Ezekiel 42
The Priests' Chambers and Temple Measurements
1Then 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.
2Facing the length of one hundred cubits was the north door, and the width was fifty cubits.
3Opposite 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 three stories.
4Before the rooms was a walk of ten cubits’ width inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors were toward the north.
5Now the upper rooms were shorter; for the galleries took away from these more than from the lower and the middle in the building.
6For 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.
7The wall that was outside by the side of the rooms, toward the outer court before the rooms, was fifty cubits long.
8For the length of the rooms that were in the outer court was fifty cubits. Behold, those facing the temple were one hundred cubits.
9From under these rooms was the entry on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court.
10In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, before the separate place, and before the building, there were rooms.
11The way before them was like the appearance of the rooms which were toward the north. Their length and width were the same. All their exits had the same arrangement and doors.
12Like 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.
13Then he said to me, “The north rooms and the south rooms, which are opposite the separate place, are the holy rooms, where the priests who are near to the LORD 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.
14When the priests enter in, then they shall not go out of the holy place into the outer court until they 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.”
15Now when he had finished measuring the inner house, he brought me out by the way of the gate which faces toward the east, and measured it all around.
16He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed all around.
17He measured on the north side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed all around.
18He measured on the south side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
19He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
20He measured it on the four sides. It had a wall around it, the length five hundred cubits, and the width five hundred cubits, to make a separation between that which was holy and that which was common.
Ezekiel receives a detailed tour of the priests' chambers located north and south of the temple complex, learning their specific dimensions and sacred functions. These holy rooms serve as places where priests consume the most holy offerings and change their garments before entering public areas, maintaining the separation between sacred and common spaces. The chapter concludes with measurements of the entire temple complex, revealing a perfect square of 500 cubits on each side, surrounded by a wall that separates the holy from the profane.
Context
This chapter completes the detailed temple vision that began in chapter 40, providing the final measurements before Ezekiel witnesses God's glory returning to the temple in chapter 43.
Key Themes
Outline
- 1-2Tour of the Northern ChambersThe guide leads Ezekiel to examine rooms opposite the temple building, providing specific measurements.
- 3-6Architectural Details of the ChambersDescription of the three-story gallery structure with walkways and varying room sizes.
- 7-12Layout and Access PointsDetails of walls, entrances, and the symmetrical arrangement of northern and southern chamber complexes.
- 13-14Sacred Function of the Priests' RoomsExplanation of how priests use these holy chambers for consuming offerings and changing garments.
- 15-20Overall Temple Complex MeasurementsFinal measurements reveal the entire sacred precinct as a perfect square surrounded by a separating wall.
The Priests' Chambers and Temple Measurements
42:1–42:20The vision describes the priests' chambers and their function in temple worship, emphasizing the separation between holy and common. This highlights the proper order and sanctity required for temple service.
person_contrast
Ezekiel, typically associated with divine judgment and exile, here meticulously details sacred architecture where priests transition between holy and common spaces, emphasizing ritual purity over prophetic condemnation.
Ezekiel 42:1
Ezekiel 41:15lexicalHe measured the length of the building before the separate place which was at its back, and its galleries on the one sid…
Ezekiel 44:19lexicalWhen they go out into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in whi…
Ezekiel 40:17lexicalThen he brought me into the outer court. Behold, there were rooms and a pavement made for the court all around. Thirty r…
Ezekiel 40:20lexicalHe measured the length and width of the gate of the outer court which faces toward the north.
Ezekiel 40:44lexicalOutside of the inner gate were rooms for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate. They f…
Ezekiel 42:2
Ezekiel 40:21lexicalThe lodges of it were three on this side and three on that side. Its posts and its arches were the same as the measure o…
Ezekiel 40:36lexicalits lodges, its posts, and its arches. There were windows in it all around. The length was fifty cubits and the width tw…
Exodus 27:18lexicalThe length of the court shall be one hundred cubits, and the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits, of fine…
Ezekiel 40:25lexicalThere were windows in it and in its arches all around, like the other windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the widt…
1 Kings 7:2lexicalFor he built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was one hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its heig…
Ezekiel 42:3
Ezekiel 40:17lexicalThen he brought me into the outer court. Behold, there were rooms and a pavement made for the court all around. Thirty r…
Esther 5:1lexicalNow on the third day, Esther put on her royal clothing and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, next to the kin…
Ezekiel 40:23lexicalThere was a gate to the inner court facing the other gate, on the north and on the east. He measured one hundred cubits…
Ezekiel 8:16lexicalHe brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and I saw at the door of the LORD’s temple, between the porch an…
Ezekiel 42:4
Ezekiel 40:19lexicalThen he measured the width from the forefront of the lower gate to the forefront of the inner court outside, one hundred…
Ezekiel 41:11lexicalThe doors of the side rooms were toward an open area that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward t…
Ezekiel 41:2lexicalThe width of the entrance was ten cubits, and the sides of the entrance were five cubits on the one side, and five cubit…
Ezekiel 40:11lexicalHe measured the width of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits;
Ezekiel 40:44lexicalOutside of the inner gate were rooms for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate. They f…
Ezekiel 42:5
Ezekiel 41:7lexicalThe side rooms were wider on the higher levels, because the walls were narrower at the higher levels. Therefore the widt…
1 Kings 6:6lexicalThe lowest floor was five cubits wide, and the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for on t…
Ezekiel 42:6
Ezekiel 41:7lexicalThe side rooms were wider on the higher levels, because the walls were narrower at the higher levels. Therefore the widt…
1 Kings 6:6lexicalThe lowest floor was five cubits wide, and the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for on t…
Ezekiel 42:7
Exodus 38:18lexicalThe screen for the gate of the court was the work of the embroiderer, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. T…
Exodus 27:18lexicalThe length of the court shall be one hundred cubits, and the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits, of fine…
Ezekiel 40:17lexicalThen he brought me into the outer court. Behold, there were rooms and a pavement made for the court all around. Thirty r…
Ezekiel 44:19lexicalWhen they go out into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in whi…
Ezekiel 40:20lexicalHe measured the length and width of the gate of the outer court which faces toward the north.
