Ezekiel 47:16

16 1Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of 2Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran.

Ezekiel 47:16 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 47:16

Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim
The line of the northern border should be drawn on by Hamath, the same with Antiochia in Syria, since called Epiphania, as Jerom observes, from Antiochus Epiphanies; and go on by Berothah, a city of Hadadezer king of Zobah, ( 2 Samuel 8:8 ) , the same with the Barothena of Ptolemy F17, placed by him in Syria; and from thence the line would be carried on to Sibraim, a city in Arabia Deserta: which is between the border of Damascus;
the chief city in Syria: and the border of Hamath; before mentioned. Calmet F18 imagines it to be that which Ishmael Abulfeda calls Hovvarin; which he says is a village of the country of Ems or Hamath, to the southeast of the city. Hazarhatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran;
this seems to be explanative of Sibraim, which lay between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; and therefore is called the middle town or village, as "Hazarhatticon" signifies; and lay by the coast of Hauran, which Jerom calls a town of Damascus, with which it is mentioned, ( Ezekiel 47:18 ) , from whence the country adjacent is called Auranitis, as this place is here by the Septuagint. The Targum calls Hazar the fish pool of the Agbeans; but for what reason, and what is meant by it, I know not.


FOOTNOTES:

F17 Geograph. l. 5. c. 19.
F18 Dictionary, in the word "Sibraim".

Ezekiel 47:16 In-Context

14 "You shall divide it for an inheritance, each one equally with the other; for I swore to give it to your forefathers, and this land shall fall to you as an inheritance.
15 "This shall be the boundary of the land: on the north side, from the Great Sea by the way of Hethlon, to the entrance of Zedad;
16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran.
17 "The boundary shall extend from the sea to Hazar-enan at the border of Damascus, and on the north toward the north is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.
18 "The east side, from between Hauran, Damascus, Gilead and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the north border to the eastern sea you shall measure. This is the east side.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Numbers 13:21; Isaiah 10:9; Ezekiel 47:17, 20; Ezekiel 48:1; Zechariah 9:2
  • 2. Genesis 14:15; Ezekiel 47:17, 18; Ezekiel 48:1

Footnotes 1

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