2 Chronicles 4:9,10

The Two Courts

9. the court of the priests, and the great court There is a difficulty in this mention of two Temple courts by the Chronicler, for it may be doubted whether Solomon's Temple, strictly speaking, had more than onecourt, for in "the other court" stood Solomon's house (1 Kings 7:8). This "other court" seems to be called the "middle court" (2 Kings 20:4), and the "higher court" (Jeremiah 36:10). The "great court" (1 Kings 7:12) was perhaps a third court containing not only the king's house, but all the royal buildings as well. The Heb. word for "court" in all the above passages is ḥâçer, but here the "court (ḥâççr) of the priests" is distinguished from a court called the "great court" (Heb. "great Azârâh"). Perhaps the Chronicler wishes to make the same distinction when he says that Solomon's great prayer was offered (2 Chronicles 6:13) in "the court" (Heb. Azârâh).