The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel
Ezekiel 48
Chapter XLVIII · Vol. III, pp. 1382–1383
1 Now these are athe names of the tribes. Fromb the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides ceast and west;1 a portion2 for dDan.
a Ge.xlvi. Ex.1.1-4. 1 Ch.2.1,2. Nu.i. ii. x. xxvi. Jos.xiii.-xxi. Re.7.4-8.
b ch.47.15-17. Nu.34.7-9. Jos.13.5; 11.17.
A.M. cir. 3430. B.C. cir. 574.
c Ps.72.8. ver.28. Da.7.14. Mat.28.18. 1 Co.15.24. 1 Ti.6.15. Re.11.15. Is.11.9,10; 49.12.
1 This division differs essentially from that of Joshua; and, as it did not take place on the return from Babylon, must point to a time still future. And though the whole prophecy seems emblematic of heavenly, rather than descriptive of earthly things, yet it is not improbable that it proceeds upon a principle of division, the simplicity of which may hereafter commend it to the adoption of Israel restored. Taking the length of the whole land at 280 miles, and deducting the allotment for the priests, Levites, temple, and prince, see ch.45.1, there will remain for each tribe a parallelogram of less than 20 miles in breadth by 100 in length from east to west. But, lest this appear an inadequate allotment, let it be remembered that each tribe has an equal share in the city, ver.19, and must be common occupiers on the lands of the prince. And let this mathematical arrangement be viewed as the emblem of the covenant 'well ordered in all things,' and of 'all things done decently and in order' in the church, while the perfect equality that prevails among the tribes, and extends to all resident strangers, will appear equally descriptive of that state in which there is 'neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, but Christ is all and in all.'—C.
2 Heb. one portion, as ver.2-7,23-27.
d Jos.19.40-47. Mat.19.30; 20.16; 8.11,12, with Re.7.5-8. Ju.18.30. 1 Ki.12.28,29.
2 And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Asher.
3 And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Naphtali.
4 And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Manasseh.
5 And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Ephraim.
6 And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Reuben.
7 And by the border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Judah.
8 And by the border of Judah, efrom the east side unto the west side, shall be gthe offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds[≈ 69 km · 43 miles]3 in breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be hin the midst of it.
* Many high authorities prefer supplying 'cubits;' for the propriety of rather inserting 'reeds,' see note on ch.45.1.—C.
e ch.47.18-20; ver.28. Mat.28.18; 11.27. 1 Co.15.24. 1 Ti.6.15. Ps.72.8; 89.23,25,27. Da.7.13,14. Re.11.15.
g ch.45.1-6.
3 See note * in first column.
h Jos.18.1. Re.2.1; 21.3; 22.3. Pr.8.15. Ca.5.10. Is.2.2,3; 11.10; 33.22; 55.7; 60.7. Ho.1.11. Hag.2.7,9. Mat.3.17. Jn.12.32. Ro.15.9-12.
9 The oblation that ye shall offer unto the LORD shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth.
10 And for them, even ifor the priests, shall be this holy oblation: toward the north five and twenty thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the midst thereof.
11 It shall be for the priests that are sanctified4 of jthe sons of Zadok, which have kept my charge,5 which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, kas the Levites went astray.
12 And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy,6 by the border of the Levites.
13 And over against the border of the priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand7 in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand.
14 Andl they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the first-fruits8 of the land: forn it is holy unto the LORD.
l Le.27.10,28,33. Ex.22.29. Ju.11.24. 1 Ki.21.2. Je.2.11,13. He.13.5. ch.5.6. 1 Co.15.58. Ga.5.1. 2 Ti.1.14. 2 Jn.8. Re.3.11,12.
8 All Christ's redeemed people being made 'kings and priests unto God,' are, as kings, enabled to convey a share in their spiritual inheritance as 'joint heirs with Christ;' but, as priests, they may not, as profane and regardless Esau, sell or alienate their birthright, nor part with the 'first-fruits'—the order, holiness, and hope of the primitive church, who constituted in the gospel harvest 'the first-fruits to God and the Lamb,' Ro. 8. 23; 11. 16. Ja. 1. 18. Re. 14. 4. But above all, they may not, Judas-like, sell their Redeemer to be crucified afresh; for he is 'the first-fruits' of the gospel seed which the angels shall gather in the harvest of the resurrection, 1 Co.15.20,23. He.6.6.—C.
n See ver.12.