Ezekiel 42:8
Ezekiel 41:15lexicalHe measured the length of the building before the separate place which was at its back, and its galleries on the one sid…
Exodus 27:18lexicalThe length of the court shall be one hundred cubits, and the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits, of fine…
Ezekiel 44:19lexicalWhen they go out into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in whi…
Ezekiel 40:17lexicalThen he brought me into the outer court. Behold, there were rooms and a pavement made for the court all around. Thirty r…
Ezekiel 40:20lexicalHe measured the length and width of the gate of the outer court which faces toward the north.
Ezekiel 42:10
Ezekiel 41:12lexicalThe building that was before the separate place at the side toward the west was seventy cubits wide; and the wall of the…
Ezekiel 41:15lexicalHe measured the length of the building before the separate place which was at its back, and its galleries on the one sid…
Ezekiel 41:14lexicalalso the width of the face of the temple, and of the separate place toward the east, one hundred cubits.
Ezekiel 40:44lexicalOutside of the inner gate were rooms for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate. They f…
Ezekiel 40:19lexicalThen he measured the width from the forefront of the lower gate to the forefront of the inner court outside, one hundred…
Ezekiel 42:11
Ezekiel 45:5lexicalTwenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width shall be for the Levites, the ministers of the house, as…
Ezekiel 40:20lexicalHe measured the length and width of the gate of the outer court which faces toward the north.
Ezekiel 48:10lexicalFor these, even for the priests, shall be the holy offering: toward the north twenty-five thousand in length, and toward…
Ezekiel 41:2lexicalThe width of the entrance was ten cubits, and the sides of the entrance were five cubits on the one side, and five cubit…
Ezekiel 40:11lexicalHe measured the width of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits;
Ezekiel 42:13
Ezekiel 41:11lexicalThe doors of the side rooms were toward an open area that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward t…
Numbers 18:9lexicalThis shall be yours of the most holy things from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal offering of theirs,…
Ezekiel 46:20lexicalHe said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, and where the…
Ezekiel 46:19lexicalThen he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy rooms for the priests, which look…
Leviticus 14:13lexicalHe shall kill the male lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the place of the sa…
Ezekiel 42:14
Ezekiel 44:19lexicalWhen they go out into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in whi…
Ezekiel 44:27lexicalIn the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin o…
Ezekiel 44:17lexical“‘“It will be that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments. No woo…
Numbers 4:12lexical“They shall take all the vessels of ministry with which they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth, co…
Exodus 39:41lexicalthe finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments o…
Ezekiel 42:15
Ezekiel 40:32lexicalHe brought me into the inner court toward the east. He measured the gate according to these measurements;
Ezekiel 40:28lexicalThen he brought me to the inner court by the south gate. He measured the south gate according to these measurements;
Ezekiel 40:23lexicalThere was a gate to the inner court facing the other gate, on the north and on the east. He measured one hundred cubits…
Ezekiel 40:19lexicalThen he measured the width from the forefront of the lower gate to the forefront of the inner court outside, one hundred…
Ezekiel 40:27lexicalThere was a gate to the inner court toward the south. He measured one hundred cubits from gate to gate toward the south.
Ezekiel 42:16
Ezekiel 40:5lexicalBehold, there was a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed six cubits long,…
Ezekiel 40:6lexicalThen he came to the gate which looks toward the east, and went up its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate, one…
Ezekiel 40:32lexicalHe brought me into the inner court toward the east. He measured the gate according to these measurements;
Ezekiel 48:16lexicalThese shall be its measurements: the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and fiv…
Ezekiel 40:29lexicalwith its lodges, its posts, and its arches, according to these measurements. There were windows in it and in its arches…
Ezekiel 42:17
Ezekiel 40:5lexicalBehold, there was a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed six cubits long,…
Ezekiel 40:35lexicalHe brought me to the north gate, and he measured it according to these measurements—
Ezekiel 48:16lexicalThese shall be its measurements: the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and fiv…
Ezekiel 48:30lexical“These are the exits of the city: On the north side four thousand five hundred reeds by measure;
Ezekiel 40:29lexicalwith its lodges, its posts, and its arches, according to these measurements. There were windows in it and in its arches…
Ezekiel 42:18
Ezekiel 40:24lexicalHe led me toward the south; and behold, there was a gate toward the south. He measured its posts and its arches accordin…
Ezekiel 40:28lexicalThen he brought me to the inner court by the south gate. He measured the south gate according to these measurements;
Ezekiel 40:5lexicalBehold, there was a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed six cubits long,…
Ezekiel 42:19
Ezekiel 40:5lexicalBehold, there was a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed six cubits long,…
Ezekiel 48:16lexicalThese shall be its measurements: the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and fiv…
Ezekiel 42:20
Ezekiel 45:1lexical“‘“Moreover, when you divide by lot the land for inheritance, you shall offer an offering to the LORD, a holy portion of…
Ezekiel 22:26lexicalHer priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the hol…
Leviticus 10:10lexicalYou are to make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean.
Ezekiel 41:2lexicalThe width of the entrance was ten cubits, and the sides of the entrance were five cubits on the one side, and five cubit…
Ezekiel 40:5lexicalBehold, there was a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed six cubits long,…
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