Ezekiel 47

1 Afterward he made me return to the entrance of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under towards the right side of the house, to the south side of the altar.

2 Then he brought me out by the way of the north gate and led me by the way outside the gate, outside to the way that looks eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

3 And when the man went forth eastward, he had a line in his hand, and he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.

4 Again he measured a thousand and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.

5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over; for the waters were risen; a river that could not be passed over without swimming.

6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me and caused me to return to the brink of the river.

7 And as I turned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.

8 Then he said unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country and shall go down into the desert and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters of the sea shall be healed.

9 And it shall come to pass, that every living soul, which swims wherever these two rivers shall come, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because of these waters going there: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live that shall enter into this river.

10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishermen shall stand next to it; and from Engedi even unto Eneglaim there shall be a place to spread forth nets; according to their kinds, their fish shall be as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

11 But the miry places thereof and the marshes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow every fruitful tree for food, whose leaf shall not fall, neither shall its fruit be lacking; it shall bring forth mature fruit in its months, because their waters come forth out of the sanctuary; and its fruit shall be for food, and its leaf for medicine.

13 Thus hath the Lord GOD said: This is the border, by which ye shall divide the land in inheritance among to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.

14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another, concerning that which I lifted up my hand that I must give it unto your fathers: therefore, this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.

15 And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;

16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazarhatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran.

17 And the border of the north shall be from the sea of Hazarenan to the border of Damascus to the north, and to the border of Hamath to the side of the north.

18 And to the east side through Hauran, and Damascus, and Gilead, and through the land of Israel to the Jordan, ye shall measure this from the border unto the east sea.

19 And to the south side southward from Tamar even to the waters of strife; from Kadesh and the river to the great sea. And this shall be the south side southward.

20 And to the west side the great sea shall be the border straight unto Hamath. This shall be the west side.

21 So shall ye divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel.

22 And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, who have begotten sons among you; and they shall be unto you as native born among the sons of Israel; they shall have cast lots with you to inherit among the tribes of Israel.

23 And it shall come to pass, that in the tribe in which the stranger sojourns, there shall ye give him his inheritance, said the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 47 Commentary

Chapter 47

- These waters signify the gospel of Christ, which went forth from Jerusalem, and spread into the countries about; also the gifts and powers of the Holy Ghost which accompanied it, by virtue of which is spread far, and produced blessed effects. Christ is the Temple; and he is the Door; from him the living waters flow, out of his pierced side. They are increasing waters. Observe the progress of the gospel in the world, and the process of the work of grace in the heart; attend the motions of the blessed Spirit under Divine guidance. If we search into the things of God, we find some things plain and easy to be understood, as the waters that were but to the ankles; others more difficult, which require a deeper search, as the waters to the knees, or the loins; and some quite beyond our reach, which we cannot penetrate; but must, as St. Paul did, adore the depth, ( Romans 11 ) . It is wisdom to begin with that which is most easy, before we proceed to that which is dark and hard to be understood. The promises of the sacred word, and the privileges of believers, as shed abroad in their souls by the quickening Spirit, abound where the gospel is preached; they nourish and delight the souls of men; they never fade nor wither, nor are exhausted. Even the leaves serve as medicines to the soul: the warnings and reproofs of the word, though less pleasant than Divine consolations, tend to heal the diseases of the soul. All who believe in Christ, and are united to him by his sanctifying Spirit, will share the privileges of Israelites. There is room in the church, and in heaven, for all who seek the blessings of that new covenant of which Christ is Mediator.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 47

This chapter gives an account of the vision of the holy waters, and of the borders of the holy land, and the division of it to Israelites and strangers. The waters are described by the original and spring of them, Eze 47:1,2, by the progress and increase of them, Eze 47:3-5, by the healing and quickening nature of them, and the places where they were so, and were not, Eze 47:8-11, and by the trees which grew upon the banks of them, Eze 47:6,7,12. The borders of the holy land are fixed, Eze 47:13,14, the northern border, Eze 47:15-17, the eastern border, Eze 47:18, the southern, Eze 47:19, and the western, Eze 47:20, which is to be divided by lot to the tribes of Israel, and the strangers that sojourn among them, Eze 47:21-23.