Ezekiel 48
PATThis last chapter contains a description of the several portions of land belonging to each tribe: together with the portions allotted to the sanctuary, city, suburbs, and prince: as also the measure and gates of the new city. square, of five thousand cubits on every side; adding five hundred in breadth, and five hundred in length, to the four thousand five hundred cubits, which was the compass of the city. Ver.. 18. And the residue in length, over against [or beside, see ver. 13.] the oblation of the holy portion, shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand tvesttvard.] These two dimensions of ten thousand in length, both eastward and westward, remain on each side of the area, which is five thousand cubits square, and set apart for the site of the city. It shall be over against [or beside] theoblation of the holy portion.] It shall join to the Levites’ portion, both on the east and west side; and it shall lie parallel with the two portions belonging to the priests and Levites. (Consult the scheme^placed above.) And the increase thereof shall be for food to them that serve in the city.] That perform inferior offices in the city. The priests and Levites having a large portion already assigned for their sustenance. tion of the southermost borders of the land, extending by the south and west to the Mediterranean Sea. (See xlvii. 19.)
Ezekiel 48:1
Ju ROM the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon. As the description of the limits, or boundaries of the land, began on the north side, (xlvii. 15, &c.) so the portion of that tribe, to whom the most northern lot fell, is first named, which is Dan. For these are his sides, east and west.] These are the boundaries belonging to that tribe, from the east point near Mount Libanus and Gilead, to the west point, which is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea. (See xlvii. 15, &c.)
Ezekiel 48:2
And by the border of Dan, from the east side to the west side, a portion for Asher. All along from the south side of Dan, measuring from east to west, shall the share of Asher be.
Ezekiel 48:7
- And by the border of Reuben — a portion for Judah. From the first verse to the seventh, the situation of uignizeu uy iviicroson vtv CHAP. XLVII1.] UPON EZEKIEL. seven of the twelve tribes is described, which were placed on the north side of the holy portion, the length of Judea, from north to south, being divided into twelve equal parts; (see xlvii. 14.) beside the allotment for the holy portion, and for the prince; and the city and temple being placed where they stood formerly, there must be seven shares on the north side of that allotment, and but five on the south side; for Jerusalem did not stand in the middle of the holy land, but moTe towards the south, as may appear to any one that consults the map of Judea. But for the fuller explaining this difficulty, we may reasonably conclude, that Judah’s portion lay nearest to that which was allotted for the priests and sanctuary, to be a barrier and defence to them against the invasion of Gog and Magog, or any other enemies. It is the opinion of some learned men, that so particular a description of the several portions allotted to each tribe relates to the Jews’ settlement in their own country after their conversion; several passages in the prophets looking that way (see the thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh chapters of this prophecy): but without laying too great a stress upon this opinion, we may fairly suppose some mystical sense contained under this description. The twelve tribes denote the pure Christian church in the New Testament. (See Luke xxii. 30. Rev. vii. 4, &c.) Twelve is a hieroglyphical number in the same book, denoting the true church, built upon the doctrine of the twelve apostles. (See Rev. xii. 1. xxi. 14.) By the same analogy, the number of a hundred and forty and four thousand, Rev. vii. 4. xiv. 1. signifies the church of pure Christians, who continue steadfast in the apostolical doctrine, twelve being the square root, out of which that number ariseth: so this division of the land, among the twelve tribes, may imply, that all true Christians shaUbe equa]ly sharers in the privileges of the gospel.
Ezekiel 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. Next to the border of Judah, which runs in length from cast to west, shall be the offering ye shall set apart for the service of God, (xlv. 1.) The word reeds is not in the original, either here or in that text; and we may more probably understand the measure in both places of cubits. (See the note there.) And in length as one of the other parts [arc] from the east side to the west side.] Which was likewise five-and-twenty thousand, according to the dimensions of the holy portion set down, xlv. 1. 6. For the oblation was to be foursquare, consisting of five-and-twenty thousand, multiplied by five-and-twenty thousand. (Sec ver. 20. of this chapter.)
Ezekiel 48:9
The oblation that ye shall offer unto the Lord shall be of five-and-twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth. This shall be set apart for the sanctuary, and the most holy place, and the priests’ houses. (See xlv. 3, 4.)
