Ezekiel 46:1--48:35 
Context46:1 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: The gate of the inner court that faces east 1 will be closed six working days, but on the Sabbath day it will be opened and on the day of the new moon it will be opened. 46:2 The prince will enter by way of the porch of the gate from the outside, and will stand by the doorpost of the gate. The priests will provide his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he will bow down at the threshold of the gate and then go out. But the gate will not be closed until evening. 46:3 The people of the land will bow down at the entrance of that gate before the Lord on the Sabbaths and on the new moons. 46:4 The burnt offering which the prince will offer to the Lord on the Sabbath day will be six unblemished lambs and one unblemished ram. 46:5 The grain offering will be an ephah with the ram, and the grain offering with the lambs will be as much as he is able to give, 2 and a gallon 3 of olive oil with an ephah. 46:6 On the day of the new moon he will offer 4 an unblemished young bull, and six lambs and a ram, all without blemish. 46:7 He will provide a grain offering: an ephah with the bull and an ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he wishes, 5 and a gallon 6 of olive oil with each ephah of grain. 7 46:8 When the prince enters, he will come by way of the porch of the gate and will go out the same way.
46:9 “‘When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed feasts, whoever enters by way of the north gate to worship will go out by way of the south gate; whoever enters by way of the south gate will go out by way of the north gate. No one will return by way of the gate they entered but will go out straight ahead. 46:10 When they come in, the prince will come in with them, and when they go out, he will go out.
46:11 “‘At the festivals and at the appointed feasts the grain offering will be an ephah with the bull and an ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as one is able, 8 and a gallon 9 of olive oil with each ephah of grain. 10 46:12 When the prince provides a freewill offering, a burnt offering, or peace offerings as a voluntary offering to the Lord, the gate facing east will be opened for him, and he will provide his burnt offering and his peace offerings just as he did on the Sabbath. Then he will go out, and the gate will be closed after he goes out. 11
46:13 “‘You 12 will provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering daily to the Lord; morning by morning he will provide it. 46:14 And you 13 will provide a grain offering with it morning by morning, a sixth of an ephah, and a third of a gallon 14 of olive oil to moisten the choice flour, as a grain offering to the Lord; this is a perpetual statute. 46:15 Thus they will provide the lamb, the grain offering, and the olive oil morning by morning, as a perpetual burnt offering.
46:16 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: If the prince should give a gift to one of his sons as 15 his inheritance, it will belong to his sons, it is their property by inheritance. 46:17 But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it will be his until the year of liberty; 16 then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance will only remain with his sons. 46:18 The prince will not take away any of the people’s inheritance by oppressively removing them from their property. He will give his sons an inheritance from his own possessions so that my people will not be scattered, each from his own property.’”
46:19 Then he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers for the priests which faced north. There I saw 17 a place at the extreme western end. 46:20 He said to me, “This is the place where the priests will boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they will bake the grain offering, so that they do not bring them out to the outer court to transmit holiness to the people.”
46:21 Then he brought me out to the outer court and led me past the four corners of the court, and I noticed 18 that in every corner of the court there was a court. 46:22 In the four corners of the court were small 19 courts, 70 feet 20 in length and 52½ feet 21 in width; the four were all the same size. 46:23 There was a row of masonry around each of the four courts, and places for boiling offerings were made under the rows all around. 46:24 Then he said to me, “These are the houses for boiling, where the ministers of the temple boil the sacrifices of the people.”
47:1 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple. I noticed 22 that water was flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from under the right side of the temple, from south of the altar. 47:2 He led me out by way of the north gate and brought me around the outside of the outer gate that faces toward the east; I noticed 23 that the water was trickling out from the south side.
47:3 When the man went out toward the east with a measuring line in his hand, he measured 1,750 feet, 24 and then he led me through water, which was ankle deep. 47:4 Again he measured 1,750 feet and led me through the water, which was now knee deep. Once more he measured 1,750 feet and led me through the water, which was waist deep. 47:5 Again he measured 1,750 feet and it was a river I could not cross, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed. 47:6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?”
Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 47:7 When I had returned, I noticed 25 a vast number of trees on the banks of the river, on both sides. 47:8 He said to me, “These waters go out toward the eastern region and flow down into the Arabah; when they enter the Dead Sea, 26 where the sea is stagnant, 27 the waters become fresh. 28 47:9 Every living creature which swarms where the river 29 flows will live; there will be many fish, for these waters flow there. It will become fresh 30 and everything will live where the river flows. 47:10 Fishermen will stand beside it; from Engedi to En-eglaim they will spread nets. They will catch many kinds of fish, like the fish of the Great Sea. 31 47:11 But its swamps and its marshes will not become fresh; they will remain salty. 47:12 On both sides of the river’s banks, every kind of tree will grow for food. Their leaves will not wither nor will their fruit fail, but they will bear fruit every month, because their water source flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.” 32
47:13 This is what the sovereign Lord says: “Here 33 are the borders 34 you will observe as you allot the land to the twelve tribes of Israel. (Joseph will have two portions.) 35 47:14 You must divide it equally just as I vowed to give it to your forefathers; 36 this land will be assigned as your inheritance. 37
47:15 “This will be the border of the land: 38 On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon to the entrance of Zedad; 47:16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath, as far as Hazer-hattikon, which is on the border of Hauran. 47:17 The border will run from the sea to Hazar-enan, at the border of Damascus, and on the north is the border of Hamath. This is the north side. 47:18 On the east side, between Hauran and Damascus, and between Gilead and the land of Israel, will be the Jordan. You will measure from the border to the eastern sea. This is the east side. 47:19 On the south side it will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, the river, 39 to the Great Sea. This is the south side. 47:20 On the west side the Great Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This is the west side.
