Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Ezekiel 48

What should I learn from this chapter?

The outlook for the Jewish people is dire; their city, temple, families and “set apart godliness” have been decimated. They are in captivity, forced to examine the actions of their lives which brought this calamity upon themselves.

If only man would contemplate the consequences of his sins before, and not after, the forgoing calamity.

One thing only is left – the promises of God. Ezekiel gives them hope. Not all is lost because God will not allow them to cease to exist.

Ezekiel’s contemporary is Jeremiah. Both are prophets proclaiming the Word of God.

Ezekiel the captive is in Babylon. The exiled, so called Jewish “leaders” are inquiring “What does God say?” “Is there hope?”

Daniel was the first captive, Ezekiel the second captive, and in the third and final taking of captives Jeremiah was left behind to gather the ashes.

These three prophets are asking God, “Now what?”

Daniel moans in his prayers to ask God what will become of the Jews? He receives visions of the kingdoms of the gentiles who will rule over Jerusalem until the Messiah reigns from Jerusalem.

Jeremiah is told that unless the laws that hold the heavens and earth together the Jews will never be utterly abandoned.

And to Ezekiel, God paints a detailed picture of a secure future when everything will be restored. Ezekiel 40 to 48 describes a future with a new temple and the land: yet unfulfilled.

Ezekiel 48

	TRIBE OF JACOB	SON OF WIFE/ HANDMAID OF JACOB	CITY GATE	DESCENDANTS	JACOB’S BLESSING	MOSES’ BLESSING Deuteronomy 33.6-25
1	Dan [Judge]	Bilhah (Rachel’s servant)	Eastern Gate: Dan, Joseph, Benjamin	Aholiab (the artisian) the son of Ahisamach, Samson,	Genesis 49:17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, A viper by the path, That bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall backward.	And of Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.”
2	Asher [Happy]	Zilpah (Leah’s servant)	Western Gate: Asher, Gad, Naphtali	Luke 2:36 Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;	Genesis 49:20 “Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.	And of Asher he said: “Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil. Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be.”
3	Naphtali [My wrestling]	Bilhah (Rachel’s servant)	Western Gate: Naphtali, Gad, Asher,	I Kings 7:13 Now King Solomon sent and brought Hiram/Huram from Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker; he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work.	Genesis 49:21 “Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words.	And of Naphtali he said: “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Possess the west and the south.”
4	Manasseh (Older Son of Joseph) [making forgetfulness]	Rachel’s Grandson	Represented by the Eastern Gate: Joseph, Benjamin, Dan	Gideon, Numbers 27:6 “The daughters of Zelophehad,	Gen 48:20 “By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.	Deuteronomy 33:13 And of Joseph [Increaser] he said: “Blessed of the Lord is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath, 14 With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months, 15 With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills, 16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’ 17 His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.”
5	Ephraim (Younger Son of Joseph) [fruitful, fertile, productive]	Rachel’s Grandson	Represented by the Eastern Gate: Joseph, Benjamin, Dan	Joshua, Deborah the Prophetess – forth judge of Israel, Elkanah (husband of Hannah and father of Samuel) Samuel. Jeroboam king of Israel,	Gen 48:20 “By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’ ” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.	Deuternomy 33:13 And of Joseph [Increaser] he said: “Blessed of the Lord is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath, 14 With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months, 15 With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills, 16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’ 17 His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.”
6	Reuben [See ! a son] Genesis 35:22 Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. As Jacob’s firstborn he lost his birthright. He Saved Joseph from the pit. Genesis 37:22 His birthright was given to Joseph.	Leah	Northern Gate: Reuben, Judah, Levi	Deuteronomy 11:6 Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up.	Genesis 49:3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it— He went up to my couch.	Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.
7	Judah Argued to save the life of Joseph. (from the base ie loins of Judah : The Prince, descendant of Judah likewise, the land of the city and the Prince is the base of Judah) [Yah be praised]	Leah	Northern Gate: Reuben, Judah, Levi (Note: The firstborn, the Ruler, the Priest: All descriptions of Jesus)	Caleb, Achan, King David, King Solomon, and all the kings of Judah, Bezalel, Tamar, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Mary the Mother of Jesus, Joseph the legal father of Jesus, and the Prince: Lord Jesus the Messiah.	Genesis 49:8-10 “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter (to rule) shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh (the Messiah) comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.	Deuteronomy 33:7 And this he said of Judah: “Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for him, And may You be a help against his enemies.”
8	Levi The priests. A wave offering to the Lord. (The priests who have lost their priestly position to the sons of Zadok) [join, be joined] (Note: The land of the Levites have the cities of refuge)	Leah	Northern Gate: Levi, Reuben, Judah.	Amram & Jochebed, Moses, Aaron, Rebellion Against Moses and Aaron, Numbers 16:1 Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, Phinehas, Zacharias and Elizabeth, John the Baptist.	Genesis 49:5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of violent cruelty are in their dwelling place. 6 Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel. (Note: Jacob’s name was changed to Israel) [Note: The law (levite) is cruel] (Note: the rod of Aaron is the resurrection of Jesus. The priests bear the iniquity of the sanctuary and the priesthood)	Deut 33:8 “Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one, Whom You tested at Massah, And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah, 9 Who says of his father and mother, ‘I have not seen them’; Nor did he acknowledge his brothers, Or know his own children; For they have observed Your word And kept Your covenant. 10 They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar. 11 Bless his substance, Lord, And accept the work of his hands; Strike the loins of those who rise against him, And of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”
9	Benjamin [son of my right hand]	Rachel	Eastern Gate: Benjamin, Joseph, Dan	Ehud Judge of Israel, King Saul, Mordecai and Esther, Paul the apostle,	Gen 49:27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil.”	Deut 33:12 “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders.”
10	Simeon [Hearing]	Leah	Southern Gate: Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun		Genesis 49:5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of violent cruelty are in their dwelling place. 6 Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel. Note: the law is also cruel to those who cannot keep it.
11	Issachar [man of hire (wages)]	Leah	Southern Gate: Issachar, Simeon, Zebulun	The advisors and many of the warriors of Deborah came from Issachar	Genesis 49:14-15 “Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between the sheepfolds. When he saw that a resting place was good And that the land was pleasant, He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, And became a slave at forced labor.”	Deut 33:18 “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents! 19 They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand.”
12	Zebulun [gifts, honor]	Leah	Southern Gate: Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun		Gen 49:13 “Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon.	Deut 33:18 “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents! 19 They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand.”
13	Gad [Troop; invader; good fortune] Then Leah said, “A troop comes!” So she called his name Gad. Gen 30.11 Side note: Gad was born and died on the same day, the tenth day of Cheshvan (Shemos Rabba 1: 5)	Zilpah (Leah’s servant)	Western Gate: Gad, Asher, Naphtali	Elijah was a descendant of Gad (Gen. R. lxxi.)	Gen 49:19 “Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, But he shall triumph at last.	Deut 33:20 And of Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, And tears the arm and the crown of his head. 21 He provided the first part for himself, Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there. He came with the heads of the people; He administered the justice of the Lord, And His judgments with Israel.”

Division of the Land

Ezekiel 48:¹ “Now these are the names of the tribes: From the northern border along the road to Hethlon at the entrance of Hamath, to Hazar Enan, the border of Damascus northward, in the direction of Hamath, there shall be one section for Dan from its east to its west side;

Ezekiel 48:² by the border of Dan, from the east side to the west, one section for Asher;

Ezekiel 48:³ by the border of Asher, from the east side to the west, one section for Naphtali;

Ezekiel 48:⁴ by the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, one section for Manasseh;

Ezekiel 48:⁵ by the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, one section for Ephraim;

Ezekiel 48:⁶ by the border of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, one section for Reuben;

Ezekiel 48:⁷ by the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west, one section for Judah;

Ezekiel 48:⁸ by the border of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be the district which you shall set apart, twenty-five thousand cubits (7.456 miles) in width, and in length the same as one of the other portions, from the east side to the west, with the sanctuary in the center.

Ezekiel 48:⁹ “The district that you shall set apart for the Lord shall be twenty-five thousand cubits (7.46 miles) in length and ten thousand (2.98 miles) in width.

Ezekiel 48:¹⁰ To these—to the priests—the holy district shall belong: on the north twenty-five thousand cubits (7.46 miles) in length, on the west ten thousand (2.98 miles) in width, on the east ten thousand (2.98 miles) in width, and on the south twenty-five thousand (7.46 miles) in length. The sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the center.

Ezekiel 48:¹¹ It shall be for the priests of the sons of Zadok, who are sanctified, who have kept My charge, who did not go astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.

Ezekiel 48:¹² And this district of land that is set apart shall be to them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites.

Ezekiel 48:¹³ “Opposite the border of the priests, the Levites shall have an area twenty-five thousand (7.46 miles) cubits in length and ten thousand (2.98 miles) in width; its entire length shall be twenty-five thousand (7.46 miles) and its width ten thousand (2.98 miles) . ¹⁴ And they shall not sell or exchange any of it; they may not alienate this best part of the land, for it is holy to the Lord.

Ezekiel 48:¹⁵ “The five thousand cubits (1.49 miles) in width that remain, along the edge of the twenty-five thousand, shall be for general use by the city, for dwellings and common-land; and the city shall be in the center.

Ezekiel 48:¹⁶ These shall be its measurements: the north side four thousand five hundred cubits (1.34 miles), the south side four thousand five hundred (1.34 miles), the east side four thousand five hundred (1.34 miles), and the west side four thousand five hundred (1.34 miles).

Ezekiel 48:¹⁷ The common-land of the city shall be: to the north two hundred and fifty cubits (.07 miles), to the south two hundred and fifty (.07 miles), to the east two hundred and fifty (.07 miles), and to the west two hundred and fifty (.07 miles).

Ezekiel 48:¹⁸ The rest of the length, alongside the district of the holy section, shall be ten thousand cubits (2.98 miles) to the east and ten thousand (2.98 miles) to the west. It shall be adjacent to the district of the holy section, and its produce shall be food for the workers of the city.

Ezekiel 48:¹⁹ The workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall cultivate it.

Ezekiel 48:²⁰ The entire district shall be twenty-five thousand cubits (7.46 miles) by twenty-five thousand cubits(7.46 miles), foursquare. You shall set apart the holy district with the property of the city.

Ezekiel 48:²¹ “The rest shall belong to the prince, on one side and on the other of the holy district and of the city’s property, next to the twenty-five thousand cubits (7.46 miles) of the holy district as far as the eastern border, and westward next to the twenty-five thousand (7.46 miles) as far as the western border, adjacent to the tribal portions; it shall belong to the Prince. It shall be the holy district, and the sanctuary of the temple (Lit. house) shall be in the center.

Ezekiel 48:²² Moreover, apart from the possession of the Levites and the possession of the city which are in the midst of what belongs to the prince, the area between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin shall belong to the Prince.

Ezekiel 48:²³ “As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side to the west, Benjamin shall have one section;

Ezekiel 48:²⁴ by the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, Simeon shall have one section;

Ezekiel 48:²⁵ by the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west, Issachar shall have one section;

Ezekiel 48:²⁶ by the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west, Zebulun shall have one section;

Ezekiel 48:²⁷ by the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, Gad shall have one section;

Ezekiel 48:²⁸ by the border of Gad, on the south side, toward the South (Heb. Negev), the border shall be from Tamar to the waters of Meribah (Lit. Strife) by Kadesh, along the brook to the Great Sea.

Ezekiel 48:²⁹ This is the land which you shall divide by lot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions,” says the Lord God.

The Gates of the City and Its Name

Ezekiel 48:³⁰ “These are the exits of the city. On the north side, measuring four thousand five hundred cubits (1.34 miles)

Ezekiel 48:³¹ (the gates of the city shall be named after the tribes of Israel), the three gates northward: one gate for Reuben, one gate for Judah, and one gate for Levi;

• 3 NORTHERN GATES SPECIFIED: Reuben, Judah, Levi

Ezekiel 48:³² on the east side, four thousand five hundred cubits (1.34 miles), three gates: one gate for Joseph, one gate for Benjamin, and one gate for Dan;

• 3 EASTERN GATES SPECIFIED: Joseph, Benjamin, Dan

Ezekiel 48:³³ on the south side, measuring four thousand five hundred cubits (1.34 miles), three gates: one gate for Simeon, one gate for Issachar, and one gate for Zebulun;

• 3 SOUTHERN GATES SPECIFIED: Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun

Ezekiel 48:³⁴ on the west side, four thousand five hundred cubits (1.34 miles) with their three gates: one gate for Gad, one gate for Asher, and one gate for Naphtali.

• 3 WESTERN GATES SPECIFIED: Gad, Asher, Naphtali

Ezekiel 48:³⁵ All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits (5.36 miles); and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE. (Heb. YHWH Shammah)”