Ezekiel 48:8-14

The Portions for the Priests and Levites

8 Bordering the territory of Judah, from east to west, will be the portion you are to set apart. It will be 25,000 cubits wide, ^[a] and the length of a tribal portion from east to west. In the center will be the sanctuary.

9 The special portion you set apart to the LORD shall be 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. ^[b]

10 This will be the holy portion for the priests. It will be 25,000 cubits long on the north side, 10,000 cubits wide on the west side, 10,000 cubits wide on the east side, and 25,000 cubits long on the south side. In the center will be the sanctuary of the LORD.

11 It will be for the consecrated priests, the descendants of Zadok, who kept My charge and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray.

12 It will be a special portion for them set apart from the land, a most holy portion ^[c] adjacent to the territory of the Levites.

13 Bordering the territory of the priests, the Levites shall have an area 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. The whole length will be 25,000 cubits, and the width 10,000 cubits.

14 They must not sell or exchange any of it, and they must not transfer this best part of the land, for it is holy to the LORD.

Ezekiel 48:8-14 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] 25,000 (long) cubits is approximately 8.3 miles or 13.3 kilometers; also in verses 9, 10, 13, 15, 20, and 21.
• [b] 10,000 (long) cubits is approximately 3.3 miles or 5.3 kilometers; also in verses 10, 13, and 18.
• [c] Or a Most Holy Place