 When the priest enters, they will not enter the outer court from the sanctuary without having removed their garments worn during their time of ministry, because they are holy. They will put on different clothes, and then they will approach the area reserved for the people.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 42:2 I.e. about 175 feet; the royal cubit was 21 inches
  2. Ezekiel 42:2 I.e. about 87.5 feet; the royal cubit was 21 inches
  3. Ezekiel 42:2 Lit. north
  4. Ezekiel 42:3 I.e. about 35 feet; the royal cubit was 21 inches
  5. Ezekiel 42:4 So with LXX Syr; MT reads and one cubit
  6. Ezekiel 42:4 Or which faced
  7. Ezekiel 42:7 I.e. about 87.5 feet; the royal cubit was 21 inches
  8. Ezekiel 42:8 I.e. about 87.5 feet; the royal cubit was 21 inches
  9. Ezekiel 42:8 I.e. about 175 feet; the royal cubit was 21 inches