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Ezekiel 42:3 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

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3 Over against the twenty H6242 cubits which were for the inner H6442 court, H2691 and over against the pavement H7531 which was for the utter H2435 court, H2691 was gallery H862 against H6440 gallery H862 in three H7992 stories.

Cross Reference

Ezekiel 41:15-16 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

And he measured H4058 the length H753 of the building H1146 over against H6440 the separate place H1508 which was behind H310 it, and the galleries H862 thereof on the one side and on the other side, an hundred H3967 cubits, H520 with the inner H6442 temple, H1964 and the porches H197 of the court; H2691 The door posts, H5592 and the narrow H331 windows, H2474 and the galleries H862 round about H5439 on their three stories, H7969 over against H5048 the door, H5592 cieled H7824 with wood H6086 round about, H5439 and from the ground H776 up to the windows, H2474 and the windows H2474 were covered; H3680

Ezekiel 41:10 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

And between the chambers H3957 was the wideness H7341 of twenty H6242 cubits H520 round about H5439 the house H1004 on every side. H5439

2 Chronicles 7:3 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

And when all the children H1121 of Israel H3478 saw H7200 how the fire H784 came down, H3381 and the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 upon the house, H1004 they bowed H3766 themselves with their faces H639 to the ground H776 upon the pavement, H7531 and worshipped, H7812 and praised H3034 the LORD, H3068 saying, For he is good; H2896 for his mercy H2617 endureth for ever. H5769

Song of Solomon 1:17 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

The beams H6982 of our house H1004 are cedar, H730 and our rafters H7351 H7351 of fir. H1266

Song of Solomon 7:5 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

Thine head H7218 upon thee is like Carmel, H3760 and the hair H1803 of thine head H7218 like purple; H713 the king H4428 is held H631 in the galleries. H7298

Ezekiel 40:17-18 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

Then brought H935 he me into the outward H2435 court, H2691 and, lo, there were chambers, H3957 and a pavement H7531 made H6213 for the court H2691 round about: H5439 thirty H7970 chambers H3957 were upon the pavement. H7531 And the pavement H7531 by the side H3802 of the gates H8179 over against H5980 the length H753 of the gates H8179 was the lower H8481 pavement. H7531

Ezekiel 42:5 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

Now the upper H5945 chambers H3957 were shorter: H7114 for the galleries H862 were higher H398 than these, H2007 than the lower, H8481 and than the middlemost H8484 of the building. H1146

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 42

Commentary on Ezekiel 42 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill   Keil & Delitzsch   Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible  

Chapter 42

This chapter continues and concludes the describing and measuring of this mystical temple, which it is very hard to understand the particular architecture of, and yet more hard to comprehend the mystical meaning of. Here is,

  • I. A description of the chambers that were about the courts, their situation and structure (v. 1-13), and the uses for which they were designed (v. 13, 14).
  • II. A survey of the whole compass of ground which was taken up with the house, and the courts belonging to it (v. 15-20).

Eze 42:1-14

The prophet has taken a very exact view of the temple and the buildings belonging to it, and is now brought again into the outer court, to observe the chambers that were in that square.

  • I. Here is a description of these chambers, which (as that which went before) seems to us very perplexed and intricate, through our unacquaintedness with the Hebrew language and the rules of architecture at that time. We shall only observe, in general,
    • 1. That about the temple, which was the place of public worship, there were private chambers, to teach us that our attendance upon God in solemn ordinances will not excuse us from the duties of the closet. We must not only worship in the courts of God's house, but must, both before and after our attendance there, enter into our chambers, enter into our closets, and read and meditate, and pray to our Father in secret; and a great deal of comfort the people of God have found in their communion with God in solitude.
    • 2. That these chambers were many; there were three stories of them, and, though the higher stories were not so large as the lower, yet they served as well for retirement, v. 5, 6. There were many, that there might be conveniences for all such devout people as Anna the prophetess, who departed not from the temple night or day, Lu. 2:37. In my Father's house are many mansions. In his house on earth there are so; multitudes by faith have taken lodgings in his sanctuary, and yet there is room.
    • 3. That these chambers, though they were private, yet were near the temple, within view of it, within reach of it, to teach us to prefer public worship before private (the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob, and so must we), and to refer our private worship to the public. Our religious performances in our chambers must be to prepare us for the exercises of devotion in public, and to further us in our improvement of them, as our opportunities are.
    • 4. That before these chambers there were walks of five yards broad (v. 4), in which those that had lodgings in these chambers might meet for conversation, might walk and talk together for their mutual edification, might communicate their knowledge and experiences. For we are not to spend all our time between the church and the chamber, though a great deal of time may be spent to very good purpose in both. But man is made for society, and Christians for the communion of saints; and the duties of that communion we must make conscience of, and the privileges and pleasures of that communion we must take the comfort of. It is promised to Joshua, who was high priest in the second temple, that God will give him places to walk in among those that stand by, Zec. 3:7.
  • II. Here is the use of these chambers appointed, v. 13, 14.
    • 1. They were for the priests that approach unto the Lord, that they may be always near their business and may not be non-residents. Therefore they are called holy chambers, because they were for use of those that ministered in holy things during their ministration. Those that have public work to do for God and the souls of men have need to be much in private, to fit themselves for it. Ministers should spend much time in their chambers, in reading, meditation, and prayer, that their profiting may appear; and they ought to be provided with conveniences for this purpose.
    • 2. There the priests were to deposit the most holy things, those parts of the offerings which fell to their share; and there they were to eat them, they and their families, in a religious manner, for the place is holy; and thus they must make a difference between those feasts upon the sacrifice and other meals.
    • 3. There (among other uses) they were to lay their vestments, which God had appointed them to wear when they ministered at the altar, their linen ephods, coats, girdles, and bonnets. We read of the providing of priests garments after their return out of captivity, Neh. 7:70, 72. When they had ended their service at the altar they must lay by those garments, to signify that the use of them should continue only during that dispensation; but they must put on other garments, such as other people wear, when they approached to those things which were for the people, that is, to do that part of their service which related to the people, to teach them the law and to answer their enquiries. Their holy garments must be laid up, that they may be kept clean and decent for the credit of their service.

Eze 42:15-20

We have attended the measuring of this mystical temple and are now to see how far the holy ground on which we tread extends; and that also is here measured, and found to take in a great compass. Observe,

  • 1. What the dimensions of it were. It extended each way 500 reeds (v. 16-19), each reed above three yards and a half, so that it reached every way about an English measured mile, which, the ground lying square, was above four miles round. Thus large were the suburbs (as I may call them) of this mystical temple, signifying the great extent of the church in gospel-times, when all nations should be discipled and the kingdoms of the world made Christ's kingdoms. Room should be made in God's courts for the numerous forces of the Gentiles that shall flow into them, as was foretold, Isa. 49:18; 60:4. It is in part fulfilled already in the accession of the Gentiles to the church; and we trust it shall have a more full accomplishment when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in and all Israel shall be saved.
  • 2. Why the dimensions of it were made thus large. It was to make a separation, by putting a very large distance between the sanctuary and the profane place; and therefore there was a wall surrounding it, to keep off those that were unclean and to separate between the previous and the vile. Note, A difference is to be put between common and sacred things, between God's name and other names, between his day and other days, his book and other books, his institutions and other observances; and a distance is to be put between our worldly and religious actions, so as still to go about the worship of God with a solemn pause.