Ezekiel 48:29 Kommentar

In this chapter we have particular directions given for the distribution of the land, of which we had the metes and bounds assigned in the foregoing chapter. I. The portions of the twelve tribes, seven to the north of the sanctuary (Eze 48:1-7) and five to the south (Eze 48:23-29). II. The allotment of land for the sanctuary, and the priests (Eze 48:8-11), for the Levites (Eze 48:12-14), for the city (Eze 48:15-20), and for the prince (Eze 48:21, Eze 48:22). Much of this we had before, ch. 45. III. A plan of the city, its gates, and the new name given to it (v. 30-35), which seals up, and concludes, the vision and prophecy of this book.

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 48 In this chapter an account is given of the portions of the twelve tribes in the land of Israel; seven to the north of the sanctuary, Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah, Eze 48:1, between which and Benjamin lay the holy portion of the land, for the sanctuary and the priests of it, and for the Levites, and for the city and its suburbs, and for the prince, Eze 48:8 then the portions of the other five tribes to the south of the sanctuary, Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad, Eze 48:23, after which the city is described by its outlets, north, east, south, and west; by its twelve gates, three at each point; by its circumference and by its name, Eze 48:30.

(Vers. 23 seqq.) And the rest of the tribes, from the eastern boundary to the western boundary, belong to Benjamin. And against the boundary of Benjamin, from the eastern boundary to the western boundary, belong to Simeon. And along the boundary of Simeon, from the eastern boundary to the western boundary, belong to Issachar. And along the boundary of Issachar, from the eastern boundary to the western boundary, belong to Zebulun. And along the boundary of Zebulun, from the eastern boundary to the sea, belong to Gad. And the border shall go to Gad towards the south side, and the end shall be at Thamar unto the waters of contradiction of Cades: the inheritance shall be against the great sea. This is the land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, says the Lord God. The portion which is always placed at the end in the numbering of the five and seven tribes is understood either as a part, a possession, or an inheritance: although Aquila and Symmachus interpret it as a neutral gender τὸ ὅριον, which means boundary. And it must be noted briefly that in the last five tribes, the tribe of Gad, which was mentioned earlier as being beyond the Jordan, is placed in the same area that Judas previously held, namely the southern region, and its boundary stretches from Thamar to the waters of contradiction at Kadesh, opposite the Great Sea: Thamar itself, which we have already mentioned, is now called Palmyra, and was built long ago by Solomon; for 'palm' in Hebrew is called Thamar, and some believe that it received this name because there are many palm trees there. And what follows: Even to the waters of contradiction of Cades, the inheritance against the great sea; for which seventy transferred from Theman, and the water of Mariboth, ((also Marimoth)) Cades, the inheritance even to the great sea, it is to be observed in the Hebrew language that the same word, Nehela (), is ambiguous, signifying both inheritance and torrent, and here it should be understood more as a torrent than as an inheritance. For this is the torrent that enters the great sea of Rhinocorura, as we have already mentioned. The place called Kadesh, which is also called Kadesh-Barnea in the book of Joshua, is in the desert, extending to the city of Petra. However, Mariboth, which means contradiction, is not a place name as many think, but a name for the waters in which the people contradicted the Lord and Moses offended God, as the Psalm says: They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that Moses suffered for their sins (Psalm 106:32). The entire inheritance of the Holy Land is bordered to the south by the boundaries of Egypt, Rhinocorura, and the River of Egypt. And because Gad is interpreted as temptation, in his possession we pass from the palm groves to the waters of contradiction, even to Kadesh, which is interpreted as holy, so that we may understand that even after the victory of the world we must be solicitous, and always in fear, and remember that verse: The life of man upon earth is a temptation (Job 7:1); and to attain holiness, resisting adversaries, and thus achieve victory, so that we may contemplate the nearby stream full of rain showers.

This chapter contains a description of the several portions of the land belonging to each tribe, together with the portion allotted to the sanctuary, city, suburb, and prince, vv. 1-29; as also the measure and gates of the new city, Eze 48:30-35.

ALLOTMENT OF THE LAND TO SEVERAL TRIBES. (Eze. 48:1-35) Dan--The lands are divided into portions of ideal exactness, running alongside of each other, the whole breadth from west to east, standing in a common relation to the temple in the center: seven tribes' portions on the north, five in the smaller division in the south. The portions of the city, the temple, the prince, and the priesthood, are in the middle, not within the boundaries of any tribe, all alike having a common interest in them. Judah has the place of honor next the center on the north, Benjamin the corresponding place of honor next the center on the south; because of the adherence of these two to the temple ordinances and to the house of David for so long, when the others deserted them. Dan, on the contrary, so long locally and morally semi-heathen (Jdg. 18:1-31), is to have the least honorable place, at the extreme north. For the same reason, St. John (Rev 7:5-8) omits Dan altogether.