EZEKIEL 48
A
Bible Study - Commentary by Jim Melough
Copyright
2003 James Melough
48:1.
“Now these are the names of the tribes. From 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 east and west; a
portion for Dan.”
48:2.
“And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, a portion
for Asher.”
48:3.
“And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side, a
portion for Naphtali.”
48:4.
“And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, a
portion for Manasseh.”
48:5.
“And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a
portion for Ephraim.”
48:6.
“And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west side, a
portion for Reuben.”
48:7.
“And by the border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side, a portion
for Judah.”
In an area bounded by a line running from the
southern end of the Sea of Galilee, through the border of Hauran, to Hazar
Enan, Zedad, Lebo Hamath, and ending at the Mediterranean coast about thirty
miles north of Sidon, will be the territory assigned to the five tribes
mentioned in verses two to six, beginning with Dan, each tribe being allotted
a strip running from east to west across the designated area.
48:8.
“And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be
the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in
breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the
west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it.”
48:9.
“The oblation that ye shall offer unto the Lord shall be of five and twenty
thousand (cubits) in length, and of ten thousand in breadth.”
Directly south of Judah’s allotment will be the
consecrated territory reserved for the sanctuary and the dwellings of the
priests and Levites. It will be twenty-five thousand cubits long, and ten
thousand cubits broad.
48:10.
“And for them, even for 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.”
This consecrated area will be a rectangle
twenty-five thousand cubits long, and ten thousand cubits broad, in the center
of which the sanctuary will be located.
48:11.
“It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which
have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went
astray, as the Levites went astray.”
This area will be for the priests, the sons of
Zadok, who remained faithful to God when their brethren joined the people in
idolatry, instead of rebuking their error and instructing them in what was
right.
48:12.
“And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most
holy by the border of the Levites.”
This is also translated, “And it shall belong to
them as a special portion from the holy portion of the land, a most holy
place, adjoining the territory of the Levites,” RSV, and “The area set apart
for the priests from the reserved territory shall be most sacred, reaching the
frontier of the Levites,” NEB.
48:13.
“And over against the border of the priests the Levites shall have five and
twenty thousand (cubits) in length, and ten thousand (cubits) in breadth: all
the length shall be five and twenty thousand (cubits), and the breadth ten
thousand (cubits).”
Parallel with the territory of the priests will be
another for the Levites, twenty-five thousand cubits long, and ten thousand
cubits broad.
48:14.
“And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits
of the land: for it is holy unto the Lord.”
They will not be permitted to sell or exchange any
part of the land allotted to them, nor to fail to present the firstfruits to
God as the Giver of their harvests.
48:15.
“And the five thousand, that are left in the breadth over against the five and
twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for dwelling, and for
suburbs: and the city shall be in the midst thereof.”
The RSV translates this, “The remainder, five
thousand cubits in breadth and twenty-five thousand in length, shall be for
ordinary use for the city, for dwellings and for open country.”
48:16.
“And these shall be the measures thereof; the north side four thousand and
five hundred (cubits), and the south side four thousand and five hundred
(cubits), and on the east side four thousand and five hundred (cubits), and
the west side four thousand and five hundred (cubits).”
These will be the dimensions of the city: it will
be a square measuring four thousand five hundred cubits on each side.
48:17.
“And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty
(cubits), and toward the south two hundred and fifty (cubits), and toward the
east two hundred and fifty (cubits), and toward the west two hundred and fifty
(cubits).”
Surrounding the city on all four sides will be open
pasture lands measuring two hundred and fifty cubits in width.
48:18.
“And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall
be ten thousand (cubits) eastward, and ten thousand (cubits) westward: and it
shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion; and the increase
thereof shall be for food unto them that serve the city.”
The AAT translation of this reads, “The remaining
length of ten thousand cubits to the east, and ten thousand to the west,
alongside the sacred allotment, shall belong to the city; its produce shall
supply food for the workers in the city.”
48:19.
“And they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel.”
This piece of land will be cultivated by the city
workers from all the tribes of Israel.
48:20.
“All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand (cubits) by five and
twenty thousand (cubits); ye shall offer the holy oblation four-square, with
the possession of the city.”
The Jerusalem Bible translates this, The
portion is to have a total area of twenty-five thousand cubits by twenty-five
thousand. You are to allocate a quarter of the sacred portion to form the
city;” and the RSV renders it, “The whole portion which you shall set apart
shall be twenty-five thousand cubits square, that is, the holy portion
together with the property of the city.”
48:21.
“And 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, over against the
portions for the prince: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary
of the house shall be in the midst thereof.”
The RSV translates this, “What remains on both
sides of the holy portion of the property of the city shall belong to the
prince, extending from the twenty-five thousand cubits of the holy portion to
the east border, and westward from the twenty-five thousand cubits to the west
border, parallel to the tribal portions, it shall belong to the prince.”
48:22.
“Moreover from 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, shall be for the prince.”
The RSV translates this, “The holy portion with the
sanctuary of the temple in its midst, and the property of the Levites and the
property of the city, shall be in the midst of that which belongs to the
prince. The portion of the prince shall lie between the territory of Judah
and the territory of Benjamin.”
48:23.
“As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side unto the west side,
Benjamin shall have a portion.”
48:24.
“And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon
shall have a portion.”
48:25.
“And by the border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar
a portion.”
48:26.
“And by the border of Issachar, from the east side unto the west side, Zebulun
a portion.”
48:27.
“And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a
portion.”
48:28.
“And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be
even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward
the great sea.”
Gad’s was the extreme south allotment, its southern
border running from the south shore of the Dead Sea to the city of Tamar, of
uncertain location, but believed to have been just a few miles south of the
Dead Sea, extending to the waters of Meribah Kadesh, and continuing with the
River of Egypt which emptied into the Mediterranean, and formed the border
between Egypt and Canaan. This River of Egypt is not to be confused with the
Nile.
48:29.
“This 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.”
This concludes the division of the land amongst the
tribes of Israel.
48:30.
“And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and
five hundred measures (cubits).”
This describes the exits of the city, beginning
with the north side which, as already noted, will be four thousand and five
hundred cubits long.
48:31.
“And the gates 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.”
There will be three gates on the north side: one
named for Reuben, one for Judah, and one for Levi.
48:32.
“And at the east side four thousand and five hundred (cubits): and three
gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.”
There will be three gates on the east side: one
named for Joseph, one for Benjamin, and one for Dan.
48:33.
“And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures (cubits): and
three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.”
The three gates on the south side will be named for
Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun respectively.
48:34.
“At the west side four thousand and five hundred (cubits), with their three
gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.”
The three gates on the west side will be named for
Gad, Asher, and Naphtali respectively.
48:35.
“It was round about eighteen thousand measures (cubits): and the name of the
city from that day shall be The Lord is there.”
The circumference of the city will be eighteen
thousand cubits, and its name will be “The Lord is there.”
This study of the book of Ezekiel is concluded with
grateful thanks to God for His having permitted me to write it, and with the
prayer that it may now be used for His glory in the blessing of believers, and
the salvation of the unconverted who may chance to read it.
THE END