Ezekiel 41:7

What the verse means to say is that the side-chambers widened in the second and third stories through the retreating of the wall of the house. The present text being assumed it might read: "and there was a widening of the side-chambers and an encompassing (by them) ever upwards; for the encompassing of the house was (the more) ever upwards, round about the house" the meaning being that the higher the three story building rose the broader it grew and the closer it encompassed the house, i.e. appeared to encroach upon the house owing to the retreat of the wall. Another sense of the present reading would be got if the word rendered "encompass" could be supposed to be something which the house did, viz. "turn," turn in, retreat. The sense would remain the same. LXX. omits "encompassing" after "widening" and instead of "for the encompassing" &c. it reads: according to the appendage(projection, i.e. the ledge) out of the wallgiving the same general meaning.

the breadth of the house The words mean: the house became broader upwards an impossible sense. Either "house" must be omitted with LXX., or the clause read: and it broadened toward the house (or, inwards) ever upward. Subject is the side building.

and so increased The words state how the various stories communicated with one another, according to the clear statement, 1 Kings 6:8. Read: and from the lowest one went up to the highest and to the middle story, or possibly with R.V., bythe middle story. LXX. perspicuously: that they might go up from the chambers below to the upper chambers, and from the middle chambers to the third story. Syr. is equally distinct.