Ezekiel 42:5

Ezekiel 42:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building.
• New International Version (NIV)Now the upper rooms were narrower, for the galleries took more space from them than from the rooms on the lower and middle floors of the building.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now the upper chambers were narrower, for the galleries took more away from them than from the lower and middle chambers of the building.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Each of the two upper levels of rooms was narrower than the one beneath it because the upper levels had to allow space for walkways in front of them.

Context of Ezekiel 42:5

3Opposite the inner court of twenty cubits, and opposite the pavement of the outer court, was gallery against gallery in three stories. 4In front of the chambers, toward the inside, was a walk ten cubits wide, at a distance of one cubit; and their doors faced north. Now the upper chambers were shorter, because the galleries took away space from them more than from the lower and middle stories of the building. 6For they were in three stories and did not have pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper level was shortened more than the lower and middle levels from the ground up. 7And a wall which was outside ran parallel to the chambers, at the front of the chambers, toward the outer court; its length was fifty cubits.

Ezekiel 42:5 word by word

וְהַלְּשָׁכ֥וֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנֹ֖ת קְצֻר֑וֹת כִּֽי־יוֹכְל֨וּ אַתִּיקִ֜ים מֵהֵ֗נָה מֵֽהַתַּחְתֹּנ֛וֹת וּמֵהַתִּֽכֹנ֖וֹת בִּנְיָֽן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now the upperעֶלְיוֹן‛elyôn · highH5945
• chambersלִשְׁכָּהlishkâh · chamberH3957
• shorterקָצֵרqâtsar · be shortH7114
• for the galleriesאַתִּיק'attûq 'attîyq · galleryH862
• were higherאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• than theseהֵנָּהhênnâh · they(fem.)H2007
• than the lowerתַּחְתּוֹןtachtôn tachtôn · lowerH8481
• and than the middlemostתִּיכוֹןtîykôn tîykôn · middleH8484
• of the buildingבִּנְיָןbinyân · buildingH1146

Commentaries on Ezekiel 42:5

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Render: “And the upper chambers were” shortened, for galleries took off from them, from “the lower” and from “the middle-most, chambers, of the building.” The building rose in terraces, as was usual in Babylonian architecture, and so each of the two upper stories receded from the one below it.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-12The priests' rooms were on three levels at the back of the sanctuary. Priests entered from the top level in the inner court (Ezekiel 42:12) and exited at the bottom in the outer court (42:9). These rooms served as transition spaces for the priests' duties as they moved between the inner and outer courts.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. shorter--that is, the building became narrower as it rose in height. The chambers were many: so "in My Father's house are many mansions" (Joh 14:2); and besides these there was much "room" still left (compare Lu 14:22). The chambers, though private, were near the temple. Prayer in our chambers is to prepare us for public devotions, and to help us in improving them.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Profane
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Desire of All Nations
• Ezekiel
• Leviticus
• Priest, High
• Priests and Levites
• Shorten
• Temple

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