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Ezekiel 42

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1Then he brought me forth into the outer court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the room that was over against the separate place, and which was over against the building toward the north.

2Before the length of one 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.

4Before the rooms was a walk of ten cubits' breadth 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 straitened 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: and 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 way of] the rooms which were toward the north; according to their length so was their breadth: 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, they are the holy rooms, where the priests who are near to Yahweh 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 in which they minister; for they are holy: and they shall put on other garments, and shall approach to that which pertains 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 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 breadth five hundred, to make a separation between that which was holy and that which was common.

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Matthew Henry Concise Commentary

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Ezekiel 42:1-999 Chapter 42

In this chapter are described the priests' chambers, their use, and the dimensions of the holy mount on which the temple stood. These chambers were many. Jesus said, In my Father's house are many mansions: in his house on earth there are many; multitudes, by faith, are lodging in his sanctuary, and yet there is room. These chambers, though private, were near the temple. Our religious services in our chambers, must prepare for public devotions, and further us in improving them, as our opportunities are.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary

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Ezekiel 42:2 Chambers of the Priests: Measurements of the Temple.

Before the length of an hundred cubits--that is, before "the separate place," which was that length (Eze 41:13). He had before spoken of chambers for the officiating priests on the north and south gates of the inner court (Eze 40:44-46). He now returns to take a more exact view of them.

Ezekiel 42:5 Chambers of the Priests: Measurements of the Temple.

shorter--that is, the building became narrower as it rose in height. The chambers were many: so "in My Father's house are many mansions" (Joh 14:2); and besides these there was much "room" still left (compare Lu 14:22). The chambers, though private, were near the temple. Prayer in our chambers is to prepare us for public devotions, and to help us in improving them.

Ezekiel 42:16 Chambers of the Priests: Measurements of the Temple.

five hundred reeds--the Septuagint substitutes "cubits" for "reeds," to escape the immense compass assigned to the whole, namely, a square of five hundred rods or three thousand cubits (two feet each; Eze 40:5), in all a square of one and one-seventh miles, that is, more than all ancient Jerusalem; also, there is much space thus left unappropriated. Fairbairn rightly supports English Version, which agrees with the Hebrew. The vast extent is another feature marking the ideal character of the temple. It symbolizes the great enlargement of the kingdom of God, when Jehovah-Messiah shall reign at Jerusalem, and from thence to the ends of the earth (Isa 2:2-4; Jer 3:17; Ro 11:12, 15).

Ezekiel 42:20 Chambers of the Priests: Measurements of the Temple.

wall ... separation between ... sanctuary and ... profane--No longer shall the wall of partition be to separate the Jew and the Gentile (Eph 2:14), but to separate the sacred from the profane. The lowness of it renders it unfit for the purpose of defense (the object of the wall, Re 21:12). But its square form (as in the city, Re 21:16) is the emblem of the kingdom that cannot be shaken (Heb 12:28), resting on prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ being the chief corner-stone.

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Church: Holy Place Ezekiel 42:13

Then the man said to me, “The north and south chambers facing the temple courtyard are the 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 offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings—for the place is holy.

Church: Sanctuary Ezekiel 42:20

So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.

Meat-Offerings: Laid up in a Chamber of the Temple Ezekiel 42:13

Then the man said to me, “The north and south chambers facing the temple courtyard are the 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 offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings—for the place is holy.

Offerings: Meat: Provided for in the Vision of Ezekiel Ezekiel 42:13

Then the man said to me, “The north and south chambers facing the temple courtyard are the 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 offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings—for the place is holy.

Priest: The Time of Moses: Don Vestments in the Temple Area Ezekiel 42:14

Once the priests have entered the holy area, they must not go out into the outer court until they have left behind the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they approach the places that are for the people.”

Reed used As a Measuring Device (Six Cubits) Ezekiel 42:16–19

With a measuring rod he measured the east side to be five hundred cubits long. / He measured the north side to be five hundred cubits long. / He measured the south side to be five hundred cubits long.

Sanctuary: The Holy Place in the Temple Ezekiel 42:20

So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.

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