Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 42:1

"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 over against the building toward the north." — Ezekiel 42:1 (ASV)

This chapter describes what is not only new in this vision, but also unknown in either the former or the later Temple. Ezekiel 42:1–14 concern the account of certain chambers for the priests adjoining the inner court, but actually within the area of the outer. From Ezekiel 42:14, it is clear that these chambers, although located in this way in the outer court, were considered for ecclesiastical purposes as belonging to the inner. Ezekiel 42:15–20 describe a very large area enclosing the Temple and its courts as an additional safeguard to its sanctity.

Utter court.— Outer court (see Note on Ezekiel 40:31). The “into” of the next clause should be “unto”; likewise in Ezekiel 46:19.

Before the building.— The preposition is the same as that translated just before, and also twice in Ezekiel 42:3, “over against.” The length of this chamber, or series of chambers, was 100 cubits (Ezekiel 42:2).

As it appears from Ezekiel 46:19 that it did not reach to the western wall, it must have extended the whole remaining length of the building to the west of the separate place, across the separate place itself, and probably also across the chambers at the west end of the Temple (see Plan II., H, H [Ezekiel 40:44–49]). The chamber on the north is particularly described in Ezekiel 42:1-9, and in Ezekiel 42:10-12 mention is made more briefly of a corresponding one on the south.