Ezekiel / Chapter 47

Ezekiel 47

23 verses • Westminster Leningrad Codex

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Ezekiel 47 divides into two distinct sections. The first (vv. 1-12) is one of the most extraordinary visions in the Hebrew Bible: water flows from beneath the threshold of the Temple, eastward, becoming a river that deepens from ankle-deep to knee-deep to waist-deep to an uncrossable torrent. Wherever this river flows, everything lives — even the Dead Sea is healed, its waters becoming fresh, teeming with fish. Trees line both banks, bearing fruit every month, their leaves for healing. The second section (vv. 13-23) maps the boundaries of the restored land and establishes that foreigners who settle among Israel shall receive an inheritance alongside the native-born tribes.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

The river from the Temple is the climactic image of Ezekiel's entire restoration vision. The glory of the LORD returned to the Temple in chapter 43; now the Temple pours out life to the world. The progression of depth — ankles, knees, waist, then uncrossable — is measured by the prophet's own body as he wades in, making the vision viscerally physical. The healing of the Dead Sea is an eschatological reversal of the most extreme kind: the lowest, most lifeless body of water on earth becomes a freshwater fishery like the Great Sea (the Mediterranean). The trees on the river's banks — with fruit every month and leaves for healing — reappear almost verbatim in Revelation 22:1-2, where the river of life flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb, and the tree of life bears twelve kinds of fruit with leaves 'for the healing of the nations.' John's apocalyptic vision draws directly from Ezekiel's Temple river. We gave full expanded_rendering treatment to the river passage, because it carries the weight of the entire book's theological trajectory: from judgment to glory's departure to glory's return to life-giving water flowing from the place where God dwells. The land boundary section, while more prosaic, also carries a remarkable provision: resident foreigners shall have inheritance in the land (v. 22-23), a vision of inclusion that echoes Isaiah 56:3-7 and stands in some tension with the exclusion of uncircumcised foreigners from the Temple in 44:9.

Translation Friction

The Hebrew in verse 1 is textually difficult — the water flows 'from under the threshold of the Temple toward the east, for the face of the Temple was east.' The spatial description requires careful parsing. The phrase mayim mefakkeim ('waters of healing' or 'waters that become fresh') in verse 8 uses a rare form of the verb rapha — we rendered it 'healed' in the sense of made wholesome and life-sustaining. The boundary descriptions in verses 13-20 reference ancient place names, several of which are uncertain — we provided the traditional identifications while noting the uncertainty. The provision for foreigners in verses 22-23 uses the term ger ('resident alien'), which must be distinguished from nokhri ('foreigner, stranger') — the ger is integrated into the community.

Connections

The Temple river connects to Genesis 2:10-14 (the river flowing from Eden), Joel 3:18 (a fountain from the house of the LORD), Zechariah 14:8 (living waters from Jerusalem), Psalm 46:4 ('a river whose streams make glad the city of God'), and most directly to Revelation 22:1-2 (the river of the water of life from the throne). The healing of the Dead Sea reverses the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19). The land boundaries recall Numbers 34:1-12. The inclusion of foreigners connects to Isaiah 56:3-7, Ruth's integration into Israel, and Paul's theology of gentile inclusion in Ephesians 2:11-22.

Ezekiel 47:1

וַיְשִׁבֵ֗נִי אֶל־פֶּ֣תַח הַבַּיִת֮ וְהִנֵּה־מַ֣יִם יֹצְאִ֣ים מִתַּחַת֩ מִפְתַּ֨ן הַבַּ֤יִת קָדִ֙ימָה֙ כִּֽי־פְנֵ֤י הַבַּ֙יִת֙ קָדִ֔ים וְהַמַּ֣יִם יֹרְדִ֗ים מִתַּ֜חַת מִכֶּ֤תֶף הַבַּ֙יִת֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית מִנֶּ֖גֶב לַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

Then he brought me back to the entrance of the Temple, and there — water was flowing out from under the threshold of the Temple toward the east, for the Temple faced east. The water was flowing down from beneath the south side of the Temple, south of the altar.

KJV Afterward he brought me again unto the door 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 from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

מַיִם mayim
"water" — water, waters, flood, life-source

Water in the Hebrew Bible is the primary symbol of life, purification, and divine blessing. In a semi-arid landscape, water flowing from the Temple signifies that God's presence is the ultimate source of all life and fertility.

