42 Then he brought me forth into the utter court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was before the building toward the north.

Before the length of an hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits.

Over against the twenty cubits which were for the inner court, and over against the pavement which was for the utter court, was gallery against gallery in three stories.

And before the chambers was a walk to ten cubits breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors toward the north.

Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building.

For they were in three stories, but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the building was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground.

And the wall that was without over against the chambers, toward the utter court on the forepart of the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits.

For the length of the chambers that were in the utter court was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were an hundred cubits.

And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the utter court.

10 The chambers were in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, over against the separate place, and over against the building.

11 And the way before them was like the appearance of the chambers which were toward the north, as long as they, and as broad as they: and all their goings out 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 in the head of the way, even the way directly before the 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 be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the Lord shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy.

14 When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people.

15 Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about.

16 He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.

17 He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.

18 He measured the south side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed.

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 round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.

The Chambers for the Priests

42 Then he (A)brought me out into the outer court, by the way toward the (B)north; and he brought me into (C)the chamber which was opposite the separating courtyard, and which was opposite the building toward the north. Facing the length, which was one hundred cubits (the width was fifty cubits), was the north door. Opposite the inner court of twenty cubits, and opposite the (D)pavement of the outer court, was (E)gallery against gallery in three stories. In front of the chambers, toward the inside, was a walk ten cubits wide, at a distance of one cubit; and their doors faced north. Now the upper chambers were shorter, because the galleries took away space from them more than from the lower and middle stories of the building. For they were in three stories and did not have pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper level was [a]shortened more than the lower and middle levels from the ground up. And a wall which was outside ran parallel to the chambers, at the front of the chambers, toward the outer court; its length was fifty cubits. The length of the chambers toward the outer court was fifty cubits, whereas that facing the temple was one (F)hundred cubits. At the lower chambers was the entrance on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court.

10 Also there were chambers in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, opposite the separating courtyard and opposite the building. 11 (G)There was a walk in front of them also, and their appearance was like the chambers which were toward the north; they were as long and as wide as the others, and all their exits and entrances were according to plan. 12 And corresponding to the doors of the chambers that were facing south, as one enters them, there was a door in front of the walk, the 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 opposite the separating courtyard, are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the Lord (H)shall eat the most holy offerings. There they shall lay the most holy offerings—(I)the grain offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering—for the place is holy. 14 (J)When the priests enter them, they shall not go out of the holy chamber into the outer court; but there they shall leave their garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they may approach that which is for the people.”

Outer Dimensions of the Temple

15 Now when he had finished measuring the inner [b]temple, he brought me out through the gateway that faces toward the (K)east, and measured it all around. 16 He measured the east side with the [c]measuring rod, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around. 17 He measured the north side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around. 18 He measured the south side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod. 19 He came around to the west side and measured five hundred rods by the measuring rod. 20 He measured it on the four sides; (L)it had a wall all around, (M)five hundred cubits long and five hundred wide, to separate the holy areas from the [d]common.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 42:6 Or narrowed
  2. Ezekiel 42:15 Lit. house
  3. Ezekiel 42:16 About 10.5 feet, Ezek. 40:5
  4. Ezekiel 42:20 Or profane

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