Ezekiel 45:1-12

The Sacred Portion of the Land

1 "When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance,^[a] you must set aside a donation to the Lord, a holy portion of the land,^[b] eight and one-third [miles]^[c] long and six and two-thirds [miles]^[d] wide. This entire tract of land will be holy.

2 In this area there will be a square [section]^[e] for the sanctuary, 875 by 875 [feet],^[f][g] with 87 and a half feet^[h] of open space all around it.

3 From this holy portion,^[i] you will measure off an area eight and one-third [miles]^[j] long and three and one-third [miles]^[k] wide, in which the sanctuary, the most holy place,^[l] will stand.^[m]

4 It will be a holy area of the land to be used by the priests who minister in the sanctuary, who draw near to serve the Lord.^[n] It will be a place for their houses, as well as a holy area for the sanctuary.

5 There will be [another area] eight and one-third [miles]^[o] long and three and one-third [miles]^[p] wide for the Levites who minister in the temple;^[q] it will be their possession for towns to live in.^[r]

6 "As the property of the city, you must set aside an area one and two-thirds [of a mile]^[s] wide and eight and one-third [miles] ^[t] long, adjacent to the holy donation [of land].^[u] It will be for the whole house of Israel.

7 And the prince will have the area on each side of the holy donation [of land] and the city's property, adjacent to the holy donation and the city's property, stretching to the west on the west side and to the east on the east side.^[v] [Its] length will correspond to one of the [tribal] portions from the western boundary to the eastern boundary.

8 This will be his land as a possession in Israel. My princes will no longer oppress My people^[w] but give the [rest of the] land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.

9 "This is what the Lord God says: You have gone too far,^[x][y] princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression and do what is just and right.^[z] Put an end to your evictions of My people." [This is] the declaration of the Lord God .

10 "You must have honest balances, an honest dry measure,^[aa] and an honest liquid measure.^[ab][ac]

11 The dry measure^[ad] and the liquid measure^[ae] will be uniform, with the liquid measure containing five and a half gallons^[af] and the dry measure [holding] half a bushel.^[ag] Their measurement will be one-tenth of the standard larger capacity measure.^[ah]

12 The shekel will weigh 20 gerahs. Your mina will equal 60 shekels.

Ezekiel 45:1-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 45

This chapter treats of the division of the land in future time, and the persons and uses for which it is to be made; one part being for the sanctuary, and the priests that serve in it, and for their houses for them to dwell in, Eze 45:1-4, another for the Levites and their chambers, Eze 45:5, and another for the city, for the Israelites in common, Eze 45:6, and the last for the prince; and of the situation and extent of it, Eze 45:7,8 and of the righteous administration of civil government in the time of the spiritual reign of Christ, in abstinence from violence and exactions, and doing justice, for which orders and directions are given, Eze 45:9-12, then of the oblations of the people of the land, Eze 45:13-16, and next of those that are to be prepared by the prince, Eze 45:17, and the times of the offering of them, at the beginning of the year, on the feasts of the passover and tabernacles, Eze 45:18-25, the rules for which are so different from the Mosaic law, as show the abrogation of that; and that all this is to be understood in a spiritual and evangelic sense.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ezk 47:13
• [b]. Ezk 48:8-9
• [c]. Lit 25,000 [cubits]
• [d]. LXX 20,000 [cubits]; MT reads 10,000 [cubits], or four and one-third [miles]
• [e]. Lit square all around
• [f]. Lit 500 by 500 [cubits]
• [g]. Ezk 42:20
• [h]. Lit 50 cubits
• [i]. Lit this measured [portion]
• [j]. Lit 25,000 [cubits]
• [k]. Lit 10,000 [cubits]
• [l]. Ezk 43:12
• [m]. Lit be
• [n]. Ezk 48:10
• [o]. Lit 25,000 [cubits]
• [p]. Lit 10,000 [cubits]
• [q]. Ezk 48:13
• [r]. LXX; MT, Syr, Tg, Vg read possession-20 chambers
• [s]. Lit 5,000 [cubits]
• [t]. Lit 25,000 [cubits]
• [u]. Ezk 48:15-18
• [v]. Ezk 48:21
• [w]. Ezk 46:18
• [x]. Lit Enough of you
• [y]. Ezk 44:6
• [z]. Jr 22:3
• [aa]. Lit an honest ephah
• [ab]. Lit and an honest bath
• [ac]. Lv 19:36
• [ad]. Lit the ephah
• [ae]. Lit the bath
• [af]. Lit one-tenth of a homer
• [ag]. Lit one-tenth of a homer
• [ah]. Lit be [based] on the homer