God’s Word Translation
Ezekiel 42:20
20So he measured all four sides. There was a wall all around it. The wall was 875 feet long and 875 feet wide. It separated what was holy from what was unholy.
Ezekiel 42:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall around it, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He measured it on the four sides. It had a wall around it, 500 cubits long and 500 cubits broad, to make a separation between the holy and the common.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred wide, to separate the holy areas from the common.
Context of Ezekiel 42:20
18He measured the south side. It was 875 feet long according to the measuring stick. 19He came around to the west side and measured it. It was 875 feet long according to the measuring stick. So he measured all four sides. There was a wall all around it. The wall was 875 feet long and 875 feet wide. It separated what was holy from what was unholy.
Read all of Ezekiel 42Ezekiel 42:20 word by word
לְאַרְבַּ֨ע רוּח֜וֹת מְדָד֗וֹ ח֤וֹמָה לוֹ֙ סָבִ֣יב׀ סָבִ֔יב אֹ֚רֶךְ חֲמֵ֣שׁ מֵא֔וֹת וְרֹ֖חַב חֲמֵ֣שׁ מֵא֑וֹת לְהַבְדִּ֕יל בֵּ֥ין הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ לְחֹֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- He measuredמָדַדmâdad · to measureH4058
- it by the fourאַרְבַּע'arba‛ 'arbâ‛âh · fourH702
- sidesרוּחַrûach · spirit: sideH7307
- it had a wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
- round aboutסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439
- fiveחָמֵשׁchâmêsh chămishshâh · fiveH2568
- hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- longאֹ֫רֶךְ'ôrek · lengthH753
- broadרֹ֫חַבrôchab · widthH7341
- to make a separationבָּדַלbâdal · to separateH914
- between the sanctuaryקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
- and the profane placeחֹלchôl · commonH2455
Cross-references for Ezekiel 42:20
- Ezekiel 40:5I saw a wall that surrounded the temple. The man had a measuring stick that was 10½ feet long. He measured the wall. It was 10½ feet thick and 10½ feet high.
- Isaiah 25:1O Lord, you are my God. I will highly honor you; I will praise your name. You have done miraculous things. You have been completely reliable in carrying out your plans from long ago.
- Isaiah 26:1On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city. Its walls and fortifications provide safety.
- Isaiah 60:18No longer will you hear about violence in your land or desolation and destruction within your borders. You will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
- Micah 7:11The day for rebuilding your walls and extending your borders is coming.
- Zechariah 2:5I will be a wall of fire around it, declares the Lord. I will be the glory within it.’
- Ezekiel 45:2An area of 875 feet square will be for the holy place with an open area 87½ feet wide.
- Ezekiel 48:20The whole area will be 43,750 feet square. You must give this land as a special gift to the Lord along with the city property.
- Revelation 21:12It had a large, high wall with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates. The names of the 12 tribes of Israel were written on the gates.
- Ezekiel 22:26Your priests violate my teachings and dishonor my holy things. They don’t distinguish between what is holy and what is unholy. They don’t teach the difference between what is clean and what is unclean. They ignore the days to worship me. So I am dishonored among the people.
- Ezekiel 44:23They must teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is unholy. They must show the people how to tell the difference between what is clean and what is unclean.
- Ezekiel 48:15A strip of land, 8,750 feet wide by 43,750 feet long, will be left for cities, homes, and pastures. The city will be in the middle of it.
- Leviticus 10:10Teach them the difference between what is holy and what is unholy, what is clean and what is unclean.
- Luke 16:26Besides, a wide area separates us. People couldn’t cross it in either direction even if they wanted to.’
- 2 Corinthians 6:17The Lord says, “Get away from unbelievers. Separate yourselves from them. Have nothing to do with anything unclean. Then I will welcome you.”
- Revelation 21:10He carried me by his power away to a large, high mountain. He showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 42:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20It had a wall round about - to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place - The holy place was that which was consecrated to the Lord; into which no heathen, nor stranger, nor any in a state of impurity, might enter. The profane place was that in which men, women, Gentiles, pure or impure might be admitted. Josephus says War, lib. vi., c. 14, that in his time there was a wall built before the entrance three cubits high, on which there…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20The “sanctuary” proper is probably here the most holy place as distinguished from the rest of the temple Ezekiel 41:23; Ezekiel 45:3; but the term was capable of extension first to the whole temple, then to all the ground that was separated to “holy” as distinguished from “profane,” i. e., common uses. In the vision the courts rose on successive platforms, the outer court being raised seven steps above the precincts, the inner court eight steps above the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-20After finishing his tour of the inner courtyard, Ezekiel saw the overall dimensions of the area. The entire complex was square, symbolizing holiness. This shape set it apart from Solomon's Temple and the tabernacle, where only the Most Holy Place was square. The description of the temple ends where it started, mentioning a wall surrounding it (see Ezekiel 40:5). Ezekiel reminds us that the wall's purpose was to separate the holy from the common.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. wall ... separation between ... sanctuary and ... profane--No longer shall the wall of partition be to separate the Jew and the Gentile (Ep 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 (He 12:28), resting on prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ being…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 42:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 42
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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