Ezekiel 48:10
Towards the north five-and-twenty thousand in length, and towards the west ten thousand in breadth, &c. The dimensions from cast to west arc called by the name of breadth here, but of length ver. 8. And so they truly arc, as may appear from the plan of the whole, described in the notes upon the forty-fifth chapter: but if we suppose that space of ground, which is expressed by the breadth in vol. iv. one place, to be called by the name of length in another, there will be no impropriety in the expression; because in an exact square, as the whole compass of ground is here supposed to be, all sides arc equal. > v
Ezekiel 48:11
It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons ofZadok. See xliv. 10. 15. As the Levites went astray.] Or, As the other Levites went astray: so the word other is supplied ver. 8. The Levites denote, in general, the sons of Levi, so as to comprehend the priests too.- (See ver. 22.) Many of these had defiled themselves with idolatry; for which crime they were to be degraded from the honours and privileges due to those priests who had continued faithful in their office. (See the note upon xliv. 10, 11.)
Ezekiel 48:12
And this oblation— shall be unto them a thing most holy. As all things dedicated to God were. (See Lev. xxYii. 28.) By the border of the Levites.] It shall lie next to the portion of the Levites, which lay southward, between the priests 5 and the city’s portion. (See the scheme placed at the forty-fifth chapter.)
Ezekiel 48:13
And over against the border of the priests,. the, Levites shall have five-and-twenty thousand in length, &c. It might be better translated, Just by the border of the priests, or beside the border of the priests, as the word leummath is translated in our English Bible, x.19. %i. 22. The words import, that the border of the Levites ran parallel to that of the priests: and to the same sense the word should be translated in the fifteenth, eighteenth, and’twentyfirst verses of this chapter. (See the note upon xl. 18.)
Ezekiel 48:14
They shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the first-fruits of the land, &c. It being God’s portion, they were not to sell nor part with it upon any pretence of advantage, or greater convenience. This portion of land is called the first-fruits, as it is styled an oblation, ver, 8. 12. to denote that the whole land was God’s property. (See the note upon xlv. 1.)
Ezekiel 48:15
And the five thousand that are left in the breadth, over against [or beside, see ver. 13. the five-and-twenty thousand*] AVhich was the portion assigned to the Levites, ver. 13. This five thousand, added to the fiye-and-hventy thousand in length, and two ten thousands in breadth 4 mentioned ver. 10, makes up a square of fivc-arid-twenty thorn sand every way. (See ver, 20.) Shall be for a profane place for the city, &c] See xlv. 6, It is called a profane place comparatively, because it was not so holy as the temple and the sanctuary, (See the note upon xlii. 20.) And the city shall be in the midst thereof] A square piece of ground, of four thousand and five hundred cubits on every side, shall be taken out of the middle of the five-andtwenty thousand cubits in length, for the area of the city, (ver. 16.)
Ezekiel 48:16
And these shall be themeasures thereof; the north side four thousand and five hundred, &c. It shall be an equilateral square, every side being exactly of the same measure, consisting iq all of eighteen thousand measures. (See ver, 35.)
Ezekiel 48:17
And the suburbs of the city shall be towards the north two hundred and fifty, and toxoards the south tivo hundred and fifty, &c. These dimensions of the suburbs, added to those of the city, make the whole area an equilateral
Ezekiel 48:19
And they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel. - This service being a burden, it is fit that all the tribes should bear their part in it.
Ezekiel 48:20
All the oblation shall’ be five-and-twenty thousand by five-and-twenty thousand. Five-and-twenty thousand in length multiplied by five-and-twenty thousandin breadth’. (See ver. 10.) Ye shall offer the oblation four-square.] So the heavenly Jerusalem is described as lying four-square, Rev. xxi. 1G. a square figure being the emblem of perpetuity, strength, and solidity. (Compare xlii.16. 20.) A great part of the wisdom of the eastern, nations was wrapped up in hieroglyphical emblems and numbers. The symbols of Pythagoras are a remarkable instance of this sort’df ancient learning. This method God hath thought fit to make use of to discover some mysterious truths inhis word: such as perhaps he thinks not convenient to be-more clearly revealed till its proper time and season: intending by such obscure hints to encourage men’s searching into the more abstruse parts of the Scriptures, and to shew that all human knowledge may be made subservient to Divine. The text before us, compared with its parallel in the forty-second chapter of this prophecy and in the Revelation, plainly shews that a square is an emblematical figure. In like manner the number twelve is a sacred number, as I observed upon ver. 7. and the learned Sir. Potter, in his book of the Number 6GG, hath with great acuteness reconciled the twelve thousand furlongs, the measure of the New Jerusalem in the Revelation, w T ith the measures of Ezekiel here, by interpreting them of solid measures, and extracting the root of each of them. With the possession of the city.] Or, the land assigned for the site of the city: which was a square of five thousand cubits; and being added to the portion of the priests and Levites, made their twice ten thousand to be five-andtwenty thousand in breadth. (See ver. 10. 15.)
