Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 42:12
And according to the doors of the chambers that [were] toward the south [was] a door in the head of the way, [even] the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them.
12. As the text reads it is easiest to attach the last words of Eze 42:11 to Eze 42:12. The sense resulting from this change is not very natural. Possibly Eze 42:11 should end as A.V., in which case Eze 42:12 must be amended: and the doors of the chambers were toward the south. In this point they differed from the other chambers, the doors of which were towards the north ( Eze 42:4).
The term rendered “corresponding” is quite unknown. In the Targ. and post-biblical Heb. a similar word appears to mean suitable, excellent the appropriate wall. The word is no doubt corrupt. LXX. “reed.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
This verse is a particular description of the door and way that, from the east end of this south building, did lead either under the buildings, or through some part of them toward the west point, as before; such a way from the north buildings did lead to the south, nor do I think necessary to speak more of the words.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And according to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south,…. That is, the doors of these eastern chambers were exactly like to the doors of the southern chambers, as well as to the northern ones:
was a door in the head of the way; or beginning of the way; the door opened into the way of one cubit, and that led into the walk of ten cubits; and such a way and walk were before these eastern chambers as were before the southern and northern ones:
even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them: or, “also a way before the wall direct, a way to the east, as one goes into them” b; which seems to describe such a way from under these eastern chambers as were from under the northern or southern chambers, Eze 42:9.
b “viae, [inquam], quae erat ante maceriam rectam orientem versus, qua venitar ad illas”, Junius Tremellius Piscator; “via ante maceriam recta, via orientis in introitu illarum”, Cocceius, Starckius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(12) So were the doors of the chambers which were toward the south, a door at the head of the way, the way over against the corresponding (?) wall, the way as one enters from the east. The word here translated corresponding occurs only in this place, and is of doubtful signification; but the word for wall is the same as in Eze. 42:7, and there can be no doubt that it refers to the screen-wall to the east of the chambers. The way from the porch of the gate to the inner court was directly over against the passage between this wall and the chambers, and in fact joined it at right angles.
This closes the somewhat obscure and difficult description of these chambers, where we do not have, as in the other cases, any similar construction in the ancient Temple to guide the interpreter. It would seem altogether probable that there must have been an additional entrance to these chambers from the space at the side of or behind the Temple, for the convenience of the priests in changing their garments. Perhaps there was such an entrance to the second storey, which must have been about on the same level with the Temple court, but is not mentioned because only the plan of the lower storey is described.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘And according to the entrances of the chambers that were towards the south was an entrance at the head of the way, the way before the wall towards the east as one enters them.’
The south chambers, which parallel the north chambers are now introduced as a matter of fact. They are simply assumed. It is pointed out that they too had an entrance towards the east (compare Eze 42:9) similar to those that they had towards the south (compare Eze 42:4). The latter were entered by the walkway, at the end of which was the entrance, which was used for access to the walkway and thus entry into entrances of the chambers, and looked towards the east wall.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
was a door: Eze 42:9
Reciprocal: Eze 42:8 – before Eph 2:21 – an
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 42:12. The fact of observing things of different sides did not reveal any great difference in general design- Instead, the statement is made that the one was according to the other in most cases.