Ezek. 48 The portions of the twelve tribes, Ezek. 48:1–7, Ezek. 48:23–29, of the sanctuary, Ezek. 48:8–14, of the city and suburbs, Ezek. 48:15–20, and of the prince, Ezek. 48:21–22. The dimensions and gates of the city, Ezek. 48:30–35.

From the north end; as the measurer began to bound the land first on the north side, so he will first place the tribe to whom the most northern lot fell, or rather was assigned by a Divine direction. To the coast; along through the coast that leads from the west or great sea to Hethlon.

That is, all along on the south side of Dan, from east to west in length, shall the share of the tribe of Asher lie.

To the north-west point, where the dividing line ends, being drawn from the north-east point to the north-west in the midland sea.

Hitherto you have seven of the twelve tribes placed in the northern part of Canaan, and reckoned as they lay in order, where nothing occurs new from the 2nd verse to the 8th.

The offering; the holy portion, of which Ezek. 45:1, set out for priests, Levites, and city, Ezek. 45:4–6. Reeds is here supplied by the translators, but I rather think cubits; for the greatness of the portion measured by reeds will eat out the tribes, or leave very little for them, as appears…

This verse is the same with Ezek. 45:3, which see.

For the priests; who are more particularly described Ezek. 48:11, which see. Toward the north; the north side, in length from north-east to north-west. Toward the west; from south-west to north-west point, between which points lay the west side.

See this verse explained Ezek. 44:15–16.

This oblation; which, as it were the primitiae of the land, was ordered to be first set out for God. Offered; set apart, and dedicated to God. Shall be unto them a thing most holy; in the account both of the priests and the whole people it shall be most holy, on no occasion to be servant unto any…

See this verse explained Ezek. 45:5. The Levites’ portion ran parallel with the priest’s, whose northern limits were next to the southern limits of the Levites.

It is most holy, and therefore no price should be offered for it, nor any price set upon it, nor may they pass away any on pretence of getting greater and more particularly serviceable to them and their employment, and so for convenience part with God’s inheritance; this is forbidden: this is holy,…

In the breadth over against; or running along by the side. The five and twenty thousand; assigned to the Levites. A profane place; a common, not consecrated place, in which the city should be built, a place for all services, as men shall need.

The measures; the extent and proportions of the ground for the city; a square of four thousand five hundred shall be taken out of the middle of the twenty-five thousand for the area or ground-plot of the city.

Here are the dimensions of the suburbs, which added to those of the city thus, two hundred and fifty added to the four thousand five hundred on the north side, and two hundred and fifty added to the four thousand five hundred on the south side, make five thousand; so on the east add two hundred and…

The residue in length, which remains on each side of the five thousand cubits square area, will be ten thousand on the east, and ten thousand on the west. Shall be over against the oblation; lie parallel and even with the south side of the Levites’ portion both on east and west.

Either this service is a burden, and if so, it is fit all should bear their part in it; or it is a privilege and advantage, and then it is as fit the advantage should be equally given to all the tribes; all tribes shall be capable of the advantage, and liable to the burden.

Having particularly measured out ten thousand for the priests, and ten thousand for the Levites, and five thousand for the city broadways, these make in all twenty-five thousand; and the length of each the same, twenty-five thousand; here is evidently a perfect equilateral square, whose sides are…

The residue of the land, which is a great portion, for it is the remainder of twelve and a half taken out of sixty; so that the remainder will be forty-seven and a half. On the one side; suppose it be the cast side, there will be twenty-three and three quarters.

That we may clearly understand this, we must remember that the portion of Judah was laid from west to east next to the holy portion, and the portion of Benjamin is in Ezek. 48:23 laid likewise from west to east next to the possession of the city.

In Ezek. 48:7 we left with the prophet the last assigned portion to Judah, on the north side of the holy portions; now the first on the south side of the possession of the city is Benjamin, whose portion, as all the rest, runs in length from east to west, and its breadth from north to south.

Thus all the tribes have their inheritances assigned them, but their lot is not here as in Joshua’s division. It was a new church and state that was here intended, and accordingly many changes are made in it, which differenced it from the old; which changes no doubt are instructive, but the…

The border of Gad; the south border of Gad. The border of the whole land southward. From Tamar: see Ezek. 47:19. To the river; Sihor, say some; but if Sihor be the Nile, as Ortelius makes it, it cannot be the boundary: it is indeed a river that ariseth, as some place it, out of the north part of…

This is the land, whose south bounds are here repeated, the north bounds Ezek. 48:1. Ye shall divide by lot; not casting lots, but assigning the shares. These are their portions; these above described are the particular shares of each tribe.

Now the prophet hath a general topography of the city, which lay four-square. The first side mentioned is the north, for there he began to describe the land, or because it was nearest the temple. It was, as Ezek. 48:16, which see, four thousand five hundred cubits, i.e.

So then it is probable these gates were built at equal distance from the corners and from each other.

Round measuring all four squares. Eighteen thousand measures, or cubits, at which proportioned measures it was about five miles in compass; if the measures were reeds, it would be thirty miles and three hundred and twenty-five yards in compass of the walls, which cannot be conceived credible;…