11 But the miry places H1207 thereof and the marishes H1360 thereof shall not be healed; H7495 they shall be given H5414 to salt. H4417
And that the whole land H776 thereof is brimstone, H1614 and salt, H4417 and burning, H8316 that it is not sown, H2232 nor beareth, H6779 nor any grass H6212 groweth H5927 therein, like the overthrow H4114 of Sodom, H5467 and Gomorrah, H6017 Admah, H126 and Zeboim, H6636 which the LORD H3068 overthrew H2015 in his anger, H639 and in his wrath: H2534
A fruitful H6529 land H776 into barrenness, H4420 for the wickedness H7451 of them that dwell H3427 therein.
For he shall be like the heath H6199 in the desert, H6160 and shall not see H7200 when good H2896 cometh; H935 but shall inhabit H7931 the parched places H2788 in the wilderness, H4057 in a salt H4420 land H776 and not inhabited. H3427
For G1063 it is impossible G102 for those who were once G530 enlightened, G5461 and G5037 have tasted G1089 of the heavenly G2032 gift, G1431 and G2532 were made G1096 partakers G3353 of the Holy G40 Ghost, G4151 And G2532 have tasted G1089 the good G2570 word G4487 of God, G2316 and G5037 the powers G1411 of the world G165 to come, G3195 If G2532 they shall fall away, G3895 to renew them G340 again G3825 unto G1519 repentance; G3341 seeing they crucify G388 to themselves G1438 the Son G5207 of God G2316 afresh, G388 and G2532 put him to an open shame. G3856 For G1063 the earth G1093 which G3588 drinketh in G4095 the rain G5205 that cometh G2064 oft G4178 upon G1909 it, G846 and G2532 bringeth forth G5088 herbs G1008 meet G2111 for them G1565 G2532 by G1223 whom G3739 it is dressed, G1090 receiveth G3335 blessing G2129 from G575 God: G2316 But G1161 that which beareth G1627 thorns G173 and G2532 briers G5146 is rejected, G96 and G2532 is nigh G1451 unto cursing; G2671 whose G3739 end G5056 is to G1519 be burned. G2740
For G1063 if we G2257 sin G264 wilfully G1596 after G3326 that we have received G2983 the knowledge G1922 of the truth, G225 there remaineth G620 no more G3765 sacrifice G2378 for G4012 sins, G266 But G1161 a certain G5100 fearful G5398 looking for G1561 of judgment G2920 and G2532 fiery G4442 indignation, G2205 which shall G3195 devour G2068 the adversaries. G5227 He G5100 that despised G114 Moses' G3475 law G3551 died G599 without G5565 mercy G3628 under G1909 two G1417 or G2228 three G5140 witnesses: G3144 Of how much G4214 sorer G5501 punishment, G5098 suppose ye, G1380 shall he be thought worthy, G515 who G3588 hath trodden under foot G2662 the Son G5207 of God, G2316 and G2532 hath counted G2233 the blood G129 of the covenant, G1242 wherewith G3739 G1722 he was sanctified, G37 an unholy thing, G2839 and G2532 hath done despite G1796 unto the Spirit G4151 of grace? G5485 For G1063 we know G1492 him that hath said, G2036 Vengeance G1557 belongeth unto me, G1698 I G1473 will recompense, G467 saith G3004 the Lord. G2962 And G2532 again, G3825 The Lord G2962 shall judge G2919 his G846 people. G2992 It is a fearful thing G5398 to fall G1706 into G1519 the hands G5495 of the living G2198 God. G2316
While they promise G1861 them G846 liberty, G1657 they themselves G846 are G5225 the servants G1401 of corruption: G5356 for G1063 of whom G3739 a man G5100 is overcome, G2274 G2532 of the same G5129 is he brought in bondage. G1402 For G1063 if G1487 after they have escaped G668 the pollutions G3393 of the world G2889 through G1722 the knowledge G1922 of the Lord G2962 and G2532 Saviour G4990 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 they are G1707 again G3825 entangled G1707 therein, G5125 and G1161 overcome, G1096 G2274 the latter end G2078 is worse G5501 with them G846 than the beginning. G4413 For G1063 it had been G2258 better G2909 for them G846 not G3361 to have known G1921 the way G3598 of righteousness, G1343 than, G2228 after they have known G1921 it, to turn G1994 from G1537 the holy G40 commandment G1785 delivered G3860 unto them. G846 But G1161 it is happened G4819 unto them G846 according to G3588 the true G227 proverb, G3942 The dog G2965 is turned G1994 to G1909 his own G2398 vomit G1829 again; G1994 and G2532 the sow G5300 that was washed G3068 to G1519 her wallowing G2946 in the mire. G1004
But G1161 the fearful, G1169 and G2532 unbelieving, G571 and G2532 the abominable, G948 and G2532 murderers, G5406 and G2532 whoremongers, G4205 and G2532 sorcerers, G5332 and G2532 idolaters, G1496 and G2532 all G3956 liars, G5571 shall have their G846 part G3313 in G1722 the lake G3041 which G3588 burneth G2545 with fire G4442 and G2532 brimstone: G2303 which is G3603 the second G1208 death. G2288
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ezekiel 47
Commentary on Ezekiel 47 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 47
Eze 47:1-23. Vision of the Temple Waters. Borders and Division of The land.
