New International Version 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. New Living Translation 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. English Standard Version Now the upper chambers were narrower, for the galleries took more away from them than from the lower and middle chambers of the building. Berean Standard Bible Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space from the chambers on the lower and middle floors of the building. Berean Literal Bible And the upper chambers were shorter, for the galleries took away from them, on the lower and middle of the building. King James Bible Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building. New King James Version 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. New American Standard Bible Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space away from them than from the lower and middle ones in the building. NASB 1995 Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space away from them than from the lower and middle ones in the building. NASB 1977 Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space away from them than from the lower and middle ones in the building. Legacy Standard Bible Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space away from them than from the lower and middle ones in the building. Amplified Bible Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took away more space from them than from the chambers on the lower and middle stories of the building; Berean Annotated Bible Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space from the chambers on the lower and middle floors of the building. Christian Standard Bible The upper chambers were narrower because the galleries took away more space from them than from the lower and middle stories of the building. Holman Christian Standard Bible The upper chambers were narrower because the galleries took away more space from them than from the lower and middle stories of the building. American Standard Version Now the upper chambers were shorter; for the galleries took away from these, more than from the lower and the middlemost, in the building. Contemporary English Version The rooms on the top level were narrower than those on the middle level, and the rooms on the middle level were narrower than those on the bottom level. English Revised Version Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries took away from these, more than from the lower and the middlemost, in the building. GOD'S WORD® Translation The side rooms on the third story were narrower than those on the first or second stories of the building because the corridors took space away from them. Good News Translation The rooms at the upper level of the building were narrower than those at the middle and lower levels because they were set further back. International Standard Version The upper chambers were narrower, since the galleries required more space than did the lower and middle portions of the building. NET Bible Now the upper chambers were narrower, because the galleries took more space from them than from the lower and middle chambers of the building. New Heart English Bible Now the upper rooms were shorter; for the galleries took away from these, more than from the lower and the middle, in the building. Webster's Bible Translation Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleNow the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space from the chambers on the lower and middle floors of the building. World English Bible Now the upper rooms were shorter; for the galleries took away from these more than from the lower and the middle in the building. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd the upper chambers [are] short, for the galleries contain more than these, than the lower, and than the middle one, of the building; Berean Literal Bible And the upper chambers were shorter, for the galleries took away from them, on the lower and middle of the building. Young's Literal Translation And the upper chambers are short, for the galleries contain more than these, than the lower, and than the middle one, of the building; Smith's Literal Translation And the upper cells shortened, for the offsets will prevail above these, from the lower and from the middle of the building: Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleWhere were the store chambers lower above: because they bore up the galleries, which appeared above out of them from the lower parts, and from the midst of the building. Catholic Public Domain Version In that place, there were storerooms in the upper part of the lower level. For they supported the porticos, which projected from them out of the lower level, and out of the middle of the building. New American Bible The upper chambers were shorter because they lost space to the lower and middle tiers of the building. New Revised Standard Version Now the upper chambers were narrower, for the galleries took more away from them than from the lower and middle chambers in the building. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleNow the upper rooms were smaller because the stairway went through them. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And the chambers above were small, because the stairs were entering into them OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Now the upper chambers were shorter; for the galleries took away from these, more than from the lower and the middlemost, in the building. Brenton Septuagint Translation And the upper walks were in like manner: for the peristyle projected from it, even from the range of columns below, and there was a space between; so were there a peristyle and a space between, and so were there two porticos. