Ezekiel — Chapter 42
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1Then 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.
2Before the length of an hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits.
3Over 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.
4And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors toward the north.
5Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building.
6For 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.
7And 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.
8For the length of the chambers that were in the utter court was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were an hundred cubits.
9And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the utter court.
10The chambers were in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, over against the separate place, and over against the building.
11And 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.
12And 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.
13Then 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.
14When 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.
15Now 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.
16He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.
17He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.
18He measured 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 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.
1Then he brought me forth into the outer court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was over against the building toward the north.
2Before the length of a hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits.
3Over against the twenty [cubits] which belonged to the inner court, and over against the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in the third story.
4And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits` breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors were toward the north.
5Now the upper chambers were shorter; for the galleries took away from these, more than from the lower and the middlemost, in the building.
6For they were in three stories, and they had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore [the uppermost] was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground.
7And the wall that was without by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court before the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits.
8For the length of the chambers that were in the outer court was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were a hundred cubits.
9And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth 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 chambers.
11And the way before them was like the appearance of [the way of] the chambers which were toward the north; according to their length so was their breadth: and all their egresses were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors.
12And according to the doors of the chambers 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 entereth into them.
13Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they are the holy chambers, where the priests that are near unto Jehovah shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meal-offering, and the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering; for the place is holy.
14When the priests enter in, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the outer court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy: and they shall put on other garments, and shall approach to that which pertaineth to the people.
15Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about.
16He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.
17He measured on the north side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed round about.
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 round about, the length five hundred, and the breadth five hundred, to make a separation between that which was holy and that which was common.
1Then he led me out to the outer court, toward the north, and brought me to the chamber that was opposite the courtyard and opposite the building on the north.
2Its length was 175 feet on the north side, and its width 87½ feet.
3Opposite the 35 feet that belonged to the inner court, and opposite the pavement that belonged to the outer court, gallery faced gallery in the three stories.
4In front of the chambers was a walkway on the inner side, 17½ feet wide at a distance of 1¾ feet, and their entrances were on the north.
5Now the upper chambers were narrower, because the galleries took more space from them than from the lower and middle chambers of the building.
6For they were in three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore, the upper chambers were set back from the ground more than the lower and middle ones.
7As for the outer wall by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court facing the chambers, it was 87½ feet long.
8For the chambers on the outer court were 87½ feet long, while those facing the temple were 175 feet long.
9Below these chambers was a passage on the east side as one enters from the outer court.
10At the beginning of the wall of the court toward the south, facing the courtyard and the building, were chambers
11like those on the north with a passage in front of them. The chambers that were toward the south were the same length and width as those on the north, and had matching exits and entrances and arrangements.
12There was an opening at the head of the passage, the passage in front of the corresponding wall toward the east when one enters.
13Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers that face the courtyard are holy chambers where the priests who approach the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There they will place the most holy offerings—the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, because the place is holy.
14When the priests enter, then they will not go out from the sanctuary to the outer court without taking off their garments in which they minister, for these are holy; they will put on other garments, then they will go near the places where the people are.”
15Now when he had finished measuring the interior of the temple, he led me out by the gate that faces east and measured all around.
16He measured the east side with the measuring stick as 875 feet by the measuring stick.
17He measured the north side as 875 feet by the measuring stick.
18He measured the south side as 875 feet by the measuring stick.
19He turned to the west side and measured 875 feet by the measuring stick.
20He measured it on all four sides. It had a wall around it, 875 feet long and 875 feet wide, to separate the holy and common places.
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.
2Before 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 third floor.
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, its length was fifty cubits.
8For the length of the rooms that were in the outer court was fifty cubits. Behold, before 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; according to their length so was their width: and all their exits were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors.
12According 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.
13Then 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.
14When 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 to 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, and the width five hundred, to make a separation between that which was holy and that which was common.
Summary
The angelic guide measures the priests' chambers — sacred rooms on the north and south sides of the temple complex where priests eat the holy offerings and change their garments. The chapter concludes with the overall dimensions of the entire temple enclosure: 500 reeds square (approximately 5,250 feet per side), with a wall separating the holy from the common.
Authorship & Background
- The Northern Priests' Chambers (vv.1-9)
- The Southern Priests' Chambers (vv.10-12)
- The Purpose: Eating Holy Things, Changing Garments (vv.13-14)
- The Overall Dimensions of the Temple Complex (vv.15-20)
Map & Geography
- No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com
- Charles Spurgeon: "The separation between the holy and the common is never arbitrary — it is protective. God does not fence off His holiness because He is selfish with it, but because we are fragile before it. The wall is mercy as much as it is boundary."
Reflection
- 1. Holiness requires infrastructure (vv.1-14). You cannot maintain a holy life without STRUCTURES that support it. Designated times for prayer, spaces free from distraction, rhythms that separate sacred from common. These chambers are the Old Testament equivalent of spiritual disciplines. What "chambers" do you have in your daily life dedicated to God?
- 2. What you wear to serve God stays with God (v.14). The priests changed garments — they didn't carry sacred clothing into common spaces. Application: the anointing for ministry is not for showing off in the marketplace. Don't parade your spiritual experiences; steward them with reverence.
- 3. God provides for those who serve Him (v.13). The priests EAT in these chambers. God does not demand service without providing sustenance. He feeds those who feed others. "The labourer is worthy of his hire" (Luke 10:7). If you serve God, He takes responsibility for your provision.
- 4. The wall between holy and common is MERCY, not cruelty (v.20). God is not trying to keep people OUT — He is protecting the sacred so it can bless them properly. Boundaries in your spiritual life are not legalism; they are love. They protect what is precious.
- 5. God cares about practical details (entire chapter). Rooms, doors, measurements, garment storage. Nothing is "too small" for God's attention. If He designs changing rooms for priests, He certainly cares about the practical details of YOUR calling.