1 The portions of the twelve tribes;
8 of the sanctuary;
15 of the city and suburbs;
21 and of the prince.
23 The portions of the twelve tribes.
30 The dimensions and gates of the city.

the names. Ex 1:1-15 Nu 1:5-15 13:4-15 Re 7:4-8

From. 47:15-17 Nu 34:7-9

a portion. Heb. one portion. Dan. Ge 30:3-6 Jos 19:40-47 Jud 18:26-29 2Sa 24:2 1Ki 12:28,29 Mt 20:15,16

2 And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Asher.

Asher. Ge 30:12,13 Jos 19:24-31

3 And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Naphtali.

Naphtali. Ge 30:7,8 Jos 19:32-39

4 And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Manasseh.

by the border. In this division of the Holy Lands, a portion is laid out for each of the twelve tribes directly across the country, from east to west; and deducting the square of 25,000 reeds, or nearly fifty miles on each side, between Judah and Benjamin, for the priests, Levites, city, and temple, with the inheritance of the prince to the east and west, (see on ch 45:1,) from 280 miles, the length of the country from north to south, there will remain for each tribe a portion of less than twenty miles in width, and 150 in length. This division of the land entirely differs from that which was made in the days of Joshua, in which the tribes were not only differently placed, but confused and inter-mixed; while here distinct lots are assigned to each of the twelve tribes, in a regular mathematical form. Literally such a division never took place: it seems to denote the equality of privileges which subsists among all the tribes of Believers, of whatever nation, and whatever their previous character may have been.

Manasseh. Ge 30:22-24 41:51 48:5,14-20 Jos 13:29-31 17:1-11

5 And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Ephraim.

Ephraim. Jos 16:1-10 17:8-10,14-18

6 And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Reuben.

Reuben. Ge 29:32 49:3,4 Jos 13:15-21

7 And by the border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Judah.

Judah. Ge 29:35 Jos 15:1-63 19:9

8 And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it.

the offering. 45:1-6

the sanctuary. 35 Isa 12:6 33:20-22 Zec 2:11,12 2Co 6:16 Eph 2:20-22 Col 2:9 Re 21:3,22 22:3

9 The oblation that ye shall offer unto the LORD shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth.

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10 And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation; toward the north five and twenty thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the midst thereof.

for the priests. 44:28 45:4 Nu 35:1-9 Jos 21:1-45 Mt 10:10 1Co 9:13,14

and the sanctuary. 8

11 It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.

It shall be for the priests that are sanctified. or, The sanctified portion shall be for the priests. the sons 40:46 43:19 44:15,16

charge. or, ward, or ordinance. Mt 24:45,45,46 2Ti 4:7,8 1Pe 5:4 Re 2:10

as the Levites. 44:10

12 And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites.

a thing. 45:4 Le 27:21

13 And over against the border of the priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand.

five and twenty thousand in. 45:3 De 12:19 Lu 10:7

14 And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto the LORD.

they shall. Ex 22:29 Le 27:10,28,33

for. 12 Le 23:20 27:9,32 Mal 3:8-10

15 And the five thousand, that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for dwelling, and for suburbs: and the city shall be in the midst thereof.

a profane. 22:26 42:20 44:23 45:6

for the city. The holy oblation of 25,000 square reeds, or near fifty square miles, was divided into three parts from north to south (see on ch. 45:1): a portion on the north of 10,000 reeds in width, and 25,000 in length, for the priests, in the midst of which was the sanctuary or temple, surrounded by a wall 500 reeds square, (ver. 9, 10; see on ch. 42:15;) next to this another portion of the same dimensions for the Levites, (ver. 13, 14;) and on the south another portion of the same length, but only 5,000 reeds in breadth, for the city (ver. 15.) The city was situated in the midst of this portion, being 4,500 reeds, or about nine miles square, (see on ver. 30,) having a suburb of 250 reeds, or about half a mile, on each side, (ver. 17.) leaving 10,000 reeds or nearly ten miles, on the east side, and the same on the west side, for the profit of those who serve the city out of all the tribes, (ver. 18, 19.) On the east and west sides of this square of 25,000 reeds, is the portion of the prince; each of which, estimating the breadth of the land at 150 miles, would form a square of fifty miles. Thus the whole plan of the division of the country, laying out of the city, temple, and all its appendages, is perfectly regular and uniform; and would therefore convey to the minds of the Jews the most complete idea they were capable of conceiving of the most perfect church, commonwealth, city, temple, and conveniences, on the largest and grandest scale for the Divine worship; and it doubtless ultimately points out the land of Immanuel, the city of the New Jerusalem, and his temple, the Christian church, the house of the living God.

1Ti 3:15

16 And these shall be the measures thereof; the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred.

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17 And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty.

No references for this verse

18 And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward: and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion; and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that serve the city.

that serve. Jos 9:27 Ne 7:46-62

19 And they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel.

shall serve. 45:6 1Ki 4:7-23 Ne 11:1-36

20 All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city.

four-square. Heb 12:17 Re 21:16

21 And the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city, 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, over against the portions for the prince: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof.

the residue. 22 34:23,24 37:24 45:7,8 Ho 1:11

and westward. 8-10

22 Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince's, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince.

