Ezekiel 48:1-11

1 “Here is the list of the tribes of Israel and the territory each is to receive. The territory of Dan is in the extreme north. Its boundary line follows the Hethlon road to Lebo-hamath and then runs on to Hazar-enan on the border of Damascus, with Hamath to the north. Dan’s territory extends all the way across the land of Israel from east to west.

2 “Asher’s territory lies south of Dan’s and also extends from east to west.

3 Naphtali’s land lies south of Asher’s, also extending from east to west.

4 Then comes Manasseh south of Naphtali, and its territory also extends from east to west.

5 South of Manasseh is Ephraim,

6 and then Reuben,

7 and then Judah, all of whose boundaries extend from east to west.

8 “South of Judah is the land set aside for a special purpose. It will be 8 miles wide and will extend as far east and west as the tribal territories, with the Temple at the center.

9 “The area set aside for the LORD ’s Temple will be 8 miles long and 6 miles wide.

10 For the priests there will be a strip of land measuring 8 miles long by 3 miles wide, with the LORD ’s Temple at the center.

11 This area is set aside for the ordained priests, the descendants of Zadok who served me faithfully and did not go astray with the people of Israel and the rest of the Levites.

Ezekiel 48:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

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 48:1-7, 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 48:8-22 then the portions of the other five tribes to the south of the sanctuary, Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad, Eze 48:23-29, 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 48:30-35.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew 25,000 [cubits] [13.3 kilometers].
• [b]. As in one Greek manuscript and the Greek reading in 45:1 : 25,000 [cubits] [13.3 kilometers] long and 20,000 [cubits] [10.6 kilometers] wide; Hebrew reads 25,000 [cubits] long and 10,000 [cubits] [3 miles or 5.3 kilometers] wide. Similarly in 48:13b . Compare 45:1-5 ; 48:10-13 .
• [c]. Hebrew 25,000 [cubits] [13.3 kilometers] long by 10,000 [cubits] [5.3 kilometers] wide; also in 48:13a .