Translator Notes

  1. The Hebrew mifthan habayit ('threshold of the house/Temple') locates the water's origin at the very entrance of God's dwelling — it flows from under the place where the divine presence meets the world. The water emerges on the south side of the altar, flowing east. The spatial precision is priestly — Ezekiel the priest maps the water's exact point of origin relative to the altar, the threshold, and the Temple's orientation. The word hinneh ('there/behold') marks this as a moment of astonishment in the vision — even in a tour full of wonders, this is arresting.
Ezekiel 47:2

וַיּוֹצִאֵ֨נִי דֶּ֜רֶךְ שַׁ֣עַר צָפ֗וֹנָה וַיַּסִּבֵּ֙נִי֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ ח֔וּץ אֶל־שַׁ֣עַר הַח֔וּץ דֶּ֖רֶךְ הַפּוֹנֶ֣ה קָדִ֑ים וְהִנֵּה־מַ֣יִם מְפַכִּ֔ים מִן־הַכָּתֵ֖ף הַיְמָנִֽית׃

He led me out by way of the north gate and brought me around the outside to the outer gate that faces east. And there — water was trickling from the south side.

KJV Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Because the outer east gate is permanently shut (44:1-2), Ezekiel must exit by the north gate and walk around the outside to observe the water's emergence from the Temple's exterior. The Hebrew mefakkim ('trickling, seeping') describes a modest flow at this point — the water begins as a trickle. The contrast between this small beginning and the uncrossable river it becomes is the theological point: what originates from God's presence starts small but becomes overwhelming.
Ezekiel 47:3

בְּצֵ֨את הָאִ֤ישׁ קָדִים֙ וְקָ֣ו בְּיָד֔וֹ וַיָּ֥מָד אֶ֖לֶף בָּאַמָּ֑ה וַיַּעֲבִרֵ֣נִי בַמַּ֔יִם מֵ֖י אָפְסָֽיִם׃

As the man went out eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and led me through the water — the water came up to my ankles.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The word ofsayim ('ankles') is a dual form — both ankles submerged. The measuring man uses a qav ('line, cord') rather than the measuring reed (qaneh) of chapters 40-42, perhaps because the distances are now much larger. A thousand cubits (elef ba'ammah) is approximately 500 meters (1,640 feet). The progression of depth through the prophet's body — ankles, knees, waist, then over the head — makes the vision experiential rather than observational.
Ezekiel 47:4

וַיָּ֣מָד אֶ֔לֶף וַיַּעֲבִרֵ֣נִי בַמַּ֔יִם מַ֖יִם בִּרְכָּ֑יִם וַיָּ֣מָד אֶ֔לֶף וַיַּעֲבִרֵ֥נִי מֵ֖י מָתְנָֽיִם׃

He measured another thousand and led me through the water — the water came up to my knees. He measured another thousand and led me through — the water reached my waist.

KJV 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Hebrew birkayim ('knees') and motnayim ('waist, loins') mark the second and third stages. The verb ya'avireni ('he led me through') is repeated — the guide physically brings Ezekiel into the water each time. The accelerating depth with no tributaries is the supernatural element: this river grows from nothing but its own source. In natural hydrology, rivers deepen because other waters flow into them. This river deepens because it comes from God.
Ezekiel 47:5

וַיָּ֣מָד אֶ֗לֶף נַ֤חַל אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־אוּכַ֣ל לַעֲבֹ֔ר כִּֽי־גָא֣וּ הַמַּ֔יִם מֵ֥י שָׂח֖וּ נַ֥חַל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יֵעָבֵֽר׃

He measured another thousand — it was now a river that I could not cross, for the water had risen, deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed on foot.

KJV Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The word nachal can mean 'stream, wadi, river, torrent' — it has grown from mere mayim ('water') to a nachal of such force that Ezekiel uses the emphatic phrase lo ukhal la'avor ('I was not able to cross'). The verb ga'u ('had risen') conveys swelling and surging. The phrase mei sachu ('waters of swimming') is vivid — the prophet would need to swim, not wade. The threefold emphasis — 'I could not cross... deep enough to swim... could not be crossed' — conveys Ezekiel's astonishment at the transformation from trickle to torrent.
Ezekiel 47:6

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י הֲרָאִ֖יתָ בֶּן־אָדָ֑ם וַיּוֹלִכֵ֥נִי וַיְשִׁבֵ֖נִי שְׂפַ֥ת הַנָּחַֽל׃

He said to me, "Have you seen this, son of man?" Then he led me back and brought me to the bank of the river.