15 And the five thousand that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a oprofane place for the city, for dwelling, and for suburbs; and the city shall be in the midst thereof.9
16 And these shall be the measures thereof; 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 And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty.
18 And the residue in length, over against the oblation of the holy portion, shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward: and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion; and the increase thereof shall be for 1food punto them that serve the city.
19 And they that serve the city shall serve it qout of all the tribes of Israel.
q ch.45.6. Ne.11.1-24. Re.7.5-9.
20 Allr the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: ye shall offer the holy oblation sfour-square, with the possession of the city.
21 Andt the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border, 2over against the portions for the prince: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the usanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof.
22 Moreover from3 the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince's, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, 4shall be for the prince.5
* The holy oblation (ver. 12), of 25,000 square reeds, was divided into three parts from north to south, ch. 45. 1. The north division of 25,000 reeds by 10,000 for the priests, in the midst of which was the temple, surrounded by a wall 500 reeds square, ver. 9, 10; ch. 42.15. Next to this lay the portion of the Levites of the same dimensions (ver. 13, 14), and on the south another portion of the same length, but only 500 reeds in breadth, for the city, ver.5. In the midst of this portion was the city, being 4500 reeds, or about 9 miles square, with a suburb of about 250 reeds, or about half a mile on each side (ver. 17), leaving 10,000 reeds or nearly 10 miles on the east and west, as a common for the servants of the city out of all the tribes, ver.18,19. On the east and west sides of this square are the royal demesnes, each of which, taking the breadth of the land at 150 miles, would form a square of 50 miles. The calculation by cubits instead of reeds, proportionally reduces this calculation; which, it may be right to add, others have held to be vastly greater; some making the dimensions of the city greater than all Europe; others, perhaps, greater than the habitable portions of the earth. But the reed and the cubit being the only measures mentioned, it is obvious the calculation must be taken from the one or the other. But it matters not for any purpose of interpretation which is adopted. But in addition to what has been adduced (ch.45.1), the use of the reed in measuring the city (Re.11.1; 21.15), seems to favour the conclusion, that where the cubit is not mentioned, the reed was the measure intended by Ezekiel.—C.
3 Or, beyond.
4 The prince had whatever was at the east end or west end of these portions.
5 See note * in first column.
23 As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side unto the west side, Benjamin shall have a portion.6
6 Heb. one, ver.1-7,24-28. The portions proceeded from north to south, and seven portions were on the north and five on the south side of the sanctuary and city.
24 And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon shall have a portion.
25 And by the border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar a portion.
26 And by the border of Issachar, from the east side unto the west side, Zebulun a portion.
27 And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a portion.
28 And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from vTamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh,7 and to the xriver toward the great sea.8
v ch.47.19. 2 Ch.20.2.
7 Heb. Meribah-kadesh, ch.47.19. Nu.20.1,13. Ps.106.32.
8 ch.47.15,19,20; i.e. the Mediterranean.
29 Thisy is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord GOD.
30 And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, zfour thousand and five hundred measures.
31 And the agates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.
a Re.21.12,13,21,25; 22.14; 3.8. Is.60.11,18; 54.12; 26.2. Jn.10.7,9; 14.6. He.10.19-22. Ep.2.18.
32 And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.
33 And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.
34 At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.
35 It was round about beighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, cThe LORD is there.9
b ver.16,30-34. Re.21.16. Ps.72.8; 98.3. Is.2.2,3; 24.16; 49.19; 54.2,3. Zec.2.11; 8.20-23; 14.9. Mal.1.11. Ro.11.25,26. Mat.26.14; 28.19. Mar.16.15.
c Ps.46.5; 48.3; 68.18; 77.13. Je.3.17. Joel 3.21. ch.34.24; 37.26-28. Is.60.4,19. Zec.2.5,10. Re.7.15,16; 21.3,22; 22.3. Ps.132.14. 2 Co.6.16. 1 Pe.2.5. Ep.2.22.
