Ezekiel 48:30

And these are the goings out of the city,.... The gates of it, as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it, by which they went out of it, and into it; and also the sides of it.

And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures. No JFB commentary on this verse.

Now the prophet hath a general topography of the city, which lay four-square. The first side mentioned is the north, for there he began to describe the land, or because it was nearest the temple. It was, as , which see, four thousand five hundred cubits, i.e. about a mile and one third of a mile.

Ezekiel 48:30 And these [are] the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.Ver. 30. And these are the goings out of the city.] That is the utmost bounds, as Rabbi Solomon glosseth.

(30) The goings out of the city.—In Ezekiel 48:30-34 the dimensions of the city are again given for the purpose of introducing the mention of the gates, three on each side, one for each of the tribes of Israel. In this enumeration Levi takes his place as a tribe, and Joseph is therefore reckoned as only one tribe; but the order of their names is neither that of their geographical arrangement nor of their seniority. It will be remembered that the symbolism of the twelve gates enters also into the vision of Rev 21:12; Revelation 21:21.

Verse 30. These are the goings out] Each of the four sides of the city was four thousand five hundred cubits long. There were three gates on each side, as mentioned below; and the whole circumference of the city was eighteen thousand cubits. See the map, plan B. dddd. See Clarke on Ezekiel 48:35. The rector of New Haven College, in New England, supposes the preceding representations to refer to the happy state of the Church in what is called the Millennium. Leaving this period out of the question, the following observations are worthy of notice:- "The Jews, for whom this vision was intended, would conceive their country to be divided to the twelve tribes, in lots of a regular and mathematical form; and not confused or intermixed, as in Joshua's time. Their city laid out larger than before; and exactly foursquare, with regular suburbs; the temple and appendages much more commodious for their sacrifices, and the habitations of the priests and Levites regularly formed round about the temple. So that this whole plan of the division of the country, laying out of the city, temple, and all the appendages, appears to be perfectly regular and uniform, as if it were drawn all at one time, and by one hand, who had power to effect it; and therefore conveyed to the Jews the most complete idea they were capable of conceiving of the most perfect church, commonwealth, city, temple, and conveniences, for Divine worship. I. The Holy Land, as described Ezekiel 47:13-21 and Ezekiel 48:1-35 according to the original grant, being about two hundred and fifty miles long, north and south, and about one hundred and fifty miles wide, is divided, by parallel lines east and west, to the twelve tribes, each of them having a portion twenty miles wide. Only between Judah and Benjamin there is a holy portion near ten miles wide; in the middle of which is the holy oblation, twenty-five thousand cubits; that is, about ten miles square for the priests, Levites, city, and temple, Ezekiel 45:1; Ezekiel 48:8; the two ends are for the prince, Ezekiel 45:7, c. II. The holy oblation, lying in the middle of the holy portion, is twenty-five thousand cubits square, which is near ten miles of which ten thousand cubits, or four miles, are taken off from the north side for a habitation for the priests, and as much for the Levites on the south side, Ezekiel 45:4-45:5, and Ezekiel 48:20; and five thousand cubits in the middle for the city portion, Ezekiel 45:6; in the middle of which is the city, four thousand five hundred cubits square, which is nearly two miles, Ezekiel 48:15-16. Round about this is left two hundred and fifty cubits, near thirty rods, for suburbs, Ezekiel 48:17. The remaining ten thousand cubits on the east side, and the ten thousand cubits on the west side, are for the profit of those who serve the city, out of all the tribes, Ezekiel 48:18-19. The sanctuary is in the midst o! the city, Ezekiel 48:8. III.

30–35. The city with its twelve gates, named after the tribes. Cf. Revelation 21:12 seq30. goings out of the city] i.e. the extensions on all sides. measures] in measure, i.e. extent. The 4500 are naturally cubits. The city lies foursquare, each side being 4500. But on each side is a free place of 250 cubits, so that the city forms a square of 5000 cubits.

The goings out of the city - The gates described in Ezekiel 48:31. “Measures” (reeds) concern the sides. Divide the verses thus: Ezekiel 48:30. “And these are the goings out of the city. Ezekiel 48:31.

30-34. These closing verses relate to the goings out (literally, outer boundaries, Toy) of the city.