Ezekiel 42 — Priestly chambers and the outer enclosure — Hebrew and Greek compared
Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.
Ezekiel 42 — Priestly chambers and the outer enclosure
42:1–42:12 — Chambers around the courts
Verse 42:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:1] He brought me out to the outer courtyard by the way toward the north, and brought me to the chamber opposite the separate area and opposite the building, toward the north.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:1] He brought me out into the outer court toward the east, opposite the gate toward the north. He brought me in, and look—five recessed chambers adjoining the remaining area and adjoining the dividing structure toward the north.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew approaches northward and has a singular chamber; Greek first goes east, opposite the north gate, and specifies five recessed chambers. The architectural referents of Hebrew gizrah and Greek apoloipon/diorizon remain provisional.
Verse 42:2 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:2] Facing the length of a hundred cubits was the north entrance, and the breadth was fifty cubits.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:2] Their length toward the north extended a hundred cubits, and their breadth was fifty cubits.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both give a hundred by fifty cubits; Hebrew explicitly mentions the north entrance.
Verse 42:3 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:3] Opposite the twenty belonging to the inner courtyard and opposite the paving belonging to the outer courtyard was gallery facing gallery, in three tiers.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:3] They were laid out like the gates of the inner court and like the colonnades of the outer court, arranged in facing rows: three porticoes.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew has 'the twenty' without a repeated unit and galleries in three tiers; Greek compares the gates and colonnades and has three porticoes.
Verse 42:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:4] In front of the chambers was a passage ten cubits wide toward the inside, a way of one cubit; their entrances faced north.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:4] Opposite the recessed chambers was a walkway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits long; their doorways faced north.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew's one-cubit way is retained; Greek gives a hundred-cubit length. Their relationship to the ten-cubit passage is not silently reconstructed.
Verse 42:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:5] The upper chambers were shorter, because the galleries took space away from them, more than from the lower and middle parts of the building.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:5] The upper walkways were likewise, because the colonnade projected from it, from the colonnade below, and so did the intervening space; thus a colonnade and an intervening space, and thus porticoes.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew explains shortened upper chambers by galleries taking space; Greek describes projecting colonnades, intervals, and porticoes in compressed syntax. The antecedent of 'it' and the precise arrangement are uncertain.
Verse 42:6 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:6] For they were in three tiers and had no pillars like the courtyard pillars; therefore the upper part was set back more than the lower and middle parts from the ground.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:6] For they were threefold and had no pillars like the pillars of the outer structures; therefore they projected beyond the lower and middle ones from the ground.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew's setting back and Greek's projecting are preserved. 'The upper part' supplies the understood architectural subject in Hebrew; Greek says the outer structures rather than courtyards.
Verse 42:7 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:7] The outside wall alongside the chambers, toward the outer courtyard and in front of the chambers, was fifty cubits long.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:7] There was an opening outside, like the recessed chambers of the outer court that faced opposite the recessed chambers toward the north, fifty cubits long.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew has an outside wall; Greek phōs, literally 'light,' is provisionally an opening or light-space. Greek explicitly locates the facing chambers northward.
Verse 42:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:8] For the chambers belonging to the outer courtyard were fifty cubits long, while those facing the temple hall were a hundred cubits.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:8] For the recessed chambers facing the outer court were fifty cubits long, and these faced those; the whole was a hundred cubits.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew contrasts the outer-court chambers with those facing the temple hall; Greek has mutually facing groups and an overall hundred cubits.
Verse 42:9 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:9] Below these chambers was the entrance from the east, as one entered them from the outer courtyard.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:9] The doors of these recessed chambers belonged to the entrance toward the east, through which one entered them from the outer court—
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Hebrew says 'below'; Greek explicitly has doors and continues its architectural description into verse 10.
Verse 42:10 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:10] Within the breadth of the courtyard wall toward the east, opposite the separate area and opposite the building, were chambers.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:10] —along the opening at the beginning of the walkway. And toward the south, facing the south, facing the remaining area and facing the dividing structure, were recessed chambers.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek completes verse 9 and then turns south; Hebrew describes the east. The differing orientations are retained.
