Ezekiel 47:16

16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is in the midst betwixt Damascus and [the] nigh coasts of Hamath, (to) the house of Hatticon, which is beside the ends of Hauran. (Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is in the midst between Damascus and the border of Hamath, unto Hazarhatticon, 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Ezekiel 47:16 In-Context

14 Forsooth ye shall wield it, each man evenly as his brother; on which I raised mine hand, that I should give to your fathers; and this land shall fall to you into possession. (And ye shall possess it, each man equally like his brother; on which I raised up my hand, that I should give it to your forefathers; and this land shall fall to you into a possession.)

15 This is the end of the land at the north coast, from the great sea, (by) the way of Hethlon, to men coming to Zedad, (This is the border of the land on the north side, from the Great Sea, by way of Hethlon, to those coming to Zedad,)

16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is in the midst betwixt Damascus and [the] nigh coasts of Hamath, (to) the house of Hatticon, which is beside the ends of Hauran. (Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is in the midst between Damascus and the border of Hamath, unto Hazarhatticon, which is by the border of Hauran.)

17 And the end shall be from the sea till to the porch of Enan, (to) the end of Damascus, and from the north till to the north, (to) the end of Hamath; forsooth this is the north coast. (And so the border shall be from the Great Sea, unto Hazarenan, to the border of Damascus, and from the north unto the north, to the border of Hamath; this is the north side.)

18 Certainly the east coast from the midst of Hauran, and from the midst of Damascus, and from the midst of Gilead, and from the midst of the land of Israel, is Jordan, parting at the east sea, also ye shall mete the east coast. (And ye shall measure the east side from the midst of Hauran, and from the midst of Damascus, and from the midst of Gilead, and from the midst of the land of Israel, unto the Jordan River, and then south unto the East Sea, that is, the Dead Sea, to Tamar; this is the east side.)