Ezekiel 42:20

So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The prophet Ezekiel records a visionary survey of the restored temple complex, where a measuring figure completes the perimeter assessment after finishing the west side.

The words — מְדָד֗/וֹ (me.da.D/o) means he measured it, and סָבִ֣יב (sa.Viv) means all around, describing the figure's action of tracing the complete boundary.

The thread — The five-hundred cubit square measurement recurs in Ezekiel 45:2 for the sanctuary plot, while the mandate to separate holy from common echoes Ezekiel 22:26 and the initial temple wall in Ezekiel 40:5.

Why it lands — The text establishes a physical boundary that distinguishes sacred space from profane space, demanding recognition of that separation without ambiguity.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

לְאַרְבַּ֨עle./'ar.Ba'to/ four רוּח֜וֹתru.Chotsides מְדָד֗וֹme.da.D/ohe measured/ it ח֤וֹמָהCho.maha wallלוֹ֙l/o[belonged] to/ itסָבִ֣יב׀sa.Vivall around סָבִ֔יבsa.Vivall around אֹ֚רֶךְ'O.rekh[the] length חֲמֵ֣שׁcha.Mesh[was] five מֵא֔וֹתme.'othundred [cubits]וְרֹ֖חַבve./Ro.chavand/ [the] breadth חֲמֵ֣שׁcha.Mesh[was] five מֵא֑וֹתme.'othundred [cubits]לְהַבְדִּ֕ילle./hav.Dilto/ make a distinction בֵּ֥יןbeinbetween הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁha./Ko.desh<the>/ holy thing לְחֹֽל׃le./Choland/ a profane thing

King James Version

He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.

Cross-references

Ezekiel 45:2 Within this area there is to be a section for the sanctuary 500 cubits square, with 50 cubits around it for open land.
Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They disregard My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
Ezekiel 40:5 And I saw a wall surrounding the temple area. Now the length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits (each measuring a cubit and a handbreadth), and he measured the wall to be one rod thick and one rod high.
Ezekiel 44:23 They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean.
Ezekiel 48:15 The remaining area, 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, will be for common use by the city, for houses, and for pastureland. The city will be in the center of it
Zechariah 2:5 For I will be a wall of fire around it, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory within it.’”
Isaiah 60:18 No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders. But you will name your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
Leviticus 10:10 You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean,
Song of Solomon 2:9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.
Isaiah 25:1 O LORD, You are my God! I will exalt You; I will praise Your name. For You have worked wonders—plans formed long ago—in perfect faithfulness.