Ezekiel 40:12

Eze 40:12 The space also before the little chambers [was] one cubit [on this side], and the space [was] one cubit on that side: and the little chambers [were] six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.

Ver. 12. The space also before the little chambers.] Which space served either for seats, walks, or eaves rather at either end.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

space--rather, "the boundary."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

12. space … before the little chambers] A barrier before the guardrooms, one cubit, Fig. 1, fg, hi, kl. The meaning appears to be that the barrier took away a cubit on each side from the passage, reducing it from 10 to 8 cubits opposite the guard chambers. The height of the barrier would probably not be very great. The measure of “a cubit” can hardly be the height, as all the measurements refer here to breadth.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side,.... Or, "a border" (a) of half a yard and three inches to the front of the chambers; where those that belonged to them might walk, or have seats to sit on; such a space there was before the three little chambers on the north side of the porch:

and the space was one cubit on that side: a space or border of the same measure was to the front of the three little chambers on the south side of the porch: this may denote the Christian liberty of the members of Gospel churches; which they may use without any breach of piety towards God, or of charity one to another:

and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side; they were of the same measure, those on one side, as those of the other, even six cubits square; or one reed, which is the same; see Eze 40:7; see Gill on Eze 40:7.

(a) "terminus", Munster, Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The space; the bound, limit, or rails, as some think, which were set up at a cubit distance from the front of these little chambers, and gave a beauty to them; or else the space of a cubit on the outside for convenient placing of benches for the priests to sit on, while they observed who came in and went out of the gate.

The little chambers: see Eze 40:7.

The space between the rails, or balusters, and the chambers on each side, north and south. There was no difference in the dimensions of these little chambers, they were all alike on each side.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. R.V. reads, “and a border before the lodges, one cubit on this side, and a border, one cubit on that side.” (Compare Eze_27:4; Eze_43:13; Eze_43:17.) Plumptre supposes this border formed a pathway for the guards at the gate, who could thus observe what was going on in the gate without being interrupted by the traffic.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The space also before the little chambers; more correctly, and a border be fore the ledges. Though the construction of this border, fence, or barrier (comp. Eze_27:4 Eze_43:13, Eze_43:17; Exo_19:12) is not described, its design most likely was to enable the guardsman, by stepping beyond his coil, to observe what was going on in the gate without either interrupting or being interrupted by the passengers. As the barrier projected one cubit on each side of the ten-cubit way, only eight cubits remained for persons going in or out.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The space - The rails, which were set up at a cubit distance from the front of these little chambers, on the outside for convenient placing of benches for the priests to sit on. The space - Between the rails, and the chambers.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

And a border [area] was before the cells of one cubit, etc. The cells on either side of the gate were inset [away] from being in line with the area of the inward-going hall, a cubit to the north and a cubit to the south. For he already made it clear that on the inside, it [the space] was extended beyond from the [the area] facing the space of the gate, a cubit and a half to the north and likewise to the south. Now he explains that the cells which were on the outside were recessed to the north, one cubit more than the hall, and likewise one cubit to the south. As a result, they were recessed from the area of the [gate’s] entrance’s width, two and a half cubits to this side and two and a half cubits to this side. This is [the meaning of] the word וּגְבוּל, somayl in Old French, border, limit, an empty place. The wall of the cell was five cubits thick, resulting in the thickness of the northern wall of the northern cell, and the thickness of the northern wall of the hall, ending opposite each other. For the wall of the hall was six cubits thick and the wall of the cell was five, and it was extended one cubit inward opposite the thickness of the wall of the hall, and likewise, to the south.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.