The happy fruit to the earth at large of God's dwelling with Israel in holy fellowship is that the blessing is no longer restricted to the one people and locality, but is to be diffused with comprehensive catholicity through the whole world. So the plant from the cedar of Lebanon is represented as gathering under its shelter "all fowl of every wing" (Eze 17:23). Even the desert places of the earth shall be made fruitful by the healing waters of the Gospel (compare Isa 35:1).
1. waters—So Re 22:1, represents "the water of life as proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." His throne was set up in the temple at Jerusalem (Eze 43:7). Thence it is to flow over the earth (Joe 3:18; Zec 13:1; 14:8). Messiah is the temple and the door; from His pierced side flow the living waters, ever increasing, both in the individual believer and in the heart. The fountains in the vicinity of Moriah suggested the image here. The waters flow eastward, that is, towards the Kedron, and thence towards the Jordan, and so along the Ghor into the Dead Sea. The main point in the picture is the rapid augmentation from a petty stream into a mighty river, not by the influx of side streams, but by its own self-supply from the sacred miraculous source in the temple [Henderson]. (Compare Ps 36:8, 9; 46:4; Isa 11:9; Hab 2:14). Searching into the things of God, we find some easy to understand, as the water up to the ankles; others more difficult, which require a deeper search, as the waters up to the knees or loins; others beyond our reach, of which we can only adore the depth (Ro 11:33). The healing of the waters of the Dead Sea here answers to "there shall be no more curse" (Re 22:3; compare Zec 14:11).
7. trees—not merely one tree of life as in Paradise (Ge 3:22), but many: to supply immortal food and medicine to the people of God, who themselves also become "trees of righteousness" (Isa 61:3) planted by the waters and (Ps 1:3) bearing fruit unto holiness.
8. the desert—or "plain," Hebrew, Arabah (De 3:17; 4:49; Jos 3:16), which is the name still given to the valley of the Jordan and the plain south of the Dead Sea, and extending to the Elanitic gulf of the Red Sea.
the sea—the Dead Sea. "The sea" noted as covering with its waters the guilty cities of the plain, Sodom and Gomorrah. In its bituminous waters no vegetable or animal life is said to be found. But now death is to give place to life in Judea, and throughout the world, as symbolized by the healing of these death-pervaded waters covering the doomed cities. Compare as to "the sea" in general, regarded as a symbol of the troubled powers of nature, disordered by the fall, henceforth to rage no more, Re 21:1.
9. rivers—in Hebrew, "two rivers." Hence Hebrew expositors think that the waters from the temple were divided into two branches, the one emptying itself into the eastern or Dead Sea, the other into the western or Mediterranean. So Zec 14:8. However, though this probably is covertly implied in the Hebrew dual, the flowing of the waters into the Dead Sea only is expressed. Compare Eze 47:8, "waters … healed," which can apply only to it, not to the Mediterranean: also Eze 47:10, "fish as the fish of the great sea"; the Dead Sea, when healed, containing fish, as the Mediterranean does.
