And there was a row of building round about in them, round about them four, and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about.

EZEKIEL 46:23KJV
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Ezekiel 46:23 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 46:23 mean?

Ezekiel 46:23 describes a row of buildings surrounding the temple area, with four sections, each containing places built underneath for boiling. This verse gives details about the temple’s outer court, specifically the arrangement of cooking areas used for preparing offerings.

The prophet Ezekiel is recording a vision where God shows him the future temple and its regulations. In this part of the vision, Ezekiel is being shown the practical features of the temple complex, including designated spots for boiling sacrificial meat. These details highlight the order and care in the temple’s design, ensuring that the priests and Levites had proper facilities for their duties.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 46:23

  • "row" (טוּר, tur): This word refers to a line or series of structures. Here, it emphasizes the organized arrangement of the buildings around the court.
  • "places" (מְבַשְּׁלוֹת, mevashelot): This term means "boiling places" or "cooking spots." It shows that these were not just storage rooms but specifically constructed for preparing food, likely for the priests’ portions of the sacrifices.
  • "rows" (טוּרִים, turim): The plural form again stresses that there were multiple organized lines or sections, reinforcing the sense of order in the temple’s layout.

Why Ezekiel 46:23 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the temple was designed with practical needs in mind, not just for worship but also for the daily work of the priests, including food preparation.
  • It helps readers see that the temple vision in Ezekiel is very detailed and concrete, not just symbolic or spiritual, but concerned with real-life functioning.
  • By describing these boiling places, the verse connects to the broader passage about the roles and responsibilities of temple servants, showing that every part of worship had a proper place and method.

Where else these words appear

“rows” Hebrew H2918 · used in 7 verses

  • Genesis 25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.
  • 1 Chronicles 6:54 Now these are their dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for theirs was the lot.
  • Song of Solomon 8:9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.

“row” Hebrew H2905 · used in 20 verses

  • Exodus 28:17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.
  • Exodus 39:12 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
  • 1 Kings 7:12 And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.