The Meaning of Ezekiel 45:5 Explained

Ezekiel 45:5

KJV: And the five and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of breadth, shall also the Levites, the ministers of the house, have for themselves, for a possession for twenty chambers.

YLT: And of the five and twenty thousand of length, and of the ten thousand of breadth, there is to the Levites, ministrants of the house, for them -- for a possession -- twenty chambers.

Darby: And a space of five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth, shall the Levites, who do the service of the house, have for themselves, for a possession, for their habitations.

ASV: And five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth, shall be unto the Levites, the ministers of the house, for a possession unto themselves, for twenty chambers.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the five  and twenty  thousand  of length,  and the ten  thousand  of breadth,  shall also the Levites,  the ministers  of the house,  have for themselves, for a possession  for twenty  chambers. 

What does Ezekiel 45:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The other Levites would occupy another25 ,000 by10 ,000 cubits (83miles by33miles) area beside the one just described (cf. Ezekiel 48:13). It would evidently be immediately to the north. Under the Mosaic system the priests and Levites lived scattered throughout Israel, not all in very close proximity to the temple, as here.

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 45

1  The portion of land for the sanctuary
6  for the city
7  and for the prince
9  Ordinances for the prince

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 45:5 mean?

And five and [An] [area] twenty thousand [cubits] long and ten thousand wide - shall belong to the Levites the ministers of the temple they shall have as a possession twenty chambers
וַחֲמִשָּׁ֨ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים אֶ֙לֶף֙ אֹ֔רֶךְ וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת אֲלָפִ֖ים רֹ֑חַב [יהיה] (וְֽהָיָ֡ה) לַלְוִיִּם֩ מְשָׁרְתֵ֨י הַבַּ֧יִת לָהֶ֛ם לַאֲחֻזָּ֖ה עֶשְׂרִ֥ים לְשָׁכֹֽת

וַחֲמִשָּׁ֨ה  And  five 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: חָמֵשׁ  
Sense: five.
וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים  and  [An]  [area]  twenty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, common plural
Root: עֶשְׂרִים  
Sense: twenty, twentieth.
אֶ֙לֶף֙  thousand  [cubits] 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
אֹ֔רֶךְ  long 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹרֶךְ  
Sense: length.
וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת  and  ten 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular construct
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
אֲלָפִ֖ים  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine plural
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
רֹ֑חַב  wide 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹחַב  
Sense: breadth, width, expanse.
[יהיה]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
(וְֽהָיָ֡ה)  shall  belong 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לַלְוִיִּם֩  to  the  Levites 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
מְשָׁרְתֵ֨י  the  ministers 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׁרַת  
Sense: (Piel) to minister, serve, minister to.
הַבַּ֧יִת  of  the  temple 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
לָהֶ֛ם  they  shall  have 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
לַאֲחֻזָּ֖ה  as  a  possession 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲחֻזָּה  
Sense: possession, property.
עֶשְׂרִ֥ים  twenty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: עֶשְׂרִים  
Sense: twenty, twentieth.
לְשָׁכֹֽת  chambers 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: לִשְׁכָּה  
Sense: room, chamber, hall, cell.