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context Chambers for the Priests…4In front of the chambers was an inner walkway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits long. Their doors were on the north. 5Now the upper chambers were smaller because the galleries took more space from the chambers on the lower and middle floors of the building. 6For they were arranged in three stories, and unlike the courts, they had no pillars. So the upper chambers were set back further than the lower and middle floors.… Cross References Now the upper chambers were smaller 1 Kings 6:6 The bottom floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits, and the third floor seven cubits. He also placed offset ledges around the outside of the temple, so that nothing would be inserted into its walls. Ezekiel 41:7 The side rooms surrounding the temple widened at each successive level, because the structure surrounding the temple ascended by stages corresponding to the narrowing of the temple wall as it rose upward. And so a stairway went up from the lowest story to the highest, through the middle one. because the galleries took more space Ezekiel 41:5 Next he measured the wall of the temple to be six cubits thick, and the width of each side room around the temple was four cubits. 1 Kings 6:5 Against the walls of the temple and the inner sanctuary, Solomon built a chambered structure around the temple, in which he constructed the side rooms. from the chambers on the lower and middle floors of the building. 1 Kings 6:8 The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the temple. A stairway led up to the middle level, and from there to the third floor. Ezekiel 41:6 The side rooms were arranged one above another in three levels of thirty rooms each. There were ledges all around the wall of the temple to serve as supports for the side rooms, so that the supports would not be fastened into the wall of the temple itself. 1 Kings 6:10 He built chambers all along the temple, each five cubits high and attached to the temple with beams of cedar. 1 Kings 7:2-3 He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high, with four rows of cedar pillars supporting the cedar beams. / The house was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the pillars—forty-five beams, fifteen per row. 1 Kings 7:6 Solomon made his colonnade fifty cubits long and thirty cubits wide, with a portico in front of it and a canopy with pillars in front of the portico. 1 Kings 7:12 The great courtyard was surrounded by three rows of dressed stone and a row of trimmed cedar beams, as were the inner courtyard and portico of the house of the LORD. 2 Chronicles 3:9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He also overlaid the upper rooms with gold. 2 Chronicles 3:11-12 The total wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long and touched the wall of the temple, and its other wing was five cubits long and touched the wing of the other cherub. / The wing of the second cherub also measured five cubits and touched the wall of the temple, while its other wing measured five cubits and touched the wing of the first cherub. 2 Chronicles 4:7 He made ten gold lampstands according to their specifications and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. 2 Chronicles 4:22 the wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, ladles, and censers of pure gold; and the gold doors of the temple: the inner doors to the Most Holy Place as well as the doors of the main hall. 2 Chronicles 5:1 So all the work that Solomon had performed for the house of the LORD was completed. Then Solomon brought in the items his father David had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of the house of God. 2 Chronicles 5:7-8 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, beneath the wings of the cherubim. / For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its poles. Treasury of Scripture Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building. were higher than these. Jump to Previous Building Cells Chambers Contain Covered Floors Galleries Higher Lower Middle Middlemost Narrower Ones Rooms Short Shorter Smaller Space Upper WaysJump to Next Building Cells Chambers Contain Covered Floors Galleries Higher Lower Middle Middlemost Narrower Ones Rooms Short Shorter Smaller Space Upper WaysEzekiel 42 1. The chambers for the priests13. The use thereof 15. The measures of the outward court Now the upper chambers were smaller The three-story priestly chambers were built with reduced space on the upper level. 1Ki 6:6 The bottom floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor… because the galleries took more space The galleries extended along the structure and limited the usable room within the upper chambers. Ezk 41:5 Next he measured the wall of the temple to be six cubits… from the chambers on the lower and middle floors of the building. The design provided ordered access and distinct spaces for the priests while preserving the temple complex’s carefully measured arrangement. 1Ki 6:8 The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side… Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet and priest during the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel is the author of the book. He receives visions from God, including the detailed vision of the temple in chapters 40-48. 