Ezekiel 47:16

16 Berothah, and Sibraim on the border between Damascus and Hamath. Then it will go on to the town of Hazer Hatticon on the border of the country 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 will divide the land equally. I promised to give it to your ancestors, so this land will belong to you as family property.
15 "This will be the border line of the land: "On the north side it will start at the Mediterranean Sea. It will go through Hethlon, toward Lebo Hamath and on to the towns of Zedad,
16 Berothah, and Sibraim on the border between Damascus and Hamath. Then it will go on to the town of Hazer Hatticon on the border of the country of Hauran.
17 So the border line will go from the Mediterranean Sea east to the town of Hazar Enan, where the land belonging to Damascus and Hamath lies on the north side. This will be the north side of the land.
18 "On the east side the border runs south from a point between Hauran and Damascus. It will go along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel and will continue to the town of Tamar on the Dead Sea. This will be the east side of the land.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.