For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Romans 15:4
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EZEKIEL 42

A Bible Study - Commentary by Jim Melough

Copyright 2003 James Melough

42:1.  “Then he brought me forth into the utter (outer) 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.”

 

The NEB translates the latter part of this verse, “and brought me to the rooms facing the free space and facing the buildings to the north.

 

42:2.  “Before the length of an hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits.”

 

The length of the building located on the north side was one hundred cubits, and the breadth, fifty cubits.

 

42:3.  “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.”

 

The RSV translates this, “Adjoining the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and facing the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in three stories.”  The NEB rendering of the verse is, “Facing the free space measuring twenty cubits, which adjoined the inner court, and facing the pavement of the outer court, were corridors at three levels corresponding to each other.”  And the AAT translates it, “On opposite sides of the row, facing respectively the yard of twenty cubits in the inner court, and the pavement in the outer court, galleries rose in three stories.”

 

42:4.  “And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors toward the north.”

 

The Sept., translates this, “And over against the chambers was a walk ten cubits broad and a hundred cubits long ...” the RSV rendering being, “And before the chambers was a passage inward, ten cubits wide, and a hundred cubits long ...” the Jerusalem Bible translation being, “and in front of the rooms was a walk, ten cubits broad measured inwards ...” and the AAT rendering being, “and the doors of the chambers opened on it to the north.”

 

42:5.  “Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building.”

 

The ASV translates this, “... for the galleries took away from these, more than from the lower and the middlemost, in the building,” while the RSV renders it, “Now the upper chambers were narrower, for the galleries took more away from them than from the lower and middle chambers in the building.”

 

42:6.  “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.”

 

The NEB translates this, “For they were all at three levels and had no pillars as the courts had, so that the lower and middle levels were recessed from the ground upwards.” 

 

The AAT renders it, “... hence more room was taken from the chambers in the upper and middle stories than from those on the ground floor,” and the NEB renders it, “For they were all at three levels and had no pillars as the courts had, so that the lower and middle levels were recessed from the ground upwards.”

 

42:7.  “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.”

 

This verse is rendered by the RSV as, “And there was a wall outside parallel to the chambers, toward the outer court, opposite the chambers, fifty cubits long,” the NEB translation being, “An outside wall, fifty cubits long, ran parallel to the rooms and in front of them, on the side of the outer court ...”

 

42:8.  “For the length of the chambers that were in the utter court was fifty cubits: and lo, before the temple were an hundred cubits.”

 

The NEB translates this, “The rooms adjacent to the outer court were fifty cubits long, and those facing the sanctuary a hundred cubits ...” while the RSV gives it “For the chambers on the outer court were fifty cubits long, while those opposite the temple were a hundred cubits long ...”

 

42:9.  “And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the utter court.”

 

Other translations of this are as follows: “Below these rooms was an entry from the east as one entered them from the outer court where the wall of the court began,” NEB; “Below these chambers was an entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer court, where the outside wall begins,” RSV.

 

42:10.  “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.”

 

This is also translated, “In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, before the separate place, and before the building, there were chambers,” ASV; “In the thickness of the wall of the court on the south side fronting the court and the building, were rooms,” Jerusalem Bible; “On the south also, opposite the yard and opposite the building, there were chambers,” RSV.

 

42:11.  “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.”

 

“... with 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 and arrangements and doors,” is the RSV rendering of this verse; that of the Jerusalem Bible being, “A walk ran in front of them, as with the rooms built on the north side; they were of the same length and breadth, and had similar design and doors in and out ...”

 

42:12.  “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.”

 

Other translations of this verse are, “They were like the entrances of the southern rooms; one entrance at the end of each walk, fronting the eastern wall, being the way in ...” Jerusalem Bible; “And below the south chambers was an entrance on the east side, where one enters the passage, and opposite them was a dividing wall ...” RSV.

 

42:13.  “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.”

 

This is also rendered, “The north and the south chambers facing the yard are the sacred chambers where the priests who approach the Lord shall eat the most sacred things, and where they shall lay the most sacred things, the cereal-offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings; for the place is sacred,” AAT.

 

42:14.  “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.”

 

The RSV translation of this verse is, “When the priests enter the holy place, they shall not go out of into the outer court without laying there the garments in which they minister ... they shall put on other garments before they go near to that which is for the people.”

 

42:15.  “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.”

 

Another translation of this is, “Now when he had finished measuring the interior of the temple area, he led me out by the gate which faced east, and measured the temple area round about,” RSV.

 

42:16.  “He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.”

 

42:17.  “He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.”

 

42:18.  “He measured the south side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed.”

 

42:19.  “He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.”

 

42:20.  “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.”

 

Since these closing verses are self-explanatory, no comment is deemed necessary.

[Ezekiel 43]

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     Scripture portions taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version
© 2000-2005 James Melough
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