KJV 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The guide's question hara'ita ('have you seen?') is not merely asking whether Ezekiel observed the water — it is a pedagogical question, prompting the prophet to reflect on what he has witnessed. The return to the bank (sefat hanachal, 'lip/shore of the river') positions Ezekiel as an observer on the shore to receive the interpretation that follows.
Ezekiel 47:7

בְּשׁוּבֵ֕נִי וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֶל־שְׂפַ֖ת הַנַּ֑חַל עֵ֥ץ רַב־מְאֹ֖ד מִזֶּ֥ה וּמִזֶּֽה׃

When I returned, I saw — on both banks of the river, a great many trees.

KJV Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The trees on both banks anticipate the fuller description in verse 12 and connect forward to Revelation 22:2 ('the tree of life... on either side of the river'). The Hebrew etz rav me'od ('very many trees') emphasizes abundance. The phrase mizzeh umizzeh ('from this side and from that side') stresses that both banks are equally lined with trees — the life-giving effect of the river is symmetrical.
Ezekiel 47:8

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י הַמַּ֤יִם הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ יוֹצְאִ֗ים אֶל־הַגְּלִילָ֤ה הַקַּדְמוֹנָה֙ וְיָרְד֣וּ עַל־הָעֲרָבָ֔ה וּבָ֖אוּ הַיָּ֑מָּה אֶל־הַיָּ֛מָּה הַמּוּצָאִ֖ים וְנִרְפְּא֥וּ הַמָּֽיִם׃

He said to me, "These waters flow toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah and enter the sea. When the water flows into the sea, its waters will be healed."

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

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

נִרְפְּאוּ nirpe'u
"healed" — to heal, to cure, to restore to health, to make wholesome

The Dead Sea is described as needing healing — its lifelessness is a disease that the Temple river will cure. The same verb is used for healing human illness, making the sea a patient and God's presence the physician.

Translator Notes

  1. The gelilah haqqadmonah ('eastern region/district') refers to the Jordan Valley area. The Arabah is the rift valley running from the Sea of Galilee south to the Dead Sea and beyond. The phrase hayammah hammuza'im is textually difficult — literally 'into the sea, the brought-out waters.' Most scholars understand this as the Dead Sea, whose waters are 'brought out' or stagnant. The verb nirpe'u ('shall be healed') treats the Dead Sea's extreme salinity as a sickness to be cured — a striking personification.
Ezekiel 47:9

וְהָיָ֣ה כָל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֣ה ׀ אֲשֶׁר־יִשְׁרֹ֡ץ אֶ֣ל כָּל־אֲשֶׁר֩ יָב֨וֹא שָׁ֤ם נַחֲלַ֙יִם֙ יִֽחְיֶ֔ה וְהָיָ֥ה הַדָּגָ֖ה רַבָּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד כִּ֣י בָ֤אוּ שָׁ֙מָּה֙ הַמַּ֣יִם הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְיֵרָפְא֖וּ וָחַ֕י כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־יָב֥וֹא שָׁ֖מָּה הַנָּחַֽל׃

And it will be that every living creature that swarms will live wherever the river goes. There will be a great abundance of fish, because these waters go there and the sea waters are healed. Everything will live wherever the river goes.

KJV And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

יִחְיֶה yichyeh
"will live" — to live, to be alive, to revive, to flourish

The same root (ch-y-h) that appears in the dry bones vision (37:3, 37:5, 37:6, 37:9, 37:10, 37:14). In Ezekiel, God's signature act is giving life to what is dead — whether bones or seas.

Translator Notes

  1. The verb yishrots ('swarms') is the same word used in Genesis 1:20 for the swarming of sea creatures at creation — the Temple river initiates a new creation. The phrase dagah rabbah me'od ('very great abundance of fish') transforms the Dead Sea into a major fishery. The double occurrence of 'wherever the river goes... wherever the river goes' (kol asher yavo shammah hanachal) creates an emphatic frame: the river's life-giving power is total and unlimited. The verb vachay ('and it will live') is the climactic declaration.
Ezekiel 47:10

וְהָיָה֩ יַעַמְד֨וּ עָלָ֤יו דַּוָּגִים֙ מֵעֵ֤ין גֶּ֙דִי֙ וְעַד־עֵ֣ין עֶגְלַ֔יִם מִשְׁט֥וֹחַ לַחֲרָמִ֖ים יִהְי֑וּ לְמִינָה֙ תִּהְיֶ֣ה דְגָתָ֔ם כִּדְגַ֥ת הַיָּ֛ם הַגָּד֖וֹל רַבָּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

Fishermen will stand along it from En-gedi to En-eglaim. It will be a place for spreading nets. Its fish will be of every kind, like the fish of the Great Sea — exceedingly many.