47:21 “This is how you will divide this land for yourselves among the tribes of Israel. 47:22 You must allot it as an inheritance among yourselves and for the foreigners who reside among you, who have fathered sons among you. You must treat them as native-born among the people of Israel; they will be allotted an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 40 47:23 In whatever tribe the foreigner resides, there you will give him his inheritance,” declares the sovereign Lord.
48:1 “These are the names of the tribes: From the northern end beside the road of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the border of Damascus, toward the north beside Hamath), extending from the east side to the west, Dan will have one portion. 48:2 Next to the border of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher 41 will have one portion. 48:3 Next to the border of Asher from the east side to the west, Naphtali will have one portion. 48:4 Next to the border of Naphtali from the east side to the west, Manasseh will have one portion. 48:5 Next to the border of Manasseh from the east side to the west, Ephraim will have one portion. 48:6 Next to the border of Ephraim from the east side to the west, Reuben will have one portion. 48:7 Next to the border of Reuben from the east side to the west, Judah 42 will have one portion.
48:8 “Next to the border of Judah from the east side to the west will be the allotment you must set apart. It is to be eight and a quarter miles 43 wide, and the same length as one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west; the sanctuary will be in the middle of it. 48:9 The allotment you set apart to the Lord will be eight and a quarter miles 44 in length and three and one-third miles 45 in width. 48:10 These will be the allotments for the holy portion: for the priests, toward the north eight and a quarter miles 46 in length, toward the west three and one-third miles 47 in width, toward the east three and one-third miles 48 in width, and toward the south eight and a quarter miles 49 in length; the sanctuary of the Lord will be in the middle. 48:11 This will be for the priests who are set apart from the descendants of Zadok who kept my charge and did not go astray when the people of Israel strayed off, like the Levites did. 50 48:12 It will be their portion from the allotment of the land, a most holy place, next to the border of the Levites.
48:13 “Alongside the border of the priests, the Levites will have an allotment eight and a quarter miles 51 in length and three and one-third miles 52 in width. The whole length will be eight and a quarter miles 53 and the width three and one-third miles. 54 48:14 They must not sell or exchange any of it; they must not transfer this choice portion of land, for it is set apart 55 to the Lord.
48:15 “The remainder, one and two-thirds miles 56 in width and eight and a quarter miles 57 in length, will be for common use by the city, for houses and for open space. The city will be in the middle of it; 48:16 these will be its measurements: The north side will be one and one-half miles, 58 the south side one and one-half miles, the east side one and one-half miles, and the west side one and one-half miles. 48:17 The city will have open spaces: On the north there will be 437½ feet, 59 on the south 437½ feet, on the east 437½ feet, and on the west 437½ feet. 48:18 The remainder of the length alongside the holy allotment will be three and one-third miles 60 to the east and three and one-third miles toward the west, and it will be beside the holy allotment. Its produce will be for food for the workers of the city. 48:19 The workers of the city from all the tribes of Israel will cultivate it. 48:20 The whole allotment will be eight and a quarter miles 61 square, you must set apart the holy allotment with the possession of the city.
48:21 “The rest, on both sides of the holy allotment and the property of the city, will belong to the prince. Extending from the eight and a quarter miles 62 of the holy allotment to the east border, and westward from the eight and a quarter miles 63 to the west border, alongside the portions, it will belong to the prince. The holy allotment and the sanctuary of the temple will be in the middle of it. 48:22 The property of the Levites and of the city will be in the middle of that which belongs to the prince. The portion between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin will be for the prince.
48:23 “As for the rest of the tribes: From the east side to the west side, Benjamin will have one portion. 48:24 Next to the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Simeon will have one portion. 48:25 Next to the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar will have one portion. 48:26 Next to the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun will have one portion. 48:27 Next to the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad will have one portion. 48:28 Next to the border of Gad, at the south side, the border will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, to the Stream of Egypt 64 and on to the Great Sea. 48:29 This is the land which you will allot to the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the sovereign Lord.
48:30 “These are the exits of the city: On the north side, one and one-half miles 65 by measure, 48:31 the gates of the city 66 will be named for the tribes of Israel; there will be three gates to the north: one gate for Reuben, one gate for Judah, and one gate for Levi. 48:32 On the east side, one and one-half miles in length, there will be three gates: one gate for Joseph, one gate for Benjamin, and one gate for Dan. 48:33 On the south side, one and one-half miles by measure, there will be three gates: one gate for Simeon, one gate for Issachar, and one gate for Zebulun. 48:34 On the west side, one and one-half miles in length, there will be three gates: one gate for Gad, one gate for Asher, and one gate for Naphtali. 48:35 The circumference of the city will be six miles. 67 The name of the city from that day forward will be: ‘The Lord Is There.’” 68
1 sn The east gate of the outer court was permanently closed (Ezek 44:2).
