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The Prophets · Old Testament

Ezekiel 48

Ezekiel 48: the tribes' portions, the holy oblation and the city named The Lord is there

General context

The tribes are named from the north end, each portion running from the east side to the west side: Dan first; then Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben and Judah. By Judah's border lies the offering, twenty-five thousand reeds in breadth and as long as the other parts, with the sanctuary in its midst. The oblation to the Lord is twenty-five thousand by ten thousand, for the priests sanctified of the sons of Zadok who kept the charge and did not go astray as the Levites did. The Levites have twenty-five thousand by ten thousand and may not sell, exchange or alienate it, for it is holy to the Lord. The five thousand left in breadth is a profane place for the city, dwelling and suburbs, the city in its midst: four thousand five hundred on each side, with suburbs of two hundred and fifty on each side, and a residue east and west that feeds those who serve the city. The residue on either side, between the borders of Judah and Benjamin, is the prince's. Then the remaining tribes: Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun and Gad, and by Gad's border the south side from Tamar to the waters of strife in Kadesh and the river to the great sea. "This is the land which ye shall divide by lot". The city's sides are four thousand five hundred measures each, with three gates on each side named for the tribes: Reuben, Judah and Levi on the north; Joseph, Benjamin and Dan on the east; Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun on the south; Gad, Asher and Naphtali on the west. It is eighteen thousand measures round about, and its name from that day is "The Lord is there".

Cited passages: Ezekiel 48:1, Ezekiel 48:2, Ezekiel 48:3, Ezekiel 48:4, Ezekiel 48:5, Ezekiel 48:6, Ezekiel 48:7, Ezekiel 48:8, Ezekiel 48:9, Ezekiel 48:11, Ezekiel 48:12, Ezekiel 48:13, Ezekiel 48:14, Ezekiel 48:15, Ezekiel 48:16, Ezekiel 48:17, Ezekiel 48:18, Ezekiel 48:19, Ezekiel 48:20, Ezekiel 48:21, Ezekiel 48:22, Ezekiel 48:23, Ezekiel 48:24, Ezekiel 48:25, Ezekiel 48:26, Ezekiel 48:27, Ezekiel 48:28, Ezekiel 48:29, Ezekiel 48:30, Ezekiel 48:31, Ezekiel 48:32, Ezekiel 48:33, Ezekiel 48:34, Ezekiel 48:35

Ezekiel 48 (KJV)

1Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan.

2And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Asher.

3And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Naphtali.

4And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Manasseh.

5And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Ephraim.

6And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Reuben.

7And by the border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Judah.

8And 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, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it.

9The oblation that ye shall offer unto the Lord shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth.

10And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation; toward the north five and twenty thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the midst thereof.

11It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.

12And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites.

13And over against the border of the priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand.

14And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto the Lord.

15And the five thousand, that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for dwelling, and for suburbs: and the city shall be in the midst thereof.

16And these shall be the measures thereof; 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.

17And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty.

18And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward: and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion; and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that serve the city.

19And they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel.

20All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city.

21And 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, 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, over against the portions for the prince: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof.

22Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince’s, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince.

23As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side unto the west side, Benjamin shall have a portion.

24And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon shall have a portion.

25And by the border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar a portion.

26And by the border of Issachar, from the east side unto the west side, Zebulun a portion.

27And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a portion.

28And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea.

29This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord God.

30And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.

31And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.

32And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.

33And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.

34At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.

35It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.

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Historical context

The land portions and the city gates use two different tribal lists. The twelve land portions are Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun and Gad; Levi has no tribal strip, the Levites' portion lying in the oblation beside the priests', and Joseph is counted as Manasseh and Ephraim, as 47:13 said he would have two portions. The twelve gates instead include Levi and Joseph and omit Manasseh and Ephraim. Seven tribes lie north of the oblation and five south of it, with Judah and Benjamin on either side of it. The units shift: "reeds" is stated once, at verse 8, most figures carry no unit, and the city's sides are given in "measures", which the text does not define. The city's land is called "a profane place", set against the oblation that is "holy unto the Lord" and "most holy". The note on the sons of Zadok repeats the distinction of chapter 44, put here as "went not astray when the children of Israel went astray" and there as keeping the charge of the sanctuary at that time. The city has no name in the chapter until its last line, which gives the name "from that day" and does not say what day. The chapter, and the book, end here without narrating any return, building or division as having happened.

Cited passages: Ezekiel 48:4, Ezekiel 48:5, Ezekiel 47:13, Ezekiel 48:31, Ezekiel 48:32, Ezekiel 48:22, Ezekiel 48:8, Ezekiel 48:30, Ezekiel 48:15, Ezekiel 48:14, Ezekiel 48:11, Ezekiel 44:15, Ezekiel 48:35

Literary context

The chapter is a list with a centre. Seven portions are named in the formula "And by the border of X, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Y", the list stops for the oblation, then five more portions follow, so that the holy portion sits in the middle of the page as the sanctuary sits "in the midst" of the land, a phrase the chapter repeats. The oblation is described in squares and matched numbers: four sides of four thousand five hundred, four suburbs of two hundred and fifty, ten thousand east and ten thousand west, twenty-five thousand by twenty-five thousand, "foursquare". The holy and the profane are placed side by side in the same plan, the Levites' land that may not be sold and the city's ground that is "a profane place". The city's gates repeat the pattern of the sides, three names to a wall, so the tribes that were laid out in strips are gathered again round one city. The book ends not on the house but on a name. After chapters of measurement the last sentence is a sentence about presence, and it stands against the departure recorded earlier, when "the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city": "The Lord is there".

Cited passages: Ezekiel 48:2, Ezekiel 48:10, Ezekiel 48:21, Ezekiel 48:16, Ezekiel 48:17, Ezekiel 48:20, Ezekiel 48:14, Ezekiel 48:15, Ezekiel 48:31, Ezekiel 11:23, Ezekiel 48:35

Key moments

  1. Dan at the north end (Ezekiel 48:1). The tribal portions begin with Dan at the north end of the land.
  2. Judah beside the oblation (Ezekiel 48:8). By Judah's border lies the offering with the sanctuary in its midst.
  3. The sons of Zadok's portion (Ezekiel 48:11). The holy oblation is for the priests of the sons of Zadok who did not go astray.
  4. A profane place for the city (Ezekiel 48:15). The five thousand left over is a profane place for the city and its suburbs.
  5. The prince's residue (Ezekiel 48:22). The land between Judah and Benjamin on either side of the oblation is the prince's.
  6. Twelve gates for the tribes (Ezekiel 48:31). The city's gates are named for the tribes, three on each side, beginning with Reuben, Judah and Levi.
  7. The Lord is there (Ezekiel 48:35). The city, eighteen thousand measures round, is named The Lord is there.

For reflection

The book closes with a city whose new name is "The Lord is there", after an earlier chapter watched the glory leave the city. What does it mean that the final answer to that departure is a name rather than a description of what happens inside?

People in this chapter

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