Ezekiel47
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And he brought me back 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 was toward the east); and the waters came down from under, from the right side of the house, on the south of the altar.
2Then he brought me out by the way of the gate northward, and led me round by the way without unto the outer gate, by the way of the gate that looketh toward the east; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
3When the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles.
4Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the loins.
5Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass through; for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.
6And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river.
7Now when I had returned, behold, upon the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
8Then said he unto me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the Arabah; and they shall go toward the sea; into the sea shall the waters go which were made to issue forth; and the waters shall be healed.
9And it shall come to pass, that every living creature which swarmeth, in every place whither the rivers come, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters are come thither, and the waters of the sea shall be healed, and everything shall live whithersoever the river cometh.
10And it shall come to pass, that fishers shall stand by it: from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets; their fish shall be after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
11But the miry places thereof, and the marshes thereof, shall not be healed; they shall be given up to salt.
12And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow every tree for food, whose leaf shall not wither, neither shall the fruit thereof fail: it shall bring forth new fruit every month, because the waters thereof issue out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for food, and the leaf thereof for healing.
13Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: This shall be the border, whereby ye shall divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.
14And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I sware to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.
15And this shall be the border of the land: On the north side, from the great sea, by the way of Hethlon, unto the entrance of Zedad;
16Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran.
17And the border from the sea, shall be Hazar-enon at the border of Damascus; and on the north northward is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.
18And the east side, between Hauran and Damascus and Gilead, and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the north border, unto the east sea shall ye measure. This is the east side.
19And the south side southward shall be from Tamar as far as the waters of Meriboth-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, unto the great sea. This is the south side southward.
20And the west side shall be the great sea, from the south border as far as over against the entrance of Hamath. This is the west side.
21So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.
22And 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, who shall beget children among you; and they shall be unto you as the home-born among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.
23And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord Jehovah.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 47.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The Vision of the Temple. (1-23).
vv1-23
These waters signify the gospel of Christ, which went forth from Jerusalem, and spread into the countries about; also the gifts and powers of the Holy Ghost which accompanied it, by virtue of which is spread far, and produced blessed effects. Christ is the Temple; and he is the Door; from him the living waters flow, out of his pierced side. They are increasing waters. Observe the progress of the gospel in the world, and the process of the work of grace in the heart; attend the motions of the blessed Spirit under Divine guidance. If we search into the things of God, we find some things plain and easy to be understood, as the waters that were but to the ankles; others more difficult, which require a deeper search, as the waters to the knees, or the loins; and some quite beyond our reach, which we cannot penetrate; but must, as St. Paul did, adore the depth, Rom. 11. It is wisdom to begin with that which is most easy, before we proceed to that which is dark and hard to be understood. The promises of the sacred word, and the privileges of believers, as shed abroad in their souls by the quickening Spirit, abound where the gospel is preached; they nourish and delight the souls of men; they never fade nor wither, nor are exhausted. Even the leaves serve as medicines to the soul: the warnings and reproofs of the word, though less pleasant than Divine consolations, tend to heal the diseases of the soul. All who believe in Christ, and are united to him by his sanctifying Spirit, will share the privileges of Israelites. There is room in the church, and in heaven, for all who seek the blessings of that new covenant of which Christ is Mediator.
Key Words
שׁוּב: to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again
פֶּתַח: an opening (literally), i.e. door (gate) or entrance way
בַּיִת: a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
הִנֵּה: lo!
מַיִם: water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen
יָצָא: to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
תַּחַת: the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.
מִפְתָּן: a stretcher, i.e. a sill
קָדִים: the fore or front part; hence (by orientation) the East (often adverbially, eastward, for brevity the east wind)
Cross References
Ezekiel 47John's vision of the water of life proceeding out of the throne parallels Ezekiel's temple waters.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Describes the tree of life yielding fruit monthly with leaves for the healing of the nations.
Supported by JFB
Prophesies living waters flowing out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea, half westward.
Supported by JFB
A fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord to water the valley.
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There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God.
Supported by JFB
Jesus speaks of rivers of living water flowing from within those who believe, signifying the Spirit.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad, parallel to waters healing the desert.
Supported by JFB
The gospel net cast into the sea gathering fish of every kind, matching Ezekiel's fishers.
Supported by JFB
Strangers who were far off are brought near to inherit spiritual privileges with Israel.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Jesus calls His apostles to be 'fishers of men,' fulfilling the spiritual gathering motif.
Supported by JFB
Saltness and burning represents land given over to permanent barrenness, explaining the unhealed marshes.
Supported by JFB
Turning a fruitful land into barrenness (literally 'saltness') for the wickedness of those who dwell there.
Supported by JFB
The righteous are like trees planted by rivers of water whose leaf does not wither.
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Believers are called 'trees of righteousness' planted to display God's glory.
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Echoes Eden's trees that were pleasant to the sight and good for food.
Supported by JFB
A fountain opened to the house of David for sin and uncleanness.
Supported by JFB
The earth filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea.
Supported by JFB
Identifies the Arabah ('plain') and the Salt Sea, which Ezekiel's waters flow into.
Supported by JFB