Then he brought me from without into the inner court: Next Ezekiel’s guide led him through the inner north gatehouse into the inner courtyard. For he brought me, see verse 17; for the inner court, see verse 19. The words he brought me are not in the Hebrew text, but the Septuagint has them. In Hebrew this clause reads literally “And from the outside of [or, to] the inner gate” (compare New King James Version “Outside the inner gate”). New International Version begins this verse with “Outside the inner gate, within the inner court,” which makes it clear that it refers to a position inside the inner courtyard. Ezekiel came through the inner north gatehouse and was standing just inside the inner courtyard. Like Revised Standard Version, translators may include a verb to reflect this motion if the narrative flows better with it or is awkward without it. Models that include it for this clause are “Then he brought me into the inner courtyard, just outside the north gate” or “When I came into the inner courtyard and was standing just outside the north gate.”

And behold, there were two chambers in the inner court: Revised Standard Version continues to follow the Septuagint here. What Ezekiel saw in the inner courtyard here is not certain, since the Hebrew says literally “[there were] chambers for singers in the inner courtyard” (similarly New Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation [1996], King James Version / New King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Complete Jewish Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). A reference to the Temple singers here is totally out of context. Therefore Revised Standard Version and most other translations follow the Septuagint by referring to two chambers (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, New International Reader’s Version, New Century Version, English Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Christian Community Bible, Moffatt, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). This reading involves small changes to the Hebrew text, and even though Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends against it, we believe that it is the best way of making sense of a difficult passage. Therefore we recommend that translators follow Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation here. What Ezekiel saw were two chambers in the inner court, that is, two rooms facing the inner courtyard. Good News Translation says “two rooms opening on the inner court.”

One at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the south gate facing north: One of the rooms was facing south beside the north gatehouse, and the other room was facing north beside the south gatehouse. So these rooms were opposite each other across the inner courtyard.

The Hebrew gives no hint at all about which side of the gates these rooms were, so they may have been on the other side of the gatehouses. But most diagrams of the new Temple place them in this position. This is probably correct because it is likely that these rooms for the priests would be between the gates and the Temple itself, especially if the priests’ role was to protect the altar and the Temple (see the comments on verses 45-46).

The reading in Revised Standard Version for this last half of the verse reflects the Septuagint and is followed by most modern translations. However, it involves a significant change to the Hebrew, which places the second room next to the east gate (so New Revised Standard Version, King James Version, Complete Jewish Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) instead of the south gate.

Although this plan for the two priests’ rooms in the Hebrew text is not as balanced and symmetrical as that of the Septuagint, there is no reason why it is not correct. In fact, because it follows the Hebrew more closely, it may be preferable. Translators should keep that in mind when they choose which reading to follow in their language.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .