11 It shall be for the priests H3548 that are sanctified H6942 of the sons H1121 of Zadok; H6659 which have kept H8104 my charge, H4931 which went not astray H8582 when the children H1121 of Israel H3478 went astray, H8582 as the Levites H3881 went astray. H8582
But the priests H3548 the Levites, H3881 the sons H1121 of Zadok, H6659 that kept H8104 the charge H4931 of my sanctuary H4720 when the children H1121 of Israel H3478 went astray H8582 from me, they shall come near H7126 to me to minister H8334 unto me, and they shall stand H5975 before H6440 me to offer H7126 unto me the fat H2459 and the blood, H1818 saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD: H3069 They shall enter H935 into my sanctuary, H4720 and they shall come near H7126 to my table, H7979 to minister H8334 unto me, and they shall keep H8104 my charge. H4931
Who G5101 then G686 is G2076 a faithful G4103 and G2532 wise G5429 servant, G1401 whom G3739 his G846 lord G2962 hath made ruler G2525 over G1909 his G846 household, G2322 to give G1325 them G846 meat G5160 in G1722 due season? G2540 Blessed G3107 is that G1565 servant, G1401 whom G3739 his G846 lord G2962 when he cometh G2064 shall find G2147 so G3779 doing. G4160
I have fought G75 a good G2570 fight, G73 I have finished G5055 my course, G1408 I have kept G5083 the faith: G4102 Henceforth G3063 there is laid up G606 for me G3427 a crown G4735 of righteousness, G1343 which G3739 the Lord, G2962 the righteous G1342 judge, G2923 shall give G591 me G3427 at G1722 that G1565 day: G2250 and G1161 not G3756 to me G1698 only, G3440 but G235 unto all them G3956 also G2532 that love G25 his G846 appearing. G2015
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ezekiel 48
Commentary on Ezekiel 48 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 48
Eze 48:1-35. Allotment of the Land to the Several Tribes.
1. Dan—The lands are divided into portions of ideal exactness, running alongside of each other, the whole breadth from west to east, standing in a common relation to the temple in the center: seven tribes' portions on the north, five in the smaller division in the south. The portions of the city, the temple, the prince, and the priesthood, are in the middle, not within the boundaries of any tribe, all alike having a common interest in them. Judah has the place of honor next the center on the north, Benjamin the corresponding place of honor next the center on the south; because of the adherence of these two to the temple ordinances and to the house of David for so long, when the others deserted them. Dan, on the contrary, so long locally and morally semi-heathen (Jud 18:1-31), is to have the least honorable place, at the extreme north. For the same reason, St. John (Re 7:5-8) omits Dan altogether.
3. Asher—a tribe of which no one of note is mentioned in the Old Testament. In the New Testament one is singled out of it, the prophetess Anna.
4. Manasseh—The intercourse and unity between the two and a half tribes east of the Jordan, and the nine and a half west of it, had been much kept up by the splitting of Manasseh, causing the visits of kinsmen one to the other from both sides of the Jordan. There shall be no need for this in the new order of things.
5. Ephraim—This tribe, within its two dependent tribes, Manasseh and Benjamin, for upwards of four hundred years under the judges held the pre-eminence.
6. Reuben—doomed formerly for incest and instability "not to excel" (Ge 49:4). So no distinguished prophet, priest, or king had come from it. Of it were the notorious Dathan and Abiram, the mutineers. A pastoral and Bedouin character marked it and Gad (Jud 5:16).
15-17. The five thousand rods, apportioned to the city out of the twenty-five thousand square, are to be laid off in a square of four thousand five hundred, with the two hundred fifty all around for suburbs.
profane—that is, not strictly sacred as the sacerdotal portions, but applied to secular uses.
24. Benjamin—Compare Jacob's prophecy (Ge 49:27; De 33:12). It alone with Judah had been throughout loyal to the house of David, so its prowess at the "night" of the national history was celebrated as well as in the "morning."
25. Simeon—omitted in the blessing of Moses in De 33:1-29, perhaps because of the Simeonite "prince," who at Baal-peor led the Israelites in their idolatrous whoredoms with Midian (Nu 25:14).
26. Issachar—Its ancient portion had been on the plain of Esdraelon. Compared (Ge 49:14) to "a strong ass crouching between two burdens," that is, tribute and tillage; never meddling with wars except in self-defense.
31. gates—(Re 21:12, &c.). The twelve gates bear the names of the twelve tribes to imply that all are regarded as having an interest in it.
35. Lord is there—Jehovah-Shammah. Not that the city will be called so in mere name, but that the reality will be best expressed by this descriptive title (Jer 3:17; 33:16; Zec 2:10; Re 21:3; 22:3).