And between the chambers was the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.

EZEKIEL 41:10KJV
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Ezekiel 41:10 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 41:10 mean?

Ezekiel 41:10 describes a space of twenty cubits in width that surrounded the temple building on every side, lying between the temple and the outer chambers. This verse is part of Ezekiel’s detailed vision of the temple’s layout, highlighting the measured separation between the main sanctuary and its surrounding rooms.

In this vision, the prophet Ezekiel is being shown the design of a future temple by a heavenly guide. The “chambers” refer to rooms for priests or temple use, and the “wideness” is the open area between these rooms and the main temple structure. This detail emphasizes the careful planning and separation within the temple’s architecture, reflecting order and purpose in its design.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 41:10

  • חֲדָר (ḥeder, “chambers”): This word refers to rooms or compartments, often used for priestly or temple functions. Its use here clarifies that the verse is about specific temple rooms, not just generic spaces.
  • רֹחַב (roḥav, “wideness”): This word means width or broad space. It highlights that the area between the chambers and the house is not just a narrow passage but a significant open space.
  • בַּיִת (bayit, “house”): This term is commonly used for the temple itself, making clear that the “house” is the main sanctuary building, not just any structure.
  • אַמָּה (ammah, “cubit”): A cubit is an ancient unit of measurement, roughly the length of a forearm (about 18 inches or 45 centimeters). Mentioning “twenty cubits” gives a concrete sense of the size of this space.

Why Ezekiel 41:10 matters

  • This verse helps clear up the temple’s layout by showing that there was a deliberate open space between the main sanctuary and the surrounding chambers, not a cramped arrangement.
  • The measured “wideness” emphasizes the orderliness and intentional design of God’s temple, which is a recurring theme in Ezekiel’s vision.
  • Understanding these details connects this verse to the broader passage, where Ezekiel is given precise measurements for every part of the temple, highlighting the importance of holiness and separation in worship.

Where else these words appear

“chambers” Hebrew H3957 · used in 41 verses

  • 1 Samuel 9:22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.
  • Nehemiah 13:5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.
  • Ezekiel 40:46 And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him.

“wideness” Hebrew H7341 · used in 89 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 6:20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
  • Ezekiel 41:2 And the breadth of the door was ten cubits; and the sides of the door were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side: and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits: and the breadth, twenty cubits.

“cubits” Hebrew H520 · used in 132 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 6:16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.
  • Ezekiel 40:9 Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward.