6 And ye shall appoint H5414 the possession H272 of the city H5892 five H2568 thousand H505 broad, H7341 and five H2568 and twenty H6242 thousand H505 long, H753 over against H5980 the oblation H8641 of the holy H6944 portion: it shall be for the whole house H1004 of Israel. H3478
And the five H2568 thousand, H505 that are left H3498 in the breadth H7341 over against H6440 the five H2568 and twenty H6242 thousand, H505 shall be a profane H2455 place for the city, H5892 for dwelling, H4186 and for suburbs: H4054 and the city H5892 shall be in the midst H8432 thereof. And these shall be the measures H4060 thereof; the north H6828 side H6285 four H702 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred, H3967 and the south H5045 side H6285 four H702 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred, H3967 and on the east H6921 side H6285 four H702 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred, H3967 and the west H3220 side H6285 four H702 thousand H505 and five H2568 H2568 hundred. H3967 And the suburbs H4054 of the city H5892 shall be toward the north H6828 two hundred H3967 and fifty, H2572 and toward the south H5045 two hundred H3967 and fifty, H2572 and toward the east H6921 two hundred H3967 and fifty, H2572 and toward the west H3220 two hundred H3967 and fifty. H2572 And the residue H3498 in length H753 over against H5980 the oblation H8641 of the holy H6944 portion shall be ten H6235 thousand H505 eastward, H6921 and ten H6235 thousand H505 westward: H3220 and it shall be over against H5980 the oblation H8641 of the holy H6944 portion; and the increase H8393 thereof shall be for food H3899 unto them that serve H5647 the city. H5892
And these are the goings out H8444 of the city H5892 on the north H6828 side, H6285 four H702 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred H3967 measures. H4060 And the gates H8179 of the city H5892 shall be after the names H8034 of the tribes H7626 of Israel: H3478 three H7969 gates H8179 northward; H6828 one H259 gate H8179 of Reuben, H7205 one H259 gate H8179 of Judah, H3063 one H259 gate H8179 of Levi. H3878 And at the east H6921 side H6285 four H702 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred: H3967 and three H7969 gates; H8179 and one H259 gate H8179 of Joseph, H3130 one H259 gate H8179 of Benjamin, H1144 one H259 gate H8179 of Dan. H1835 And at the south H5045 side H6285 four H702 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred H3967 measures: H4060 and three H7969 gates; H8179 one H259 gate H8179 of Simeon, H8095 one H259 gate H8179 of Issachar, H3485 one H259 gate H8179 of Zebulun. H2074 At the west H3220 side H6285 four H702 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred, H3967 with their three H7969 gates; H8179 one H259 gate H8179 of Gad, H1410 one H259 gate H8179 of Asher, H836 one H259 gate H8179 of Naphtali. H5321 It was round about H5439 eighteen H8083 H6240 thousand H505 measures: and the name H8034 of the city H5892 from that day H3117 shall be, The LORD is there. H3074
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ezekiel 45
Commentary on Ezekiel 45 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 45
Eze 45:1-25. Allotment of the Land for the Sanctuary, the City, and the Prince.
1. offer an oblation—from a Hebrew root to "heave" or "raise"; when anything was offered to God, the offerer raised the hand. The special territorial division for the tribes is given in the forty-seventh and forty-eighth chapters. Only Jehovah's portion is here subdivided into its three parts: (1) that for the sanctuary (Eze 45:2, 3); (2) that for the priests (Eze 45:4); (3) that for the Levites (Eze 45:5). Compare Eze 48:8-13.
five and twenty thousand reeds, &c.—So English Version rightly fills the ellipsis (compare Note, see on Eze 42:16). Hence "cubits" are mentioned in Eze 45:2, not here, implying that there alone cubits are meant. Taking each reed at twelve feet, the area of the whole would be a square of sixty miles on each side. The whole forming a square betokens the settled stability of the community and the harmony of all classes. "An holy portion of the land" (Eze 45:1) comprised the whole length, and only two-fifths of the breadth. The outer territory in its distribution harmonizes with the inner and more sacred arrangements of the sanctuary. No room is to be given for oppression (see Eze 45:8), all having ample provision made for their wants and comforts. All will mutually co-operate without constraint or contention.
7. The prince's possession is to consist of two halves, one on the west, the other on the east, of the sacred territory. The prince, as head of the holy community, stands in closest connection with the sanctuary; his possession, therefore, on both sides must adjoin that which was peculiarly the Lord's [Fairbairn].
12. The standard weights were lost when the Chaldeans destroyed the temple. The threefold enumeration of shekels (twenty, twenty-five, fifteen) probably refers to coins of different value, representing respectively so many shekels, the three collectively making up a maneh. By weighing these together against the maneh, a test was afforded whether they severally had their proper weight: sixty shekels in all, containing one coin a fourth of the whole (fifteen shekels), another a third (twenty shekels), another a third and a twelfth (twenty-five shekels) [Menochius]. The Septuagint reads, "fifty shekels shall be your maneh."
13-15. In these oblations there is a progression as to the relation between the kind and the quantity: of the corn, the sixth of a tenth, that is, a sixtieth part of the quantity specified; of the oil, the tenth of a tenth, that is, an hundredth part; and of the flock, one from every two hundred.
18. The year is to begin with a consecration service, not mentioned under the Levitical law; but an earnest of it is given in the feast of dedication of the second temple, which celebrated its purification by Judas Maccabeus, after its defilement by Antiochus.
20. for him that is simple—for sins of ignorance (Le 4:2, 13, 27).
21. As a new solemnity, the feast of consecration is to prepare for the passover; so the passover itself is to have different sacrifices from those of the Mosaic law. Instead of one ram and seven lambs for the daily burnt offering, there are to be seven bullocks and seven rams. So also whereas the feast of tabernacles had its own offerings, which diminished as the days of the feast advanced, here the same are appointed as on the passover. Thus it is implied that the letter of the law is to give place to its spirit, those outward rites of Judaism having no intrinsic efficacy, but symbolizing the spiritual truths of Messiah's kingdom, as for instance the perfect holiness which is to characterize it. Compare 1Co 5:7, 8, as to our spiritual "passover," wherein, at the Lord's supper, we feed on Christ by faith, accompanied with "the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." Literal ordinances, though not slavishly bound to the letter of the law, will set forth the catholic and eternal verities of Messiah's kingdom.