KJV And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. En-gedi is a known oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea; En-eglaim is uncertain but likely on the same shore. The vision transforms the Dead Sea shoreline into a working fishery with nets spread to dry — an image of ordinary, abundant livelihood. The 'Great Sea' (hayyam haggadol) is the Mediterranean. The comparison means the Dead Sea will have the same variety and abundance of species as the Mediterranean — an astonishing reversal for a body of water where nothing currently survives. The phrase leminah ('according to their kinds') echoes the creation language of Genesis 1.
Ezekiel 47:11

בִּצֹּאתָ֥יו וּגְבָאָ֖יו וְלֹ֣א יֵרָפְא֑וּ לְמֶ֖לַח נִתָּֽנוּ׃

But its marshes and swamps will not be healed — they are left for salt.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Not everything is healed — the marshes and swamps retain their salt. The phrase lemelach nittanu ('they are given over to salt') means these areas remain salt-producing. This is a practical detail within the vision: salt was essential for Temple offerings (Leviticus 2:13) and daily life. The partial exception to the healing preserves the realism of the vision and prevents it from becoming pure fantasy. Even in the eschatological restoration, salt must come from somewhere.
Ezekiel 47:12

וְעַל־הַנַּ֣חַל יַעֲלֶ֣ה עַל־שְׂפָת֡וֹ מִזֶּ֣ה וּמִזֶּה֩ כָּל־עֵ֨ץ מַאֲכָ֜ל לֹא־יִבּ֤וֹל עָלֵ֙הוּ֙ וְלֹא־יִתֹּ֣ם פִּרְי֔וֹ לָחֳדָשָׁ֖יו יְבַכֵּ֑ר כִּ֣י מֵימָ֗יו מִן־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ֙ הֵ֣מָּה יוֹצְאִ֔ים וְהָיָ֤ה פִרְיוֹ֙ לְמַאֲכָ֔ל וְעָלֵ֖הוּ לִתְרוּפָֽה׃

Along the river, on both banks, every kind of tree for food will grow. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fresh fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.

KJV And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

Notes & Key Terms 2 terms

Key Terms

תְּרוּפָה terufah
"healing" — healing, medicine, remedy, cure

The leaves of these trees are not merely decorative but medicinal. The word terufah connects to the healing (rapha) of the Dead Sea — the same restorative power that heals dead waters also produces healing leaves. This image becomes central to John's vision in Revelation 22:2.

מִקְדָּשׁ miqdash
"sanctuary" — sanctuary, holy place, sacred precinct

The key to the entire passage: the water flows from the miqdash, the place where God's glory dwells. The trees' supernatural productivity is a direct consequence of their water source being the presence of God.

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase lachodashav yevakker ('by its months it will bear first fruits') means new fruit every month — twelve harvests per year rather than one seasonal crop. This supernatural productivity is explained by the source: ki meimav min hammiqdash hemmah yotze'im ('because its water flows from the sanctuary'). The water's origin determines the trees' nature. The word terufah ('healing, medicine') is from the same root as rapha ('to heal') used for the Dead Sea's healing in verse 8. The entire passage — river, trees, fruit, leaves — reappears in Revelation 22:1-2 as the climactic image of the new creation.
Ezekiel 47:13

כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה גֵּ֕ה גְּב֣וּל אֲשֶׁ֧ר תִּתְנַחֲל֛וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ לִשְׁנֵ֣י עָשָׂ֣ר שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יוֹסֵ֖ף חֲבָלִֽים׃

This is what the Lord GOD says: These are the boundaries by which you shall allot the land as an inheritance for the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions.

KJV Thus saith the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The section shifts from the river vision to land distribution. Joseph receives two portions because his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, each became a tribe — maintaining the twelve-tribe count even though Levi receives no territorial allotment (Levi's inheritance is priestly service). The word chavalim ('portions, measured territories') literally means 'ropes' or 'cords,' reflecting the ancient practice of measuring land allotments with rope.
Ezekiel 47:14

וּנְחַלְתֶּ֥ם אוֹתָ֛הּ אִ֖ישׁ כְּאָחִ֑יו אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָשָׂ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־יָדִ֔י לְתִתָּ֣הּ לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶ֔ם וְנָפְלָ֛ה הָאָ֥רֶץ הַזֹּ֖את לָכֶ֥ם בְּנַחֲלָֽה׃

You shall inherit it equally, each as his brother, for I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your ancestors. This land shall fall to you as your inheritance.

KJV And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase ish ke'achiv ('each as his brother') establishes equal distribution — no tribe receives preferential treatment. The idiom nasati et yadi ('I lifted my hand') is the Hebrew oath gesture, indicating a sworn divine promise. The verb nafal ('to fall') for land allotment reflects the ancient practice of casting lots — the land 'falls' to its recipient by divine determination (cf. Joshua 18:6, 8, 10). The land is both promise (sworn to the ancestors) and gift (allotted by God).
Ezekiel 47:15

וְזֶ֖ה גְּב֣וּל הָאָ֑רֶץ לִפְאַ֨ת צָפ֜וֹנָה מִן־הַיָּ֤ם הַגָּדוֹל֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ חֶתְלֹ֔ן לְב֖וֹא צְדָֽדָה׃

This is the boundary of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon toward Zedad,

KJV 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;

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Great Sea (hayyam haggadol) is the Mediterranean, which serves as the western boundary. The northern boundary begins at the Mediterranean coast and runs eastward. Hethlon and Zedad are locations along the northern border, roughly corresponding to the border described in Numbers 34:7-9. Their exact locations are debated, but they appear to be in the region of modern Syria/Lebanon.
Ezekiel 47:16

חֲמָ֗ת ׀ בֵּרוֹתָ֤ה סִבְרַ֙יִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֗ר בֵּין־גְּב֤וּל דַּמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ וּבֵ֣ין גְּב֣וּל חֲמָ֔ת חָצֵ֥ר הַתִּיכ֖וֹן אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֶל־גְּב֥וּל חַוְרָֽן׃

Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), Hazer-hattikon, which is on the border of Hauran.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This verse lists locations along the northern boundary, moving from west to east. Hamath is the well-known city on the Orontes River in Syria, marking the traditional northern extent of Israelite territory ('the entrance of Hamath'). Berothah and Sibraim are less certain. Hazer-hattikon ('the middle enclosure') is described as lying on the border of Hauran, the basalt plateau east of the Sea of Galilee. The boundary runs between Damascus and Hamath — a significant territorial claim.
Ezekiel 47:17

וְהָיָ֨ה גְב֜וּל מִן־הַיָּ֗ם חֲצַ֤ר עֵינוֹן֙ גְּב֣וּל דַּמֶּ֔שֶׂק וְצָפ֥וֹן ׀ צָפ֖וֹנָה וּגְב֣וּל חֲמָ֑ת וְאֵ֖ת פְּאַ֥ת צָפֽוֹן׃

The boundary shall extend from the sea to Hazar-enan, along the border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This is the north side.

KJV And the border from the sea shall be Hazarenan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Hazar-enan ('enclosure of springs') is the northeastern corner point of the land, also referenced in Numbers 34:9-10. The boundary is described in relation to Damascus — the land of Israel extends to but does not include Damascus. The phrase ve'et pe'at tsafon ('and this is the north side') concludes the northern boundary description.
Ezekiel 47:18

וּפְאַ֣ת קָדִ֡ים מִבֵּ֣ין חַוְרָ֣ן וּמִבֵּ֣ין דַּמֶּשֶׂק֩ וּמִבֵּ֨ין הַגִּלְעָ֜ד וּמִבֵּ֣ין ׀ אֶ֣רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הַיַּרְדֵּ֞ן מִגְּב֤וּל עַל־הַיָּם֙ הַקַּדְמוֹנִ֔י תְּמֹ֑דּוּ וְאֵ֖ת פְּאַ֥ת קָדִֽימָה׃

The east side: between Hauran and Damascus, between Gilead and the land of Israel — the Jordan shall be the boundary down to the eastern sea. You shall measure this. This is the east side.

