Then he brought me forth to the outer court: After Ezekiel looked at one of the priests’ kitchens, his angelic guide led him into the outer courtyard. He brought me forth is literally “he caused me to go out” (compare New King James Version “he brought me out”). The guide led Ezekiel from the walkway in which he had seen the kitchen, or perhaps from the kitchen itself, if he had gone right into it.

And led me to the four corners of the court: The guide led Ezekiel past the four corners of the outer courtyard. Led me is literally “caused me to pass by” (King James Version / New King James Version). The four corners of the court refers to the four inside corners of the Temple’s outer courtyard.

And in each corner of the court there was a court—in the four corners of the court were small courts …: In each of the corners of the outer courtyard there was an “enclosure” (New Living Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “smaller courtyard” (New Century Version). Each of these enclosures were forty cubits long and thirty broad, that is, about 20 meters (68 feet) long and 15 meters (48 feet) wide. The four were of the same size means all four enclosures in the corners of the outer courtyard were the same size.

The main problem in these two verses is the description of the four enclosures in the corners of the outer courtyard as small courts (also New Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version; similarly Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, Christian Community Bible). This reading involves changing the Hebrew text slightly and follows the Septuagint. The meaning of the Hebrew word that is changed to read small is uncertain. Some translations think it means “joined” (King James Version), that is, the enclosures were built in to the external wall of the Temple compound, not just added on later. Closely related to this sense is the idea that the enclosures were “enclosed” (New International Version, New King James Version , New American Standard Bible, Complete Jewish Bible, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project), or “surrounded by walls” (New Living Translation; similarly New International Reader’s Version). Other suggestions include “unroofed” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) and “smoky” (Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). It is probably best to choose the meaning “enclosed” or “surrounded by walls” and to picture each enclosure as a room with four walls, not one that is open on one or two sides. However, the walls may not have been full height.

Revised Standard Version, following the Septuagint, omits the last Hebrew word of verse 22. The word means “set into the corners” (Hebrew Old Testament Text Project), and the Masoretes, who copied and preserved the Hebrew text, put marks over the word to show that they thought the word should not be there. Whether it is there or not actually makes no difference to the meaning. If it is not there, the last clause may be rendered “the four [enclosures] were all the same size.” If the word is there, the clause may be translated “the four [enclosures] built in the corners were all the same size.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends including the word, but translators may make their own decision.

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 .