Ezek. 47 The vision of the holy waters, Ezek. 47:1–5. The virtue of them, Ezek. 47:6–12. The borders of the land, Ezek. 47:13–21. The division of it by lot, Ezek. 47:22–23.

After that the temple was measured, and the ordinances of it were settled, and what pertained to prince and people assigned, &c., he brought me; the angel, or the Spirit of God, Ezek. 1:3, Ezek. 1:3, Ezek. 1:22. The house; the temple itself.

Then brought he me out of the inmost court, where he saw the waters running under the threshold, and by the south side of the altar. The way of the gate northward: the east gate being shut, the prophet in this vision is led to the north gate, out of which he goeth into the next court, and so…

The man: this is he who accompanied the prophet as his guide all along, and of whom already hath been spoken in several notes. The line, mentioned in Ezek. 40:3, but hitherto not used, for the reed and cubit hitherto were used only, at least only mentioned.

This was all done in vision, and these waters thus increased were visional waters; there was no such natural course of waters in the place, nor is it imaginable, that in three miles or thereabouts, which was the most of the current, the waters should so rise; but it is emblematical, and hath a deep…

He said, i.e. the man with measuring line in hand. Seen this; observed and considered this; hast thou well seen this? Caused me to return: it is not said whether he was gone from the bank, though it be said he returned to the brink, or perhaps it is, he caused me to return along by the brink of the…

In his first coming he observed no trees, and no mention is made of any, but it seems he found them on his return: though they do not really so soon grow, they might be visionally there. At the bank of the river, where usually, for delight and ornament, and for profit too, men plant trees.

Then said he: see Ezek. 47:6. The east country; some read it as a proper name, and so render it, they did run toward Galilee in the east, and the Hebrew bears it indeed, as to the sound of the word; but it cannot be the meaning of the place, for neither the Upper nor Lower Galilee were east, but…

That liveth; as fish, so this universal is to be limited. Which moveth in the waters; so in Gen. 1:20 this kind of living creatures are described. The rivers shall come; these rivers flow: by this it appears the Hebrew doctors have some ground for their interpreting the running of these waters in…

The fishers; men whose trade is to fish for livelihood and profit. Shall stand; shall dispose of themselves about these waters; either on the shore along the river-side, or in boats on the sea, to take the fish. Upon it; the sea, whose waters healed become fruitful.

Miry places; unsound, rotten parts, that are neither sea nor yet sound ground, a proper emblem of hypocrites. The marishes; low land, sopped with the overflowings of unhealthful waters, neither fit to breed fish as the sea, nor bear trees as the land.

By the river; all along this river, which way soever it runs, it shall make its banks so fruitful, that on both sides thereof it shall be abundantly planted with best trees. Shall grow; take root, flourish, and be fruitful, as trees that like their soil.

The border; the utmost bounds of the whole land. Shall inherit; that is, shall divide for inheritance to the tribes of Israel. According to the twelve tribes: as it was at first divided into twelve portions, so now again.

One as well as another; by equal right, each tribe and each family shall inherit their assigned portion, by right of children descended from a father whose it was by letters patent from heaven. Concerning the which I lifted up mine hand; which by oath I bound myself, saith God, to give to you.

In bounding the land, the prophet is informed what is the north border first. The great sea; called so, not that it is the greatest, for it is the Mediterranean here spoken of, but with respect to the Jews; this to them was the greatest they knew or traded on: from this sea doth the measuring of…

Hamath; very near to the head of Eleutherus, or Gebat, and to Sedada: it is likely to be that mentioned Isa. 10:9, situate about the middle of the north boundary of the land, called sometime Epiphania, from Antiochus Epiphanes, who repaired it, and some say now called Enimas.

The border; the utmost northern bounds. From the sea: see Ezek. 47:15. Hazar-enan; the village Enan, or Enon, near Sedada. The north northward; a line drawn from west to east, that shall distinguish the most northern boundaries of Israel from the most southern of Syria Damascena.

From Hauran; that was the north-east bound, where we must begin to measure the east side. From Damascus: this was more northward than the city Hauran, but the country Auranitis, for aught I know, might reach to Damascus, or near it, and so this more particularly direct the measuring: begin at…

The south side shall begin at that point which first vergeth southward from the east sea toward Tamar, which is near En-gedi, and known by the addition Hazezon-tamar; and so some place the lake of Sodom, that the greatest part will be this southern frontier.

This boundary begins where the river falls into the Mediterranean, a little south of Gaza; this the south point of the western boundary, and the line runs all along the seashore northward, till you come in a straight line to Hamath; and this is the northern point of the west frontier, over right…

This land, now bounded. According to the tribes of Israel; into twelve parts or tribes, to which all, but what is allotted to prince, priests, Levites, and the city.

It shall come to pass: this directs what they should do, as well as foretells the event that shall be. Ye shall divide it by lot; so it was divided before, so it must again, for thus all controversies shall be prevented; thus he will choose their inheritance for them, for the disposition of the lot…

It shall come to pass: see Ezek. 47:22. In what tribe; whether by choice or chance the stranger fixed in that tribe. No stranger shall be excluded out of the tribe’s inheritance, among whom he hath sojourned and begotten children.