Verse 42:11 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:11] A way ran in front of them. They had the appearance of the chambers toward the north: the same length and the same breadth, with all their exits, their arrangements, and their entrances.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:11] The walkway in front of them followed the measurements of the recessed chambers toward the north—their length, their breadth, all their exits, all their turnings, their openings, and their doorways—
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek explicitly lists turnings and openings, continuing into verse 12. Hebrew uses the broader term for prescribed arrangements.
Verse 42:12 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:12] Like the entrances of the chambers toward the south, there was an entrance at the head of the way, the way in front of the protecting wall toward the east as one entered them.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:12] —of the recessed chambers toward the south, and followed the doorways from the beginning of the walkway, toward an opening with an interval of a reed, and toward the east for entering through them.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew haginah is provisionally 'protecting'; Greek instead describes an opening and an interval of a reed. Both compressed architectural clauses need specialist review.
42:13–42:14 — Holy chambers and priestly garments
Verse 42:13 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:13] He said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers opposite the separate area are the holy chambers, where the priests who draw near to YHWH shall eat the most holy things. There they shall place the most holy things—the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering—for the place is holy.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:13] He said to me, “The recessed chambers toward the north and toward the south, facing the intervening spaces, are the chambers of the holy place. There the priests, the sons of Zadok who draw near to the Lord, shall eat the most holy things. There they shall place the most holy things—the offering, the offerings for sin, and the offerings for ignorance—for the place is holy.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek adds 'sons of Zadok' and renders the offering categories with thysia and offerings for sin/ignorance. Hebrew explicitly says grain and guilt offerings.
Verse 42:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:14] When the priests enter, they shall not go out from the holy place into the outer courtyard. There they shall leave the garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments and approach the area belonging to the people.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:14] No one shall enter there except the priests. They shall not go out from the holy place into the outer court, so that those who bring offerings may always be holy and may not touch their vesture in which they minister, for it is holy. They shall put on other garments whenever they come into contact with the people.”
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek adds exclusive priestly entry and a purpose clause about holiness and not touching vesture; Hebrew directs leaving the ministerial garments there. Greek's subjects and garment-related syntax remain compressed.
42:15–42:20 — The outer measurements
Verse 42:15 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:15] When he had finished measuring the inner house, he brought me out by the gate facing east and measured it all around.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:15] The measurement of the house inside was completed. He brought me out by the gate facing east and measured the plan of the house all around in its arrangement.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek explicitly speaks of the house's plan or pattern and arrangement; Hebrew simply measures it around.
Verse 42:16 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:16] He measured the east side with the measuring reed: five hundred reeds by the measuring reed, all around.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:16] He stood behind the gate facing east and measured five hundred with the measuring reed.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew explicitly has reeds as units; Greek supplies no unit after five hundred here. The publisher displays the anomalous written form ’emot. The separately consulted Hebrew witness Mechon Mamre [H2] shows written אמות and read מֵאוֹת, supporting the translation five hundred. This is an attributed written/read check, not BHS apparatus access.
Verse 42:17 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:17] He measured the north side: five hundred reeds by the measuring reed, all around.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:17] He turned toward the north and measured the north-facing side: five hundred cubits with the measuring reed.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew measures five hundred reeds; Greek explicitly five hundred cubits. These are not converted to a common value.
Verse 42:18 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:18] He measured the south side: five hundred reeds by the measuring reed.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:18] He turned toward the sea and measured the sea-facing side: five hundred with the measuring reed.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew measures south; Greek measures the sea or west side. Hebrew has reeds as units; Greek gives no repeated unit here.
Verse 42:19 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:19] He went around to the sea side and measured five hundred reeds by the measuring reed.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:19] He turned toward the south and measured opposite the south: five hundred with the measuring reed.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: The sea/west and south sides occur in the reverse order from Greek verses 18–19. Hebrew again explicitly specifies reeds.
Verse 42:20 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[42:20] He measured it on its four sides. It had a wall all around, five hundred long and five hundred wide, to separate the holy from the common.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[42:20] The four sides were measured with the same reed. He laid it out, with their enclosure all around: five hundred toward the east and five hundred cubits in breadth, to distinguish between the holy areas and the forewall in the arrangement of the house.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Greek explicitly gives cubits in the breadth and separates holy areas from a forewall; Hebrew distinguishes holy and common. The Greek pronoun shifts and its architectural arrangement are retained without a reconstructed ground plan.