OLD TESTAMENT

Ezekiel 48

The Holy Bible · English
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1

“Now these are the names of the tribes: From the north end, beside the way of Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath, Hazar Enan at the border of Damascus, northward beside Hamath (and they shall have their sides east and west), Dan, one portion.

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 1. Dan. This division is very different from that of Josue, and was never literally executed, being rather of a mystical nature. The limits are not marked out, as each lot was equal. Calmet. See Calmet. 45:1 and 47:14. Bible.—By the twelve tribes all the glorified saints are meant. No cities of refuge occur, because in heaven all are perfect, all secure. Saint Jerome Worthington.

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2

“By the border of Dan, from the east side to the west side, Asher, one portion.

3

“By the border of Asher, from the east side even to the west side, Naphtali, one portion.

4

“By the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west side, Manasseh, one portion.

5

“By the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west side, Ephraim, one portion.

6

“By the border of Ephraim, from the east side even to the west side, Reuben, one portion.

7

“By the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west side, Judah, one portion.

8

“By the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, shall be the offering which you shall offer, twenty-five thousand reeds in width, and in length as one of the portions, from the east side to the west side; and the sanctuary shall be in the middle of it.

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 8. Apart, for the Levitical tribe and the prince. Calmet.—As the first-born and things which spring first, so also the land consecrated to the Lord is called first-fruits. Worthington.—Thousand cubits (Calmet. 45:1 or 12,500 paces, ( Bible.) allowing two cubits for each. This would not reach to the Jordan River. But thrice that space must be reckoned, the king having two of them ( Calmet.) on each side of the temple, namely, towards the sea, and on the other side of the Jordan. Bible.

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9

“The offering that you shall offer to the LORD shall be twenty-five thousand reeds in length, and ten thousand in width.

10

For these, even for the priests, shall be the holy offering: toward the north twenty-five thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in width, and toward the east ten thousand in width, and toward the south twenty-five thousand in length; and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the middle of it.

11

It shall be for the priests who are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, who have kept my instruction, who didn’t go astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 11. Astray, and so forth By this we see, that in the worst of times God always preserves some of the priests from going astray; an that the synagogue never fell so universally into idolatry, but that a remnant was still left free from this corruption. Challoner.

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12

It shall be to them an offering from the offering of the land, a most holy thing, by the border of the Levites.

13

“Alongside the border of the priests, the Levites shall have twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width. All the length shall be twenty-five thousand, and the width ten thousand.

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 13. Ten. Their city was only 18,000 cubits in circumference. verse 16.

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14

They shall sell none of it, nor exchange it, nor shall the first fruits of the land be alienated, for it is holy to the LORD.

15

“The five thousand cubits that are left in the width, in front of the twenty-five thousand, shall be for common use, for the city, for dwelling and for pasture lands; and the city shall be in the middle of it.

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 15. Profane, where servants of the priests may reside. Calmet.—On the north and south, ( Bible.) 1000 cubits broad and 25,000 long were left for fields, gardens, and so forth Calmet.

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16

These shall be its measurements: 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.

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 16. Five. Hebrew has, “five five hundred:” but one five is properly omitted in several MSS. and in all the ancient versions. Kennicott.—Four thousand five hundred cubits was the length and breadth of the town and temple, which were 18,000 cubits round, ( Calmet.) or so many reeds, which would make 36 miles of 1000 paces each. As the earthly Jerusalem was certainly never so large, the modern rabbins assert that the Messias will build it to that extent; but Catholic doctors understand it mystically of the Church. Thus Saint John saw the New Jerusalem or Church triumphant. Revelation 21 and 22 Worthington.

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17

The city shall have pasture lands: toward the north two hundred fifty, and toward the south two hundred fifty, and toward the east two hundred fifty, and toward the west two hundred fifty.

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 17. Suburbs, separating the Levites from laics, different from what is mentioned verse 15.

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18

The remainder of the length, alongside the holy offering, shall be ten thousand eastward and ten thousand westward; and it shall be alongside the holy offering. Its increase shall be for food to those who labor in the city.

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 18. As the, and so forth They shall not be alienated, as some might infer from its being said to be profane, which term is used because it was the habitation of laymen.

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19

Those who labor in the city, out of all the tribes of Israel, shall cultivate it.

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 19. Israel. People from all parts might serve the Levites. This tribe was not to engage in labourious or sordid employments, being attached to the service of the Lord, and bound to instruct others. But this was more perfectly fulfilled in the Christian Church, where the clergy enjoy great immunities, and are forbidden to exercise any trade or employment which may take them off from their more important spiritual concerns, or render their ministry contemptible. See Exodus 19:6.

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20

All the offering shall be a square of twenty-five thousand by twenty-five thousand. You shall offer it as a holy offering, with the possession of the city.

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 20. City, where the Levites and their servants, artisans, and so forth dwelt. Calmet.

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21

“The remainder shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy offering and of the possession of the city; in front of the twenty-five thousand of the offering toward the east border, and westward in front of the twenty-five thousand toward the west border, alongside the portions, it shall be for the prince. The holy offering and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the middle of it.

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 21. Thereof. The domains of the prince touched the limits of Juda on the north, and of Benjamin on the south, as the portion of Levi did also. The prince occupied the east and west square of this division. Bible.

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22

Moreover, from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the middle of that which is the prince’s, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince.

23

“As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west side, Benjamin, one portion.

24

“By the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Simeon, one portion.

25

“By the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar, one portion.

26

“By the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun, one portion.

27

“By the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad, one portion.

28

“By the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, to the brook, to the great sea.

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 28. Inheritance. Hebrew nachal, signifies also “torrent;” and S. Jerom seems to prefer this meaning, as he explains it of the torrent which goes by Rhinocorura, and is commonly supposed to be the southern boundary. Calmet.

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29

“This is the land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their several portions, says the Lord GOD.

30

“These are the exits of the city: On the north side four thousand five hundred reeds by measure;

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 30. Out, or gates. Bible.—There were three on each of the four sides. Calmet.

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31

and the gates of the city shall be named after the tribes of Israel, three gates northward: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one.

32

“At the east side four thousand five hundred reeds, and three gates: even the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one.

33

“At the south side four thousand five hundred reeds by measure, and three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one.

34

“At the west side four thousand five hundred reeds, with their three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one.

35

“It shall be eighteen thousand reeds in circumference; and the name of the city from that day shall be, ‘The LORD is there.’

ExplanationCommentary
EXPLANATION

Verse 35. The Lord is there. This name is here given to the city; that is, the Church of Christ; because the Lord is always with her till the end of the world. Matthew 28:20. Challoner.—He always adorns the Church triumphant; (Revelation 22) but has deserted the synagogue. Matthew 23:38. Worthington.—Jerusalem certainly never bore this name, nor is it requisite that she should, if the prophecy had been literally understood. It would suffice, if she could justly claim such a prerogative. See Isaiah 7:14 and 2 Kennicott. 12:25. The Church of Christ possesses God for ever. Calmet.

DANIEL

THE PROPHECY OF DANIEL

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