10. En-gedi … En-eglaim—En-gedi (meaning "fountain of the kid"), anciently, Hazazon-Tamar, now Ain-Jidy; west of the Dead Sea; David's place of refuge from Saul. En-eglaim means "fountain of two calves," on the confines of Moab, over against En-gedi, and near where Jordan enters the Dead Sea (Isa 15:8). These two limits are fixed on, to comprise between them the whole Dead Sea.
fish … according to their kinds—Jerome quotes an ancient theory that "there are a hundred fifty-three kinds of fishes," all of which were taken by the apostles (Joh 21:11), and not one remained uncaptured; signifying that both the noble and baseborn, the rich and the poor, and every class, are being drawn out of the sea of the world to salvation. Compare Mt 13:47, the gospel net; the apostles being fishermen, at first literally, afterwards spiritually (Mt 4:19).
11. marshes—marshy places. The region is known to have such pits and marshes. The Arabs take the salt collected by evaporation in these pits for their own use, and that of their flocks.
not be healed—Those not reached by the healing waters of the Gospel, through their sloth and earthly-mindedness, are given over (Re 22:11) to their own bitterness and barrenness (as "saltness" is often employed to express, De 29:23; Ps 107:34; Zep 2:9); an awful example to others in the punishment they suffer (2Pe 2:6).
12. Instead of the "vine of Sodom and grapes of Gomorrah" (De 32:32), nauseous and unwholesome, trees of life-giving and life-restoring virtue shall bloom similar in properties to, and exceeding in number, the tree of life in Eden (Re 2:7; 22:2, 14).
leaf … not fade—expressing not only the unfailing character of the heavenly medicine of the tree of life, but also that the graces of the believer (as a tree of righteousness), which are the leaves, and his deeds, which are the fruits that flow from those graces, are immortal (Ps 1:3; Jer 17:8; Mt 10:42; 1Co 15:58).
new fruit—literally, "firstlings," or first fruit. They are still, each month afresh, as it were, yielding their first-fruit [Fairbairn]. The first-born of a thing, in Hebrew idiom, means the chiefest. As Job 18:13, "the first-born of death," that is, the most fatal death.
13. The redivision of the land: the boundaries. The latter are substantially the same as those given by Moses in Nu 34:1-29; they here begin with the north, but in Numbers they begin with the south (Nu 34:3). It is only Canaan proper, exclusive of the possession of the two and a half tribes beyond Jordan, that is here divided.
Joseph … two portions—according to the original promise of Jacob (Ge 48:5, 22). Joseph's sons were given the birthright forfeited by Reuben, the first-born (1Ch 5:1). Therefore the former is here put first. His two sons having distinct portions make up the whole number twelve portions, as he had just before specified "twelve tribes of Israel"; for Levi had no separate inheritance, so that he is not reckoned in the twelve.
15. Zedad—on the north boundary of Canaan.
16. Hamath—As Israel was a separate people, so their land was a separate land. On no scene could the sacred history have been so well transacted as on it. On the east was the sandy desert. On the north and south, mountains. On the west, an inhospitable sea-shore. But it was not always to be a separate land. Between the parallel ranges of Lebanon is the long valley of El-Bekaa, leading to "the entering in of Hamath" on the Orontes, in the Syrian frontier. Roman roads, and the harbor made at Cæsarea, opened out doors through which the Gospel should go from it to all lands. So in the last days, when all shall flock to Jerusalem as the religious center of the world.
Berothah—a city in Syria conquered by David (2Sa 8:8); meaning "wells."
Hazar-hatticon—meaning "the middle village."
Hauran—a tract in Syria, south of Damascus; Auranitis.
17. Hazar-enan—a town in the north of Canaan, meaning "village of fountains."
18. east sea—the Dead Sea. The border is to go down straight to it by the valley of the Jordan. So Nu 34:11, 12.
19. Tamar—not Tadmor in the desert, but Tamar, the last town of Judea, by the Dead Sea. Meaning "palm tree"; so called from palm trees abounding near it.
22. to the strangers—It is altogether unprecedented under the old covenant, that "strangers" should have "inheritance" among the tribes. There would not be room locally within Canaan for more than the tribes. The literal sense must therefore be modified, as expressing that Gentiles are not to be excluded from settling among the covenant-people, and that spiritually their privileges are not to be less than those of Israel (Ro 10:12; Ga 3:28; Eph 3:6; Col 3:11; Re 7:9, 10). Still, "sojourneth," in Eze 47:23, implies that in Canaan, the covenant people are regarded as at home, the strangers as settlers.