Ezekiel 40:45

Verse

Then the man said to me: “The chamber that faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple,

American Standard Version (1901)

And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house;

Bible in Basic English

And he said to me, This room, facing south, is for the priests who have the care of the house.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And he said to me: This chamber, which looketh toward the south shall be for the priests that watch in the wards of the temple.

Free Bible Version

The man told me: “The room that faces south is for the priests in charge of the Temple,

King James (Authorized) Version

And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.

Translation for Translators

The man said to me, “The room whose door faces south is for the priests who are in charge of the work in the temple.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Then the man said to me, “This room facing south is for the priests who are on duty in the temple.

Noah Webster Bible

And he said to me, This chamber, whose prospect is towards the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.

World English Bible

He said to me, “This room, which faces toward the south, is for the priests who perform the duty of the house.

Young's Literal Translation

And he speaketh unto me: 'This chamber, whose front [is] southward, [is] for priests keeping charge of the house;

Context

Chambers for Ministry

⁴⁴Outside the inner gate, within the inner court, were two chambers, one beside the north gate and facing south, and another beside the south gate and facing north.⁴⁵Then the man said to me: “The chamber that faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple,⁴⁶and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the only Levites who may approach the LORD to minister before Him.”

Summary

In Ezekiel 40:45, the mention of 'chambers for singers' within the temple complex signifies the importance of worship and praise in the presence of God. This verse highlights the significance of music and singing as integral parts of spiritual expression and devotion. The chambers designated for singers emphasize the value of using our talents and gifts to glorify God within His sanctuary. It serves as a reminder of the beauty and power of music in enhancing our connection with the divine and creating a sacred atmosphere for worship.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

And he brought me to the porch of the house,.... Having passed through the inner court, and measured that, he came to the body of the fabric, the principal part of it, the house or temple; to the porch that led into it. Here of right a new chapter should begin, for this and the next verse more properly "belong" to the following chapter. This porch was a large roof, and was a covering both from cold winds and storms, and from the scorching heat of the sun; and was an emblem of Christ, the hiding place from the wind, and the covert from the tempest of divine justice and vengeance, and the wrath of God; and from the heat of a fiery law, of Satan's fiery darts or temptations, and of the persecutions of men: it was also, as is thought, a place for the priests to pray in, before they went into the temple; as Christ is the way in which the priests of the Lord go unto him, and pray before him; in whose name, and for whose righteousness sake, they present their supplications to him. And measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side; these posts stood, one on the north side of the porch, and the other on the south, and were each five cubits thick: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side; this gate signifies Christ, the door, or gate, or way of entrance into the spiritual temple the church, Joh 10:1 and it had two leaves, that on the north was three cubits broad, and that on the south was of the same measure: this two leaved gate may show, that both Jews and Gentiles, being converted, may enter into the Gospel church; as they will in the latter day, when the Jews shall be called, and the fulness of the Gentiles brought in; here will be an open door set; the gate will be wide enough to let them all in, Rev 3:8.