The chambers for the priests, 1-12. The use thereof, 13, 14. The measures of the outward court, 15-20.
1 Then 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 before the building toward the north. 2 Before the length of one hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits. 3 Over against the twenty cubits which were for the inner court and over against the pavement which was for the outer court, was gallery against gallery in three stories. 4 And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits breadth inward, a way of one cubit, and their doors toward the north. 5 Now the upper chambers were shorter because the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building. 6 For they were in three stories, but did not have pillars as the pillars of the courts; therefore, the building was kept back more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground. 7 And the wall that was outside over against the chambers, toward the outer court on the forepart of the chambers, its length was fifty cubits. 8 For the length of the chambers that were in the outer court was fifty cubits. And behold, before the temple were one hundred cubits. 9 And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court.
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. 11 And the way before them was like the appearance of the chambers which were toward the north, as long and as broad as the others. And all their exits were both according to their fashions and according to their doors. 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 enters into them.
13 Then he said to me, "The north chambers and the south chambers which are before the separate place, they are holy chambers where the priests who approach the LORD shall eat the most holy things. There they shall lay the most holy things, the food-offering, the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering, for the place is holy. 14 When the priests enter therein, they shall 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 shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people."
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 around. 16 He measured the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds with the measuring reed around. 17 He measured the north side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed around. 18 He measured the south side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. 19 He turned around to the west side and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. 20 He measured it by the four sides. It had a wall around, five hundred reeds long and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Ezekiel, Chapter 42[➚]
John Gill's Chapter Summary:
In this chapter are a description of some chambers in the northern part of the outward court (Ezekiel 42:1-12); an account of the use made of them by the priests (Ezekiel 42:13-14); the measuring of the area, or whole compass of ground, on which the whole building before measured stood, with the wall that surrounded it (Ezekiel 41:15-20).