Then he brought me forth into the utter court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was before the building toward the north.

EZEKIEL 42:1KJV
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Ezekiel 42:1 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 42:1 mean?

Ezekiel 42:1 describes the next stop on Ezekiel’s guided tour of a temple shown to him in a vision. His guide takes him to the outer court and brings him to a chamber on the north side, near two other parts of the temple area.

Ezekiel tells the reader where the chamber stands by using the “separate place” and the building as landmarks. The guide’s movement from one area to another helps the reader picture how the temple spaces relate to each other.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 42:1

  • “utter” — חִיצוֹן (ḥitson): This word means “outer.” The KJV’s “utter court” refers to the outer court, not to something being spoken.
  • “chamber” — לִשְׁכָּה (lishkah): This word means a room or chamber. Ezekiel is being shown a room connected with the temple area.
  • “place” — גִּזְרָה (gizrah): This word refers to an area marked off or separated. In “separate place,” the KJV uses it to identify a distinct area beside which the chamber stood.

Why Ezekiel 42:1 matters

  • The guide is showing Ezekiel the layout, not merely naming a room. The phrases “over against the separate place” and “before the building” locate the chamber in relation to other features.
  • The room belongs to a larger arrangement of chambers. Later in the passage, Ezekiel 42:13 identifies the north and south chambers as places where priests eat portions of the offerings.

Where else these words appear

“building” Hebrew H1146 · used in 6 verses

  • Ezekiel 40:5 And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.
  • Ezekiel 41:12 Now the building that was before the separate place at the end toward the west was seventy cubits broad; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick round about, and the length thereof ninety cubits.
  • Ezekiel 42:5 Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building.

“place” Hebrew H1508 · used in 8 verses

  • Lamentations 4:7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
  • Ezekiel 41:13 So he measured the house, an hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with the walls thereof, an hundred cubits long;
  • Ezekiel 41:15 And he measured the length of the building over against the separate place which was behind it, and the galleries thereof on the one side and on the other side, an hundred cubits, with the inner temple, and the porches of the court;

“utter” Hebrew H2435 · used in 24 verses

  • 1 Kings 6:29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.
  • Ezekiel 10:5 And the sound of the cherubims' wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.
  • Ezekiel 42:7 And the wall that was without over against the chambers, toward the utter court on the forepart of the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits.

“chamber” 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.