Then he brought me out by way of the north gate means the angelic guide led Ezekiel out of the Temple compound through the north gate of the outer compound. He brought me out is literally “he caused me to go out.” For the outer north gate, see 40.20-23.

And led me round on the outside to the outer gate, that faces toward the east: The guide took Ezekiel from the north gate to the east gate on the outside of the Temple compound. Led me around is literally “caused me to go around.” On the outside refers to outside the Temple compound. The outer gate, that faces toward the east refers to the east gateway in the outer wall of the compound (see 40.5-16). Translators may express this clause and the previous one as “Then he led me out through the outer north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate that faces eastward.”

And the water was coming out on the south side is literally “and behold, water was trickling from the right side,” which means a small trickle of water was flowing out from the right side of the east gateway. For the Hebrew word meaning “behold,” see Ezek 47.1. The Hebrew verb rendered was coming refers to a very small flow of water (compare Complete Jewish Bible “trickling”), as comes out of a small bottle (so Block). This water was not flooding the whole gateway, but trickling through its south side (see Ezek 47.1), that is, “right-hand side” (Jerusalem Bible; similarly King James Version / New King James Version). This clause may be rendered “and I saw a small amount of water flowing out from the right-hand side [or, south side] of the gateway.”

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 .