Ezekiel 42:9-20

42:9 Below these chambers was a passage on the east side as one enters from the outer court.

42:10 At the beginning ¹  of the wall of the court toward the south, ²  facing the courtyard and the building, were chambers 42:11 with a passage in front of them. They looked like the chambers on the north. Of the same length and width, and all their exits according to their arrangements and entrances 42:12 were the chambers ³  which were toward the south. There was an opening at the head of the passage, the passage in front of the corresponding wall toward the east when one enters.

42:13 Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers which face the courtyard are holy chambers where the priests ⁴  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. 42:14 When 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.”

42:15 Now when he had finished measuring the interior of the temple, he led me out by the gate which faces east and measured all around. 42:16 He measured the east side with the measuring stick ⁵  as 875 feet ⁶  by the measuring stick. 42:17 He measured the north side as 875 feet by the measuring stick. 42:18 He measured the south side as 875 feet by the measuring stick. 42:19 He turned to the west side and measured 875 feet by the measuring stick. 42:20 He 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.

[42:10]  ¹ tc The reading is supported by the LXX.

[42:10]  ² tc This reading is supported by the LXX; the MT reads “east.”

[42:12]  ³ tc The MT apparently evidences dittography, repeating most of the last word of the previous verse: “and like the openings of.”

[42:13]  ⁴ sn The priests are from the Zadokite family (Ezek 40:6; 44:15).

[42:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “reed” (also in the following verses).

[42:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “five hundred cubits” (i.e., 262.5 meters).