Ezekiel 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. The prince’s part shall be extended both on the east and west side of the several allotments belonging to the priests, the Levites, and the city. The particular extent* of the prince’s portion is not here-specified, but it is computed by some to contain above, four times as much as those allotments. (See the note upon ver. 22.) Over against the five-and-twentp thousand of the oblation towards the east border, and westward over against the fiveand-twenty thousand towards the west border.] The particle el-pent*, translated over against, is Tendered before in the parallel text, xlv. 7. and thus interpreted makes the sense clearer; the words then importing, that the prince’s* portion ran along eastward and westward, like a frontier befpre the holy portions. (See the forcmentioned scheme.) Over against the portions for the prince:’ and it shall be the holy oblation, &c] Our translation hath rendered the latter part of this verse very imperfectly: which shouldibe thus translated: Beside these [or joining to these] portions, (so leummath signifies, see ver. 13.) shall be that belonging to the prince: and this shall be the holy oblation, and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof The last part of the sentence is only a recapitulation of whatis said more at large, ver. 8.
Ezekiel 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. The ^ words might be more plainly translated thus, Moreover beyond the possession of the. Levites, and beyond the possession of the city — to this sense: that, the possession belonging to the priests, and Levites, (see ver. 11.) and the city, were bounded on the cast and west side with the prince’s portion: so those lay in the middle, and this beyond them. The Hebrew particle min signifies beyond, in several places: examples of.which maybe seen in Noldius, p. 564. Between the border of Judah, and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince.] The border of Judah was extended from cast to west, next to the holy portion on the north side, (see ver. 1. 8.).The portion of Benjamin lay from east to west next the allotment set apart for the city, on the south side, (ver. 23. 28.) The several portions allotted for the priests, the Levites, and* the city, extended only to the length of five-and-twenty thousand cubits from east to west: so that whatever ground ran in a parallel line eastward and westward beyond that boundary, even to the land’send, belonged to the prince: and supposing the whole country to be sixty miles in breadth (as St. JeTome feckons it from,Joppa to Jordan, Epist. ad Dardanum), and the holy portion about seven miles square, (see the note upon xlv. 1.) there will remain above six-and-twenty miles both on the east and west side for the prince’s share.. (See the scheme placed at the forty-fifth chapter.)
Ezekiel 48:23
As for the rest of the tribes, from eastto\vest, Benjamin shall have a portion. The portion assigned %o Judah was situate next to the holy portion on the north side. (Sec ver. 1. 8.) The portion assigned to Benjamin lay next to the ground allotted for the city on the south side. (See ver. 28.) All these allotments run from east to west in length, and from north to south in breadth.
Ezekiel 48:24
And by the border of Benjamin, &c. In these verses the four remaining tribes have their allotments assigned them, lying on the south side of the holy portion. These appointments are not laid out with any regard to the division of the land made in Joshua’s time; for here a platform of a new church and state is-rfet forth.
Ezekiel 48:28
And by the border of Gad, at the south side — the border shall be towards the great sea. This is a descrip-
Ezekiel 48:29
Tliis is the land which ye shall divide by lot, &c. Sec xlvii. 14. 22.
Ezekiel 48:30
And these are the goings out of the city, on the north side, &c. The same measures of the city are already set forth, (ver. 16.) beginning with those on the north side, as the general division of the land doth. (See ver. 1.)
Ezekiel 48:31
And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israeli. The same description is given of the gates of the New Jerusalem, Rev. xxi. 12, 13. to signify that all true Israelites have their shaTe in this heavenly city, and a right to enter into it, (Rev. xxii. 14.)
Ezekiel 48:35
And it was round about eighteen thousand measures. See ver. 16. And the name of the city front that day shall be, TlieLord is there.] Jerusalem was formerly called the city of God, (Psal. lxxxvii. 3.) and the city of the great King, (Psal. xlviii. 2.) But in this New Jerusalem, God shall dwell in a more glorious manner, and make it the place of his perpetual residence. So that every paTt of that city shall be honoured with evident tokens of the Divine presence; and every member of it being dedicated to God’s service, and becoming a habitation of God through his Spirit, shall have some degree of the holiness of the temple, where God had placedMs name, (1 Kings viii. 29. compare with Rev. xxi. 22.) This is in a lower degree fulfilled in all good Christians, who are called the temples of the living God, 2 Cor. vi. 16. 1 Pet. ii. 5. and a habitation of God through the Spirit, Eph. ii. 22.