2. The Temple The vision of the temple in Ezekiel 40-48 is a prophetic and symbolic representation of God's presence and order. It serves as a blueprint for holiness and divine architecture. 3. Upper Chambers These are part of the temple's structure, specifically mentioned as being smaller due to the architectural design involving galleries. 4. Galleries Architectural features that take up space in the temple structure, affecting the size of the upper chambers. 5. Babylonian Exile The historical context in which Ezekiel prophesied, a period of great trial and reflection for the Israelites. Teaching Points Divine Order and DesignGod's attention to detail in the temple's design reflects His nature of order and purpose. Believers are called to reflect this order in their lives, prioritizing spiritual growth and holiness. Symbolism of Space and Structure The smaller upper chambers remind us that spiritual elevation often requires sacrifice and adaptation. In our walk with God, we may need to let go of certain comforts to grow closer to Him. God's Presence in Our Lives The temple symbolizes God's presence among His people. Today, believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit, called to live in a way that honors God's indwelling presence. Adaptability in Faith Just as the temple's design required adjustments, our faith journey may require us to adapt to new challenges and circumstances, trusting in God's overarching plan. Hope in Restoration Ezekiel's vision of the temple offers hope for restoration and renewal. In times of personal exile or hardship, we can trust in God's promise to restore and renew us. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Ezekiel 42:5?2. How does Ezekiel 42:5 illustrate God's attention to detail in His plans? 3. What can we learn about God's order from the temple's construction in Ezekiel? 4. How does Ezekiel 42:5 connect to the theme of holiness in Scripture? 5. In what ways can we apply the principles of divine order in our lives? 6. How does understanding Ezekiel 42:5 enhance our appreciation for God's meticulous design? 7. Why were the upper chambers narrower in Ezekiel 42:5? 8. What is the significance of the temple's architectural details in Ezekiel 42:5? 9. How does Ezekiel 42:5 reflect God's holiness and order? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Ezekiel 42? (5) For the galleries were higher than these.--Translate this verse, And the upper chambers were shortened, because the galleries took off from them (literally, eat of them) in comparison with the lower and the middle [chambers] of the building. The building was in three storeys (Ezekiel 42:6), like the chambers round the Temple, but the gallery is mentioned only in connection with the third (Ezekiel 42:3). As it must have been taken out of the width of the chambers, it made those of the third storey narrower.Verse 5. - The rendering of the Revised Version sufficiently explains this otherwise obscure verse, "Now the upper chambers were shorter," or narrower, "for the galleries took away from these;" literally, did eat of them, "more than from the lower and the middlemest in the building." In other words, the chambers rose in terrace form, each of the upper stories receding from that below it, as was customary in Babylonian architecture. Ezekiel 42:5 records a simple architectural note: the top-story priestly rooms are smaller because surrounding galleries occupy their floor space. Yet within that detail God reveals His character—precise, orderly, and intent on access to His presence. The stepped design mirrors earlier biblical structures and points forward to the perfect, proportioned dwelling of God with His people. Even a measurement in a visionary hallway reassures us that every promise is exact, every inch is accounted for, and every believer has a prepared place in His house. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Now the upperהָעֶלְיוֹנֹ֖ת (hā·‘el·yō·w·nōṯ) Article | Adjective - feminine plural Strong's 5945: An elevation, lofty, as title, the Supreme chambers וְהַלְּשָׁכ֥וֹת (wə·hal·lə·šā·ḵō·wṯ) Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine plural Strong's 3957: Room, chamber, hall, cell [were] smaller קְצֻר֑וֹת (qə·ṣu·rō·wṯ) Noun - feminine plural Strong's 7114: To dock off, curtail, to harvest because כִּֽי־ (kî-) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction the galleries אַתִּיקִ֜ים (’at·tî·qîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 862: A ledge, offset in a, building took more space יוֹכְל֨וּ (yō·wḵ·lū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 3201: To be able, have power from the chambers מֵהֵ֗נָה (mê·hê·nāh) Preposition-m | Pronoun - third person feminine plural Strong's 2007: Themselves on the lower מֵֽהַתַּחְתֹּנ֛וֹת (mê·hat·taḥ·tō·nō·wṯ) Preposition-m, Article | Adjective - feminine plural Strong's 8481: Lower, lowest and middle floors וּמֵהַתִּֽכֹנ֖וֹת (ū·mê·hat·ti·ḵō·nō·wṯ) Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Article | Adjective - feminine plural Strong's 8484: Central of the building. בִּנְיָֽן׃ (bin·yān) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1146: A structure Additonal Resources Ezekiel 42:5 Blue Letter BibleEzekiel 42:5 Bible Gateway Ezekiel 42:5 Bible.com Ezekiel 42:5 NIV |
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