Ezekiel 48

Ezekiel 48 is the final chapter of Ezekiel and the conclusion of the vision of the new temple that begins in chapter 40. Ezekiel 47 described the river flowing from the temple and the boundaries of the land; this chapter apportions that land by tribe and lays out the holy district and the city.

Outline

• Verses 1–7 Beginning at the northern extremity by the entrance of Hamath and moving south, portions are assigned in this order: Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah. Each portion is a strip running from the east side to the west side.
• Verses 8–14 South of Judah lies "the offering," a tract 25,000 cubits wide. Within it, an area of 25,000 by 10,000 cubits belongs to the priests of the sons of Zadok, with the sanctuary at its center. An adjacent area of equal size belongs to the Levites. This land may not be sold or exchanged.
• Verses 15–20 The remaining strip, 5,000 cubits wide, is "profane" land (land for common use). At its center stands a square city measuring 4,500 cubits on each side, surrounded by open land 250 cubits wide. The 10,000 cubits on either side of the city produce food for those who work in the city. The whole offering forms a square of 25,000 cubits.
• Verses 21–22 The land remaining on either side of the holy district is assigned to the prince. It lies between Judah and Benjamin.
• Verses 23–29 Continuing south come the portions of Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad. The southern border runs from Tamar to the waters of Meribah-kadesh, then along the river of Egypt to the Great Sea. This is the land to be divided by lot as an inheritance.
• Verses 30–35 The city has three gates on each of its four sides, twelve gates in all, each named for a tribe. The circumference of the city is 18,000 cubits, and its name is "Jehovah-shammah."

Key Verses

• Ezekiel 48:35, "and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there" — The Hebrew name, Jehovah-shammah, means "the LORD is there." This name completes the vision of the return of God's glory (chapter 43), which had departed from the temple (chapter 10), and brings the book as a whole to a close.
• Ezekiel 48:11, "which have kept my charge, which went not astray" — This verse gives the reason the sons of Zadok receive the holy portion, and it connects with the regulations for the priests in chapter 44.
• Ezekiel 48:31, "And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel" — This verse is frequently read alongside the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation.

People and Places

• Twelve tribes of Israel: The recipients of the land. Levi receives a share of the holy district instead of tribal territory, and the tribe of Joseph receives land as two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim.
• Sons of Zadok: Descendants of Zadok, the priest in the time of David and Solomon, who are entrusted with the sanctuary in this vision.
• Levites: They receive the land beside the priests' district.
• The prince: The Korean Revised Version renders the term as "king." The Hebrew word nasi means "leader," and some translations render it "prince."
• Hamath, Hazar-enan, and Hethlon: Place names on the northern border. Hazar-enan lies on the border of Damascus.
• Tamar and Meribah-kadesh: Place names on the southern border. Meribah-kadesh refers to the region of Kadesh-barnea.
• The river of Egypt and the Great Sea: The wadi (seasonal streambed) and the Mediterranean Sea that form the southwestern boundary.

Points for Reflection

• This allotment differs from the division of the land under Joshua. Every tribe receives an identical strip, and Reuben and Gad, formerly east of the Jordan, are moved to the west side. Many interpreters see the arrangement as a portrayal of ideal equality and order rather than of actual topography.
• Some commentators note that the tribes descended from the sons of the handmaids (Dan, Asher, Naphtali, and Gad) are placed at the far northern and southern ends, farthest from the sanctuary.
• The Hebrew text does not specify the unit of measurement. Some therefore take it to be the cubit, while others take it to be the reed.
• The text does not call the city Jerusalem.
• Interpretation varies by tradition. Dispensationalism tends to read this chapter as a land allotment to be literally fulfilled during the Millennium. Covenant theology and the Reformed tradition tend to regard it as a symbolic portrayal of God dwelling among His people, fulfilled in Christ and the church.
• Connection with the New Testament: The New Jerusalem of Revelation 21:12–16 likewise features twelve gates bearing the names of the twelve tribes and a city that lies foursquare. For this reason the two passages are commonly read together.