Ezekiel 47:13-23

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^[a] 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,^[b] 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.^[c] 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.

Ezekiel 47:13-23 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 34:2-12
• 2. S Genesis 48:16; S Genesis 49:26; Genesis 48:5
• 3. S Genesis 12:7; S Deuteronomy 1:8; S Ezekiel 36:12; Ezekiel 20:5-6
• 4. Numbers 34:2
• 5. 2 Samuel 8:8
• 6. Numbers 13:21; S Jeremiah 49:23; Ezekiel 48:1
• 7. Ezekiel 48:1
• 8. S Ezekiel 27:18
• 9. Deuteronomy 32:51
• 10. S Genesis 15:18; Isaiah 27:12
• 11. S ver 15; Ezekiel 48:28
• 12. S Numbers 13:21; Ezekiel 48:1
• 13. Numbers 34:6
• 14. S Ezekiel 36:12
• 15. S Deuteronomy 24:19; S Isaiah 14:1; Malachi 3:5
• 16. 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
• 17. S Deuteronomy 10:19

Footnotes

• [a]. See Septuagint and 48:1; Hebrew "road to go into Zedad, " 16"Hamath, Berothah" .
• [b]. Hebrew "Enon," a variant of "Enan"
• [c]. See Syriac; Hebrew "Israel. You will measure to the Dead Sea."