Ezekiel Chapter 48
1 "Now these are the names of the tribes: From the north end, beside the way of Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath, Hazar Enan at the border of Damascus, northward beside Hamath (and they shall have their sides east and west), Dan, one portion.
2 "By the border of Dan, from the east side to the west side, Asher, one portion.
3 "By the border of Asher, from the east side even to the west side, Naphtali, one portion.
4 "By the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west side, Manasseh, one portion.
5 "By the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west side, Ephraim, one portion.
6 "By the border of Ephraim, from the east side even to the west side, Reuben, one portion.
7 "By the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west side, Judah, one portion.
8 "By the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, shall be the offering which you shall offer, twenty-five thousand reeds in width, and in length as one of the portions, from the east side to the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the middle of it.
9 "The offering that you shall offer to the LORD shall be twenty-five thousand reeds in length, and ten thousand in width.
10 For these, even for the priests, shall be the holy offering: towards the north twenty-five thousand in length, and towards the west ten thousand in width, and towards the east ten thousand in width, and towards the south twenty-five thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the middle of it.
11 It shall be for the priests who are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, who have kept my instruction, who didn't go astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.
12 It shall be to them an offering from the offering of the land, a most holy thing, by the border of the Levites.
13 "Answerable to the border of the priests, the Levites shall have twenty-five thousand in length, and ten thousand in width. All the length shall be twenty-five thousand, and the width ten thousand.
14 They shall sell none of it, nor exchange it, nor shall the first fruits of the land be alienated; for it is holy to the LORD.
15 "The five thousand that are left in the width, in front of the twenty-five thousand, shall be for common use, for the city, for dwelling and for pasture lands; and the city shall be in the middle of it.
16 These shall be its measurements: the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred.
17 The city shall have pasture lands: towards the north two hundred and fifty, and towards the south two hundred and fifty, and towards the east two hundred and fifty, and towards the west two hundred and fifty.
18 The remainder in the length, alongside the holy offering, shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward; and it shall be alongside the holy offering. Its increase shall be for food to those who labour in the city.
19 Those who labour in the city, out of all the tribes of Israel, shall cultivate it.
20 All the offering shall be a square of twenty-five thousand by twenty-five thousand. You shall offer it as a holy offering, with the possession of the city.
21 "The remainder shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy offering and of the possession of the city; in front of the twenty-five thousand of the offering towards the east border, and westward in front of the twenty-five thousand towards the west border, alongside the portions, it shall be for the prince. The holy offering and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the middle of it.
22 Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the middle of that which is the prince's, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince.
23 "As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west side, Benjamin, one portion.
24 "By the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Simeon, one portion.
25 "By the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar, one portion.
26 "By the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun, one portion.
27 "By the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad, one portion.
28 "By the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, to the brook, to the great sea.
29 "This is the land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their several portions, says the Lord GOD.
30 "These are the exits of the city: On the north side four thousand and five hundred reeds by measure;
31 and the gates of the city shall be named after the tribes of Israel, three gates northward: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one.
32 "At the east side four thousand and five hundred reeds, and three gates: even the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one.
33 "At the south side four thousand and five hundred reeds by measure, and three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one.
34 "At the west side four thousand and five hundred reeds, with their three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one.
35 "It shall be eighteen thousand reeds around: and the name of the city from that day shall be, 'The LORD is there.'
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Ezekiel Chapter 48 Guide
The disposition of the tribes in relation to the sanctuary was then given. On the north of the sacred land Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah were to find their possessions, and in that order from north to south. In the sacred land itself, at the very centre, stood the sanctuary, and the priests' possession was immediately round about it. On the north of the land of the sanctuary and the priests, was the possession of the Levites, while on its south were the city and its adjacent lands. On the east and the west of all these was the princes' portion. Then to the south of the sacred land lay the portions of Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, and in that order from north to south.
The last vision granted to Ezekiel was of the city at the south of the sacred land, having three gates toward each of the points of the compass, on which were inscribed the names of the tribes of Israel.
The final words of this prophet of hope announced the name of the city, "Jehovah-Shammah," signifying, "The Lord is there." Thus the lonely witness to the glory of God, in exile in Babylon, rejoiced "in hope of the glory of God."
It is a fit and exquisite termination to this most wonderful book. Ezekiel had been arrested and inspired by visions of the essential glory of God, which he was able to describe only in terms full of majestic suggestiveness, which even to this day we read with great reverence and wonder. He had observed the reprobation of his people, and had seen that at its deepest it consisted in the fact that Jehovah had withdrawn Himself from them. Through all the clouds and darkness in the midst of which he lived, he had looked on to the people's restoration, and had seen that it consisted in the return of Jehovah to their midst, and all the burden of his message ended with the simple and sublime word, "Jehovah is there."
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Ezekiel Chapter 48 Commentary
Chapter Outline
Verses 1-35
Here is a description of the several portions of the land belonging to each tribe. In gospel times, behold all things are become new. Much is wrapped up in emblems and numbers. This method God has used to state mysterious truths in his word, not to be more clearly revealed till the proper time and season. But into the church of Christ, both in its state of warfare and triumph, there is free access by faith, from every side. Christ has opened the kingdom of heaven for all believers. Whoever will, may come, and take of the water of life, of the tree of life, freely. The Lord is there, in his church, to be nigh unto them in all they call upon him for. This is true of every real Christian; whatever soul has in it a living principle of grace, it may truly be said, The Lord is there. May we be found citizens of this holy city, and act agreeably to that character; and have the benefit of the Lord's presence with us, in life, in death, and for evermore.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.