Notes
Canaan, here divided, represents the gospel church as containing all the tribes of the redeemed, with the presence and ordinances of God in the midst of them; and in admission to which no natural descent, no civil character or privilege, is in the least to be regarded. Jerusalem, the holy city, represents the gospel church as exceedingly enlarged, as wholly answerable to the measuring line of God's Word, as abundantly accessible to all ends of the earth, and as dignified with the special care, presence, and ordinances of Jehovah.
Reflections.—In the gospel church old things are all passed away, and all things are become new. In the most comely order, the last is made first; the chief of sinners become the chief of saints. What abundant access have they to Christ and to God in his ordinances! And the most faithful tribes are admitted into the nearest fellowship. Yea, God hath made abundant provision for the support of his ordinances, ministers, or magistrates; and it is at their peril if any receive his revenues without serving as his deputies. What is dedicated to his service cannot be alienated to other purposes. And every one in his station ought to lay out himself in the service of this city, knowing that his labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Great is the regularity, the stability, the strength, the extent, the freedom, the life, and honour of our gospel Jerusalem in the apostolic and millennial periods! What then shall be the heavenly city, in which God is All and In All!
Concluding Remarks on the Book of Ezekiel.
It is vain to speak of the distinctive mental qualities or peculiar styles of the prophets; seeing these 'holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,' and as God severally gave them both thoughts and utterance. The only real distinctive characteristics of the prophets lie in the subjects and objects of their several commissions. Taking this view of Ezekiel, he stands conspicuous among his fellows by the splendour of the visions of God with which he was favoured; and has in this respect none that approach to equality, with the exception of Daniel and John the Divine. Cast over these visions, we, no doubt, find a veil of deep, perhaps of impenetrable, obscurity; which those who cannot lift must contemplate with humility, prayer, and patience, till 'the day dawn and the shadows flee away.' But if Ezekiel present to us some things that are thus obscure, he also sets before us much that is plain. His descriptions and denunciations of national idolatry are calculated for every understanding, and are truly so plain 'that he may run that readeth,' Hab. 2.2. And they apply not to Judah and Israel alone, but to all generations; for though one form of idolatry has been totally banished from the reformed Christian churches, alas! other forms have disguisedly sprung up in its room; and the idolatry of the imagination or of the intellect, the idolatry of self-love or of self-will, with that 'covetousness that is (literally) idolatry,' have extensively occupied their room. On this ground Ezekiel was not merely a prophet for the Jews, but also for many contemporary nations. Upon these he poured out the judgments of God with remarkable clearness and minuteness of description; so that the records of travellers through these prophetic countries form the best commentary upon this part of the Scriptures.
A few miles to the south-east of the ruins of Babylon, a monument is still pointed out as the tomb of Ezekiel. That this is really the tomb of the prophet is the tradition of the Jews who have inhabited the country ever since the captivity; and who say that he died while on a visit to Babylon. This tomb was first described to Europeans by Benjamin of Tudela; and who adds that it was said to have been erected by the captive king Jeconiah. Benjamin adds that the prince of the captivity with multitudes of the Jews were accustomed to pay an annual visit to the tomb, for the purposes of devotion and trade, and that it was surrounded by several synagogues, and a public library that had subsisted since the time of the first as well as the second temple. It is also visited by Arabian pilgrims and the Jews of Media and Persia.
Those who know the difficulty, the frequent impossibility, of ascertaining the burying-places of eminent men, after the lapse of a few hundred years—and especially those who know how ready superstition is to admit of the slightest evidence that may minister to its morbid sensibilities—will be slow to attach much value to such traditions when found unsupported by contemporary history. It may or it may not be the tomb of the prophet; but would to God that the men who superstitiously visit his tomb, and venerate his dust, would rather study his writings and drink of his spirit. C.
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.