Ezekiel 48:8-18

8 "Bordering Judah from east to west is the consecrated area that you will set aside as holy: a square approximately seven by seven miles, with the Sanctuary set at the center.

9 The consecrated area reserved for God is to be seven miles long and a little less than three miles wide.

10 "This is how it will be parceled out. The priest will get the area measuring seven miles on the north and south boundaries, with a width of a little more than three miles at the east and west boundaries. The Sanctuary of God will be at the center.

11 This is for the consecrated priests, the Zadokites who stayed true in their service to me and didn't get off track as the Levites did when Israel wandered off the main road.

12 This is their special gift, a gift from the land itself, most holy ground, bordering the section of the Levites.

13 "The Levites get a section equal in size to that of the priests, roughly seven by three miles.

14 They are not permitted to sell or trade any of it. It's the choice part of the land, to say nothing of being holy to God.

15 "What's left of the 'sacred square' - each side measures out at seven miles by a mile and a half - is for ordinary use: the city and its buildings with open country around it, but the city at the center.

16 The north, south, east, and west sides of the city are each about a mile and a half in length.

17 A strip of pasture, one hundred twenty-five yards wide, will border the city on all sides.

18 The remainder of this portion, three miles of countryside to the east and to the west of the sacred precinct, is for farming. It will supply food for the city.

Ezekiel 48:8-18 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.