Ezechiele 48:16 Commento

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.

And the residue shall be for the prince,.... Not the civil magistrate, but the Prince Messiah; the King, Governor, and Protector of his church and people: on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city: his portion shall lie on each side of the portion for the sanctuary, the priests and Levites, and for the city and its appurtenances; so that he will be the guardian and preserver of them all; See Gill on Eze 45:7, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border; or, "before the face" (x) "of the five and twenty thousand of the oblation", &c.; that is, next to the tribe of Judah, close by that, and just before the holy oblation of five and twenty thousand reeds, both eastward and westward, should be the portion of the prince on one side: over against the portions for the prince; or, "over against" these shall be that for the prince (y); parallel with the portions of the several tribes before described shall be that of the prince, which belongs to him: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof; that is, the holy oblation of the land for the priests and Levites, and the sanctuary should be between that part of the prince's portion which lay next to Judah, and that which lay next to Benjamin; of which in the next verse. (x) "ante facies", Pagninus; "ante faciem", Starckius. (y) "ex adverso portionum, id vero principis erit", Tigurine version; "juxta portiones, principi erit", Cocceius, Starckius.

(Verse 16) And the measurements of it, towards the North side, five hundred and four thousand: and towards the South side, five hundred and four thousand: and towards the East side, five hundred and four thousand: and towards the West side, five hundred and four thousand. What it says: And the measurements of it, it must be understood, of the city. For at the end of the previous chapter it is stated: And the city shall be in the midst of it, that is, the land. And first it begins from the North and extends towards the South. And again it matches like with like: so that it places the Western side opposite the Eastern side, that is, the sea: and each side of the city has four thousand and five hundred paces; which in total, approximately eleven thousand and eighty-five paces, so that the entire city, as it is written at the end of this volume, has a circumference of eighteen thousand paces, which is equivalent to forty-four thousand three hundred and forty. Also, the forty-fourth Psalm, which is titled 'For those who will be changed' and belongs to Idithun, that is, to the beloved of the Lord, or as Aquila has interpreted it, ‘For the lilies,’ and Symmachus, ‘For the flowers,’ contains the sacraments of the Church, which is the city of the Lord, about which it is written in the same psalm: At Your right hand stood the queen in a garment adorned with gold, surrounded with variety (Psalm 44:10). And again: All the glory of the daughter of the king is within (Ibid., 14): so that it may not be like the whitened sepulchers outside, but both inside and outside it may wash away all things with the perfume of myrrh (Matthew 23). And when we have moved away from the North, with a very cold wind, we pass to the South, and after the rising of the light of knowledge in us, we fear the setting of fortitudes, considering not the past but the future, neither possessing a certain possession of virtue, but daily saying in prayer: Lead us not into temptation, which we cannot endure (Matthew 86:13).

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.