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23 As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side unto the west side, Benjamin shall have a portion.

Benjamin. 1-7 Ge 35:16-19 Jos 18:21-28

a portion. Heb. one portion. 1

24 And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon shall have a portion.

Simeon. Ge 29:33 49:5-7 Jos 19:1-9

25 And by the border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar a portion.

Issachar. Ge 30:14-18 Jos 19:17-23

26 And by the border of Issachar, from the east side unto the west side, Zebulun a portion.

Zebulun. Ge 30:19,20 Jos 19:10-16

27 And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a portion.

Gad. Ge 30:10,11 Jos 13:24-28

28 And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea.

from Tamar. 47:19 2Ch 20:2

strife in Kadesh. Heb. Meribah-kadesh. Nu 20:1,13 Ps 106:32

the river. Ge 15:18 Nu 34:5 Jos 13:3 Isa 27:12

the great sea. 47:15,19,20

29 This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord GOD.

47:13-22 Nu 34:2,13 Jos 13:1-21:45

30 And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.

the goings. 16,32-35 Re 21:16

four. It is certainly most obvious to interpret these measures, not of cubits, but of the measuring reed which the prophet's conductor had in his hand; according to which, the city would be about thirty-six miles in circumference, and nine miles on each side of the square; which was exactly nine times larger than the greatest extent to which Jerusalem ever attained, (See on ver. 15; ch. 42:16.) The large dimensions of the city and land were perhaps intended to intimate the extensive and glorious propagation of the gospel in the times predicted; and the land was not called Canaan, not the city Jerusalem, probably because they were figurative of spiritual blessings to the church and to Israel.

31 And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.

Isa 26:1,2 54:12 60:11 Re 21:12,13,21,25

32 And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.

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33 And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.

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34 At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.

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35 It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.

and the name. Ge 22:14 Jer 33:16 Zec 14:21

The Lord. Heb. JEHOVAH shammah. Ex 15:26 17:15 Jud 6:24 Ps 46:5 48:3,14 68:18 77:13 132:14 Isa 12:6 14:32 24:23 Jer 3:17 Joe 3:21 Zec 2:10 Re 21:3 22:3

CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL.

The character of Ezekiel, as a Writer and Poet, is thus admirably drawn by the masterly hand of Bishop Lowth: Ezekiel is much inferior to Jeremiah in elegance; in sublimity he is not even excelled by Isaiah; but his sublimity is of a totally different kind. He is deep, vehement, tragical; his sentiments are elevated, animated, full of fire and indignation; his imagery is crowded, magnificent, terrific; his language is grand, solemn, austere, rough, and at times unpolished; he abounds in repetitions, not for the sake of grace or elegance, but from vehemence and indignation. Whatever subject he treats of, that he sedulously puruses; from that he rarely departs, but cleaves, as it were, to it; whence the connexion is in general evident and well preserved. In other respects he may perhaps be exceeded by the other prophets; but, for that species of composition to which he seems adapted by natural gifts, the forcible, impetuous, grave, and grand, not one of the sacred writers is superior to him. His diction is sufficiently perspicuous; all his obscurity arises from the nature of his subjects. Visions (as for instance, among others, those of Hosea, Amos, and Zechariah,) are necessarily dark and confused. The greater part of Ezekiel, particularly towards the middle of the book, is poetical, whether we regard the matter of the language. Abp. Newcombe judiciously observes, The Prophet is not to be considered merely as a poet, or as a framer of those august and astonishing visions, and of those admirable poetical representations, which he committed to writing; but as an instrument in the hands of God, who vouchsafed to reveal himself, through a long succession of ages, not only in divers parts constituting a magnificant and uniform whole, but also in different manners, as by voice, by dreams, by inspiration, and by plain or enigmatical vision. Ezekiel is a great poet, full of originality; and, in my opinion, whoever censures him as if he were only an imitator of the old prophets, can never have felt his power. He must not, in general, be compared with Isaiah, and the rest of the old prophets. Those are great, Ezekiel is also great; those in their manner of poetry, Ezekiel in his. To justify this character the learned prelate descends to particulars, and gives apposite examples, not only of the clear, flowing, and nervous, but also of the sublime; and concludes his observations on his style, by stating it to be his deliberate opinion, that if his style is the old age of Hebrew language and composition, (as has been alleged,) it is a firm and vigorous one, and should induce us to trace its youth and manhood with the most assiduous attention. As a Prophet, Ezekiel must ever be allowed to occupy a very high rank; and few of the prophets have left a more valuable treasure to the church of God than he has. It is true, he is in several places obscure; but this resulted either from the nature of his subjects, or the events predicted being still unfulfilled; and, when time has rolled away the mist of futurity, successive generations will then perceive with what heavenly wisdom this much neglected prophet has spoken. There is, however, a great proportion of his work which is free from every obscurity, and highly edifying. He has so accurately and minutely foretold the fate and condition of various nations and cities, that nothing can be more interesting than to trace the exact accomplishment of these prophecies in the accounts furnished by historians and travellers; while, under the elegant type of a new temple to be erected, a new worship to be introduced, and a new Jerusalem to be built, with new land to be allotted to the twelve tribes, may be discovered the vast extent and glory of the New Testament Church.