New King James Version
Ezekiel 41:7
7As one went up from story to story, the side chambers became wider all around, because their supporting ledges in the wall of the temple ascended like steps; therefore the width of the structure increased as one went up from the lowest story to the highest by way of the middle one.
Ezekiel 41:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house was still upward, and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst.
- New International Version (NIV)The side rooms all around the temple were wider at each successive level. The structure surrounding the temple was built in ascending stages, so that the rooms widened as one went upward. A stairway went up from the lowest floor to the top floor through the middle floor.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And it became broader as it wound upward to the side chambers, because the temple was enclosed upward all around the temple. Thus the temple had a broad area upward, and so one went up from the lowest story to the top story through the middle story.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Each level was wider than the one below it, corresponding to the narrowing of the Temple wall as it rose higher. A stairway led up from the bottom level through the middle level to the top level.
Context of Ezekiel 41:7
5Next, he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits. The width of each side chamber all around the temple was four cubits on every side. 6The side chambers were in three stories, one above the other, thirty chambers in each story; they rested on ledges which were for the side chambers all around, that they might be supported, but not fastened to the wall of the temple. As one went up from story to story, the side chambers became wider all around, because their supporting ledges in the wall of the temple ascended like steps; therefore the width of the structure increased as one went up from the lowest story to the highest by way of the middle one. 8I also saw an elevation all around the temple; it was the foundation of the side chambers, a full rod, that is, six cubits high. 9The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits, and so also the remaining terrace by the place of the side chambers of the temple.
Read all of Ezekiel 41Ezekiel 41:7 word by word
וְֽרָחֲבָ֡ה וְֽנָסְבָה֩ לְמַ֨עְלָה לְמַ֜עְלָה לַצְּלָע֗וֹת כִּ֣י מֽוּסַב־הַ֠בַּיִת לְמַ֨עְלָה לְמַ֜עְלָה סָבִ֤יב׀ סָבִיב֙ לַבַּ֔יִת עַל־כֵּ֥ן רֹֽחַב־לַבַּ֖יִת לְמָ֑עְלָה וְכֵ֧ן הַתַּחְתּוֹנָ֛ה יַעֲלֶ֥ה עַל־הָעֶלְיוֹנָ֖ה לַתִּיכוֹנָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- an enlargingרָחַבrâchab · to enlargeH7337
- and a winding aboutסָבַבsâbab · to turn: turnH5437
- still upwardמַ֫עַלma‛al · aboveH4605
- to the side chambersצֵלָעtsêlâ‛ tsal‛âh · sideH6763
- for the winding aboutמוּסָבmûsâb · surroundingH4141
- of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- round aboutסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439
- therefore the breadthרֹ֫חַבrôchab · widthH7341
- and so increasedעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- the lowestתַּחְתּוֹןtachtôn tachtôn · lowerH8481
- to the highestעֶלְיוֹן‛elyôn · highH5945
- by the midstתִּיכוֹןtîykôn tîykôn · middleH8484
Cross-references for Ezekiel 41:7
- 1 Kings 6:8The doorway for the middle story was on the right side of the temple. They went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.
- Matthew 13:32which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
- Hebrews 6:1Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
Commentaries on Ezekiel 41:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7An enlarging, and a winding about - Perhaps a winding staircase that-widened upward as the inner wall decreased in thickness; this wall being six cubits thick; as high as the first story, five from the floor of the second story to that of the third, and four from the floor to the ceiling of the third story: and thus there was a rest of one cubit in breadth to support the stories. - Newcome.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7An enlarging - The “wall for the side-chambers” had for the ground story its full thickness of five cubits Ezekiel 41:9 - then it was diminished one cubit, so as to form a ledge whereon to rest the beams of the floor of the second story, and again was further diminished one cubit for the floor of the third story. Thus there was an “enlarging” of the second story of the chambers by one cubit, and of the third story by two cubits beyond the breadth of the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-26The temple had 90 side rooms on three levels. Behind it was a large building with an unknown purpose, possibly to prevent unauthorized access. No one could approach God's presence from behind. The side rooms might have stored priestly clothing and equipment.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. the breadth ... so increased from the lowest ... to the highest--that is, the breadth of the interior space above was greater than that below.Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 41
- 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries