But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. But the swamps and marshesThe Hebrew words for "swamps" (בִּצּוֹת, "bitzot") and "marshes" (גֵּבֵי, "gevei") refer to areas of stagnant water, often associated with unproductiveness and desolation. In the context of Ezekiel's vision, these areas contrast with the life-giving waters flowing from the temple. Historically, swamps and marshes were seen as places of decay and danger, often avoided by travelers. Spiritually, they symbolize areas of life resistant to the transformative power of God's presence. This imagery serves as a reminder of the necessity of allowing God's living water to flow freely in our lives, avoiding spiritual stagnation. will not become fresh
The phrase "will not become fresh" indicates a deliberate exclusion from the miraculous transformation described in the surrounding verses. The Hebrew root for "fresh" (חָפָר, "chafar") implies renewal and purification. In the broader biblical narrative, water often symbolizes cleansing and new life, as seen in baptism and the living water offered by Christ. The refusal of these areas to become fresh suggests a resistance to divine renewal, highlighting the consequences of rejecting God's grace and the importance of remaining open to His transformative work. they will be left for salt
Salt, in biblical times, had multiple uses: as a preservative, a purifying agent, and a symbol of covenant (e.g., the "salt of the covenant" in Leviticus 2:13). However, in this context, being "left for salt" suggests desolation and barrenness. The Dead Sea, known for its high salinity, serves as a geographical and symbolic reference point. Spiritually, this phrase warns of the dangers of spiritual barrenness and the consequences of resisting God's life-giving presence. Yet, it also serves as a call to repentance and renewal, reminding believers of the hope and restoration available through Christ, who calls us to be the "salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13), preserving and purifying the world through His love and truth. Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet and priest during the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel receives visions from God, including the vision of the river flowing from the temple. 2. The RiverSymbolizes the life-giving presence of God, flowing from the temple and bringing life wherever it goes. 3. Swamps and MarshesAreas that remain salty and do not become fresh, representing places that are not transformed by the river. 4. The TempleThe source of the river, symbolizing God's dwelling place and His presence among His people. 5. The VisionPart of a larger vision of restoration and renewal for Israel, showing God's power to bring life and transformation. Teaching Points The Transformative Power of God's PresenceGod's presence brings life and transformation, as seen in the river that turns saltwater fresh. Believers are called to seek and dwell in God's presence for personal renewal. The Reality of Judgment and ConsequencesThe swamps and marshes that remain salty serve as a reminder of areas in life resistant to God's transforming power. This calls for self-examination and repentance. The Call to Be Salt and LightJust as salt preserves and flavors, Christians are called to influence the world positively. This involves living out the gospel and being agents of change in society. The Hope of RestorationEzekiel's vision points to the ultimate restoration and renewal that God promises. Believers can find hope in God's plan to restore all things through Christ. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the imagery of the river in Ezekiel 47:11 relate to the concept of spiritual renewal in your life? 2. In what ways can you identify "swamps and marshes" in your own spiritual journey, and how can you invite God's transformative power into those areas? 3. How does the role of salt in biblical times enhance your understanding of Jesus' call to be the salt of the earth? 4. What parallels can you draw between Ezekiel's vision and the description of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 22? 5. How can the hope of restoration and renewal in Ezekiel's vision encourage you in your current circumstances? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 19The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, where salt is a symbol of judgment and desolation. Matthew 5Jesus' teaching on being the salt of the earth, highlighting the role of believers in preserving and influencing the world. Revelation 22The river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God, paralleling the life-giving river in Ezekiel's vision. Psalm 1The contrast between the righteous, who are like trees planted by streams of water, and the wicked, who are not sustained by God's life-giving presence. People Amos, Enan, Ezekiel, Israelites, Joseph, TamarPlaces Arabah, Berothah, Brook of Egypt, Damascus, Eneglaim, Engedi, Gilead, Great Sea, Hamath, Hauran, Hazar-enan, Hazer-hatticon, Hethlon, Jordan River, Lebo-hamath, Meribah-kadesh, Most Holy Place, Sibraim, Tamar, ZedadTopics Fresh, Healed, Marishes, Marshes, Marshy, Miry, Places, Pools, Salt, Swamps, Sweet, Thereof, WetDictionary of Bible Themes Ezekiel 47:11 4357 salt Ezekiel 47:1-12 3290 Holy Spirit, life-giver
5059 rest, eternal Ezekiel 47:6-11 4306 minerals Library The River of Life
Waters issued out from under the threshold of the house ... EZEKIEL xlvii. 1. Unlike most great cities, Jerusalem was not situated on a great river. True, the inconsiderable waters of Siloam--'which flow softly' because they were so inconsiderable--rose from a crevice in the Temple rock, and beneath that rock stretched the valley of the Kedron, dry and bleached in the summer, and a rainy torrent during the rainy seasons; but that was all. So, many of the prophets, who looked forward to the better …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture"And the Redeemer Shall Come unto Zion, and unto them that Turn,"
Isaiah lix. 20.--"And the Redeemer shall come unto Zion, and unto them that turn," &c. Doctrines, as things, have their seasons and times. Every thing is beautiful in its season. So there is no word of truth, but it hath a season and time in which it is beautiful. And indeed that is a great part of wisdom, to bring forth everything in its season, to discern when and where, and to whom it is pertinent and edifying, to speak such and such truths. But there is one doctrine that is never out of season, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning The Coast of the Asphaltites, the Essenes. En-Gedi.
"On the western shore" (of the Asphaltites) "dwell the Essenes; whom persons, guilty of any crimes, fly from on every side. A nation it is that lives alone, and of all other nations in the whole world, most to be admired; they are without any woman; all lust banished, &c. Below these, was the town Engadda, the next to Jerusalem for fruitfulness, and groves of palm-trees, now another burying-place. From thence stands Massada, a castle in a rock, and this castle not far from the Asphaltites." Solinus, …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica Fresh Supplies of Power.
"As the Dew." There is another very important bit needed to complete the circle of truth we are going over together in these quiet talks. Namely, the daily life after the act of surrender and all that comes with that act. The steady pull day by day. After the eagle-flight up into highest air, and the hundred yards dash, or even the mile run, comes the steady, steady walking mile after mile. The real test of life is here. And the highest victories are here, too. I recall the remark made by a friend …
S.D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on Power The Holy City; Or, the New Jerusalem:
WHEREIN ITS GOODLY LIGHT, WALLS, GATES, ANGELS, AND THE MANNER OF THEIR STANDING, ARE EXPOUNDED: ALSO HER LENGTH AND BREADTH, TOGETHER WITH THE GOLDEN MEASURING-REED EXPLAINED: AND THE GLORY OF ALL UNFOLDED. AS ALSO THE NUMEROUSNESS OF ITS INHABITANTS; AND WHAT THE TREE AND WATER OF LIFE ARE, BY WHICH THEY ARE SUSTAINED. 'Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.'-Psalm 87:3 'And the name of the city from that day shall be, THE LORD IS THERE.'-Ezekiel 48:35 London: Printed in the year 1665 …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Iranian Conquest
Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration: …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 The Gospel Feast
"When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come unto Him, He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?"--John vi. 5. After these words the Evangelist adds, "And this He said to prove him, for He Himself knew what He would do." Thus, you see, our Lord had secret meanings when He spoke, and did not bring forth openly all His divine sense at once. He knew what He was about to do from the first, but He wished to lead forward His disciples, and to arrest and …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII Kadesh. Rekam, and that Double. Inquiry is Made, Whether the Doubling it in the Maps is Well Done.
The readers of the eastern interpreters will observe, that Kadesh is rendered by all Rekam, or in a sound very near it. In the Chaldee, it is 'Rekam': in the Syriac, 'Rekem': in the Arabic, 'Rakim'... There are two places noted by the name Rekam in the very bounds of the land,--to wit, the southern and eastern: that is, a double Kadesh. I. Of Kadesh, or Rekam, in the south part, there is no doubt. II. Of it, in the eastern part, there is this mention: "From Rekam to the east, and Rekam is as the …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Prophet Joel.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. The position which has been assigned to Joel in the collection of the Minor Prophets, furnishes an external argument for the determination of the time at which Joel wrote. There cannot be any doubt that the Collectors were guided by a consideration of the chronology. The circumstance, that they placed the prophecies of Joel just between the two prophets who, according to the inscriptions and contents of their prophecies, belonged to the time of Jeroboam and Uzziah, is …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Ezekiel 47:11 NIVEzekiel 47:11 NLTEzekiel 47:11 ESVEzekiel 47:11 NASBEzekiel 47:11 KJV
Ezekiel 47:11 Commentaries
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