Ezekiel 47

The River From the Temple

1 The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.

2 He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.

3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits^[a] and then led me through water that was ankle-deep.

4 He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist.

5 He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross.

6 He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river.

7 When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river.

8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah,^[b] where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh.

9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.

10 Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea.

11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt.

12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”

The Boundaries of the Land

13 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “These are the boundaries of the land that you will divide among the twelve tribes of Israel as their inheritance, with two portions for Joseph.

14 You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your ancestors, this land will become your inheritance.

15 “This is to be the boundary of the land: “On the north side it will run from the Mediterranean Sea by the Hethlon road past Lebo Hamath to Zedad,

16 Berothah^[c] and Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer Hattikon, which is on the border of Hauran.

17 The boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar Enan,^[d] along the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary.

18 “On the east side the boundary will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Dead Sea and as far as Tamar.^[e] This will be the eastern boundary.

19 “On the south side it will run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. This will be the southern boundary.

20 “On the west side, the Mediterranean Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath. This will be the western boundary.

21 “You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.

22 You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

23 In whatever tribe a foreigner resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,” declares the Sovereign LORD.

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Ezekiel 47 Commentary

Chapter 47

- These waters signify the gospel of Christ, which went forth from Jerusalem, and spread into the countries about; also the gifts and powers of the Holy Ghost which accompanied it, by virtue of which is spread far, and produced blessed effects. Christ is the Temple; and he is the Door; from him the living waters flow, out of his pierced side. They are increasing waters. Observe the progress of the gospel in the world, and the process of the work of grace in the heart; attend the motions of the blessed Spirit under Divine guidance. If we search into the things of God, we find some things plain and easy to be understood, as the waters that were but to the ankles; others more difficult, which require a deeper search, as the waters to the knees, or the loins; and some quite beyond our reach, which we cannot penetrate; but must, as St. Paul did, adore the depth, ( Romans 11 ) . It is wisdom to begin with that which is most easy, before we proceed to that which is dark and hard to be understood. The promises of the sacred word, and the privileges of believers, as shed abroad in their souls by the quickening Spirit, abound where the gospel is preached; they nourish and delight the souls of men; they never fade nor wither, nor are exhausted. Even the leaves serve as medicines to the soul: the warnings and reproofs of the word, though less pleasant than Divine consolations, tend to heal the diseases of the soul. All who believe in Christ, and are united to him by his sanctifying Spirit, will share the privileges of Israelites. There is room in the church, and in heaven, for all who seek the blessings of that new covenant of which Christ is Mediator.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 37

1. S Isaiah 55:1
2. Psalms 46:4; Joel 3:18; Revelation 22:1
3. S Ezekiel 40:35
4. S Ezekiel 40:3
5. S Genesis 2:10
6. Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14
7. ver 12; Revelation 22:2
8. S Deuteronomy 1:1; S Deuteronomy 3:17; Joshua 3:16
9. Isaiah 41:18
10. Isaiah 12:3; Isaiah 55:1; John 4:14; John 7:37-38
11. S Isaiah 19:8; Matthew 4:19
12. S Joshua 15:62
13. Ezekiel 26:5
14. S Psalms 104:25; Matthew 13:47
15. S Numbers 34:6
16. S Deuteronomy 29:23
17. ver 7; Revelation 22:2
18. S Psalms 1:3
19. S Isaiah 55:1
20. S Genesis 2:9; S Jeremiah 17:8; Ezekiel 36:8
21. Numbers 34:2-12
22. S Genesis 48:16; S Genesis 49:26; Genesis 48:5
23. S Genesis 12:7; S Deuteronomy 1:8; S Ezekiel 36:12; Ezekiel 20:5-6
24. Numbers 34:2
25. 2 Samuel 8:8
26. Numbers 13:21; S Jeremiah 49:23; Ezekiel 48:1
27. Ezekiel 48:1
28. S Ezekiel 27:18
29. Deuteronomy 32:51
30. S Genesis 15:18; Isaiah 27:12
31. S ver 15; Ezekiel 48:28
32. S Numbers 13:21; Ezekiel 48:1
33. Numbers 34:6
34. S Ezekiel 36:12
35. S Deuteronomy 24:19; S Isaiah 14:1; Malachi 3:5
36. S Leviticus 24:22; Numbers 15:29; Numbers 26:55-56; Isaiah 56:6-7; Romans 10:12; Ephesians 2:12-16; Ephesians 3:6; Colossians 3:11
37. S Deuteronomy 10:19

Footnotes 5

[a]. That is, about 1,700 feet or about 530 meters
[b]. Or "the Jordan Valley"
[c]. See Septuagint and 48:1; Hebrew "road to go into Zedad, " 16"Hamath, Berothah" .
[d]. Hebrew "Enon," a variant of "Enan"
[e]. See Syriac; Hebrew "Israel. You will measure to the Dead Sea."

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 47

This chapter gives an account of the vision of the holy waters, and of the borders of the holy land, and the division of it to Israelites and strangers. The waters are described by the original and spring of them, Eze 47:1,2, by the progress and increase of them, Eze 47:3-5, by the healing and quickening nature of them, and the places where they were so, and were not, Eze 47:8-11, and by the trees which grew upon the banks of them, Eze 47:6,7,12. The borders of the holy land are fixed, Eze 47:13,14, the northern border, Eze 47:15-17, the eastern border, Eze 47:18, the southern, Eze 47:19, and the western, Eze 47:20, which is to be divided by lot to the tribes of Israel, and the strangers that sojourn among them, Eze 47:21-23.