Then the man said to me: “The chamber that faces south is for the priests who keep charge of the temple,
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to me, This room, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the duty of the house;
- KJV 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.
- NKJV Then he said to me, “This chamber which faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple.
- NASB Then he said to me, “This is the chamber which faces south, intended for the priests who are responsible for the temple;
- NLT And the man said to me, “The room beside the north inner gate is for the priests who supervise the Temple maintenance.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
One chamber was assigned to the priests who keep charge of the temple itself. God orders his house with appointed servants and clear duties.
Overview
The guide explains that this south-facing room belongs to priests responsible for the care of the house. The assigning of specific duties reflects the order of God's worship under the law (Numbers 18:5). It foreshadows Christ our great High Priest, who perfectly keeps charge of God's house, the church (Hebrews 3:6).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- 1 Chr 9:23So they and their descendants were assigned to guard the gates of the house of the LORD—the house called the Tent.
- Ps 134:1A song of ascents. Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who serve by night in the house of the LORD!
- Lev 8:35You must remain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and keep the LORD’s charge so that you will not die, for this is what I have been commanded.”
- Rev 1:6who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
- Num 18:5And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and of the altar, so that wrath may not fall on the Israelites again.
- Mal 2:4–7Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment so that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of Hosts.
- 2 Chr 13:11Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have forsaken Him.
- Num 3:38Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, before the Tent of Meeting. They were to perform the duties of the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites; but any outsider who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.
- Ezek 8:5“Son of man,” He said to me, “now lift up your eyes to the north.” So I lifted up my eyes to the north, and in the entrance north of the Altar Gate I saw this idol of jealousy.
- Num 3:32The chief of the leaders of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he oversaw those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
- Num 3:27–28From Kohath came the clans of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites; these were the clans of the Kohathites.
- 1 Tim 6:20O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called “knowledge,”
- 1 Chr 6:49But Aaron and his sons did all the work of the Most Holy Place. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 40:45 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.