Ezekiel 48:21

The Portion for the Prince

21 The remaining area on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of the city will belong to the prince. He will own the land adjacent to the tribal portions, extending eastward from the 25,000 cubits of the holy district toward the eastern border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the western border. And in the center of them will be the holy portion and the sanctuary of the temple.

Ezekiel 48:21 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 48:21

And the residue shall be for the prince
Not the civil magistrate, but the Prince Messiah; the King, Governor, and Protector of his church and people: on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the
possession of the city:
his portion shall lie on each side of the portion for the sanctuary, the priests and Levites, and for the city and its appurtenances; so that he will be the guardian and preserver of them all; (See Gill on Ezekiel 45:7): over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward
the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty
thousand toward the west border;
or, "before the face" ^F24 "of the five and twenty thousand of the oblation"; that is, next to the tribe of Judah, close by that, and just before the holy oblation of five and twenty thousand reeds, both eastward and westward, should be the portion of the prince on one side: over against the portions for the prince;
or, "over against" these shall be that for the prince
^F25; parallel with the portions of the several tribes before described shall be that of the prince, which belongs to him: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary of the house shall
be in the midst thereof;
that is, the holy oblation of the land for the priests and Levites, and the sanctuary should be between that part of the prince's portion which lay next to Judah, and that which lay next to Benjamin; of which in the next verse.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F24 (ynp la) "ante facies", Pagninus; "ante faciem", Starckius.
F25 (ayvnl Myqlx tmel) "ex adverso portionum, [id vero] principis erit", Tigurine version; "juxta portiones, principi erit", Cocceius, Starckius.

Ezekiel 48:21 In-Context

19 The workers of the city who cultivate it will come from all the tribes of Israel.

20 The entire portion will be a square, 25,000 cubits by 25,000 cubits. You are to set apart the holy portion, along with the city property.

21 The remaining area on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of the city will belong to the prince. He will own the land adjacent to the tribal portions, extending eastward from the 25,000 cubits of the holy district toward the eastern border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the western border. And in the center of them will be the holy portion and the sanctuary of the temple.

22 So the Levitical property and the city property will lie in the center of the area belonging to the prince—the area between the borders of Judah and Benjamin.

23 As for the rest of the tribes: Benjamin will have one portion extending from the east side to the west side.