2 tn Or “as much as he wishes.” Heb “a gift of his hand.”
3 tn Heb “a hin of oil.” A hin was about 1/16 of a bath. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:266, and O. R. Sellers, “Weights,” IDB 4:835 g.
4 tn The phrase “he will offer” is not in the Hebrew text but is warranted from the context.
5 tn Heb “with the lambs as his hand can reach.”
6 tn Heb “a hin of oil.” A hin was about 1/16 of a bath. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:266, and O. R. Sellers, “Weights,” IDB 4:835 g.
7 tn Heb “ephah.” The words “of grain” are supplied in the translation as a clarification.
8 tn Or “as much as he wishes.” Heb “a gift of his hand.”
9 tn Heb “a hin of oil.” A hin was about 1/16 of a bath. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:266, and O. R. Sellers, “Weights,” IDB 4:835 g.
10 tn Heb “ephah.” The words “of grain” are supplied in the translation as a clarification.
11 tn Heb “he shall shut the gate after he goes out.”
12 tc A few Hebrew
13 tc Two medieval Hebrew
14 tn Heb “a hin of oil.” A hin was about 1/16 of a bath. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:266, and O. R. Sellers, “Weights,” IDB 4:835 g.
15 tn The Hebrew text has no preposition; the LXX reads “from” (see v. 17).
16 sn That is, the year of Jubilee (Lev 25:8-15).
17 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
18 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
19 tc The meaning of the Hebrew term is unclear. The LXX and Syriac render “small.”
20 tn Heb “forty cubits” (i.e., 21 meters).
21 tn Heb “thirty cubits” (i.e., 15.75 meters).
22 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
23 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
24 tn Heb “one thousand cubits” (i.e., 525 meters); this phrase occurs three times in the next two verses.
25 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
26 tn Heb “the sea,” referring to the Dead Sea. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.
27 tn Heb “to the sea, those which are brought out.” The reading makes no sense. The text is best emended to read “filthy” (i.e., stagnant). See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:273.
28 tn Heb “the waters become healed.”
29 tn Heb “two rivers,” perhaps under the influence of Zech 14:8. The translation follows the LXX and other ancient versions in reading the singular, which is demanded by the context (see vv. 5-7, 9b, 12).
30 tn Heb “will be healed.”
31 sn The Great Sea refers to the Mediterranean Sea (also in vv. 15, 19, 20).
32 sn See Rev 22:1-2.
33 tc This translation follows the reading זֶה (zeh) instead of גֵּה (geh), a nonexistent word, as supported by the LXX.
34 tn Or “territory”; see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:715.
35 tc The grammar is awkward, though the presence of these words is supported by the versions. L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 2:274) suggests that it is an explanatory gloss.
sn One portion for Ephraim, the other for Manasseh (Gen 48:17-20).
36 sn Gen 15:9-21.
37 tn Heb “will fall to you as an inheritance.”
38 sn The measurements resemble those in Num 34:1-2.
39 tn Or “valley.” The syntax is difficult. Some translate “to the river,” others “from the river”; in either case the preposition is supplied for the sake of English.
40 sn A similar attitude toward non-Israelites is found in Isa 56:3-8.
41 sn The tribes descended from Jacob’s maidservants are placed farthest from the sanctuary. See Gen 30.
42 sn The tribe from which the Davidic prince would come is given the most prestigious allotment (see Gen 49:8-12).
43 tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).
44 tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).
45 tn Heb “ten thousand cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).
46 tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).
47 tn Heb “ten thousand cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).
48 tn Heb “ten thousand cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).
49 tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).
50 tn Heb “strayed off.”
51 tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).
52 tn Heb “ten thousand cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).
53 tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).
54 tn Heb “ten thousand cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).
55 tn Or “holy.”
56 tn Heb “five thousand cubits” (i.e., 2.625 kilometers).
57 tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).
58 tn Heb “four thousand five hundred cubits” (i.e., 2.36 kilometers); the phrase occurs three more times in this verse.
59 tn Heb “two hundred fifty cubits” (i.e., 131.25 meters); the phrase occurs three more times in this verse.
60 tn Heb “ten thousand cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers); the phrase occurs again later in this verse.
61 tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).
62 tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).
63 tn Heb “twenty-five thousand cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).
64 tn Traditionally “the Brook of Egypt,” although a number of recent translations have “the Wadi of Egypt” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). The word “Egypt” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
65 tn Heb “four thousand five hundred cubits” (i.e., 2.36 kilometers); the phrase occurs again in vv. 32-34.
66 sn See Rev 21:12-14.
67 tn Heb “eighteen thousand cubits” (i.e., 9.45 kilometers).
68 sn See Rev 21:12-21.