KJV And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The eastern boundary runs along the Jordan River from the northeast to the 'eastern sea' (hayyam haqqadmoni) — the Dead Sea. Hauran, Damascus, and Gilead serve as reference points for the northeastern corner. The Jordan River functions as the natural eastern boundary, separating the allotted land from the Transjordanian territory. The 'eastern sea' is the Dead Sea, which in the river vision of verses 1-12 has been healed.
Ezekiel 47:19

וּפְאַת֙ נֶ֣גְבָּה תֵּימָ֔נָה מִתָּמָ֗ר עַד־מֵ֤י מְרִיבוֹת֙ קָדֵ֔שׁ נַחֲלָ֖ה אֶל־הַיָּ֣ם הַגָּד֑וֹל וְאֵ֥ת פְּאַ֛ת נֶ֖גְבָּה תֵּימָֽנָה׃

The south side runs southward from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This is the south side, toward the south.

KJV And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Tamar ('palm tree') is likely a location in the southern Arabah. The 'waters of Meribath-kadesh' (mei merivot qadesh) refers to Kadesh-barnea, the site where Israel quarreled with God and Moses struck the rock (Numbers 20:1-13). The nachalah ('brook, wadi') leading to the Great Sea is the Wadi el-Arish (Brook of Egypt), the traditional southern boundary of the promised land (Numbers 34:5, 1 Kings 8:65).
Ezekiel 47:20

וּפְאַת־יָ֗ם הַיָּ֤ם הַגָּדוֹל֙ מִגְּב֔וּל עַד־נֹ֖כַח לְב֣וֹא חֲמָ֑ת זֹ֖את פְּאַת־יָֽם׃

The west side is the Great Sea, from the southern boundary northward to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This is the west side.

KJV The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Mediterranean coastline forms the western boundary from the Brook of Egypt in the south to the latitude of Lebo-hamath ('entrance of Hamath') in the north. Lebo-hamath is a well-known boundary marker in biblical geography, referenced in Numbers 34:8 and frequently in Kings and Chronicles as the northern extent of Israelite territory.
Ezekiel 47:21

וְחִלַּקְתֶּ֞ם אֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ הַזֹּ֛את לָכֶ֖ם לְשִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

You shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.

KJV So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This verse transitions from the boundary description to the distribution command. The land within the boundaries just described is to be divided among the tribes — the detailed allotment follows in chapter 48.
Ezekiel 47:22

וְהָיָ֗ה תַּפִּ֣לוּ אוֹתָ֣הּ בְּנַחֲלָ֡ה לָכֶ֣ם וּלְהַגֵּרִ֣ים ׀ הַגָּרִ֣ים בְּתוֹכְכֶ֡ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר הוֹלִ֣דוּ בָנִ֣ים ׀ בְּתוֹכְכֶ֗ם וְהָי֤וּ לָכֶם֙ כְּאֶזְרָ֣ח בִּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִתְּכֶ֥ם יִפְּל֖וּ בְנַחֲלָ֑ה בְּת֖וֹךְ שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you like native-born citizens among the children of Israel. They shall receive an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.

KJV 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, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

גֵּרִים gerim
"foreigners who reside" — resident aliens, immigrants, sojourners, settlers

The ger is distinguished from the nokhri (temporary foreigner) by permanent residence and community integration. Granting gerim inheritance rights places them on equal footing with Israelite families in the most fundamental economic and covenantal sense.

Translator Notes

  1. The word gerim ('resident aliens, immigrants') refers to non-Israelites who have settled permanently among the tribes, not temporary visitors. The phrase ke'ezrach ('like a native-born') is a legal term meaning full membership rights — the foreigner who resides and raises children in Israel becomes, for purposes of land inheritance, indistinguishable from a born Israelite. This is a radical expansion of the provisions in Leviticus 19:33-34 ('the foreigner who resides among you shall be to you as the native-born'). The verb yippelu ('they shall fall/be allotted') uses the lot-casting terminology — foreigners receive land by the same divine allotment process as the tribes.
Ezekiel 47:23

וְהָיָ֣ה בַשֵּׁ֔בֶט אֲשֶׁר־גָּ֥ר הַגֵּ֖ר אִתּ֑וֹ שָׁ֚ם תִּתְּנ֣וּ נַחֲלָת֔וֹ נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃

In whatever tribe the foreigner resides, there you shall give him his inheritance, declares the Lord GOD.

KJV And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The foreigner receives land within the tribe where he has settled — a pragmatic provision that respects existing community ties. The chapter concludes with the divine speech formula ne'um Adonai YHWH ('declares the Lord GOD'), stamping this provision with divine authority. The inclusion of foreigners in the land inheritance contrasts with the Temple exclusion of uncircumcised foreigners in 44:9 — Ezekiel holds both boundaries (sacred space) and openness (land) in tension, reflecting the complexity of holiness and hospitality in priestly thought.
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