Ch. 47 The stream that issued from the temple

The chapter contains two parts:—

(1) Ezekiel 47:1-12. The stream issuing from the temple, that fertilized the desert and sweetened the waters of the Dead Sea.

(2) Ezekiel 47:13-23. The boundaries of the holy land; and the privileges of strangers attaching themselves to the tribes.

1. From the outer court (Ezekiel 46:23) the prophet was brought again to the door of the house. There he saw waters issuing from beneath the threshold on the right, that is the south side, which flowed east, passing the altar on the south side.

1–12. The river issuing from the temple. The prophet saw a stream issuing from beneath the threshold of the house, which pursued its way eastward, passing the altar on the south side and emerging into the open on the right hand of the outer east gate. A thousand cubits from the gate the waters were ankle deep, but speedily they became a river so deep that it could be crossed only by swimming (Ezekiel 47:3-5). A luxuriant nature attended the course of the stream; trees grew on every side, ever green and with unfailing fruit, the leaves of which possessed a healing virtue (Ezekiel 47:7; Ezekiel 47:12). The desert place to the east became transformed, and the bitter waters of the Dead Sea into which the river flowed were made sweet, and swarmed with life like the great sea on the west. Fishermen peopled the shores from En-gedi to En-eglaim; only the marshes by the seaside remained salt (Ezekiel 47:6-12).

2. The eastern gates being shut (Ezekiel 44:2, Ezekiel 46:1) the prophet is led put by the N. gate, round to the outer E. gate, at which he beheld the stream emerge into the open at the S. side of the gate.

by the way that looketh] which looketh, viz. the gate.

3. A thousand cubits from the place of emergence the waters were ankle deep.

4, 5. Successive measurements shewed a depth to the knees, the loins, and finally an impassable river. The word rendered “river” is the usual one for “brook” or wady, viz. a stream with its valley or gorge.

6. to the brink] Perhaps: along the brink. River is brook or wady as Ezekiel 47:5.

7. Both banks of the wady, as is everywhere seen, were covered with trees.

8. The direction of the stream was eastward, towards the region which is desert, and towards the Dead Sea.

the east country] lit. circle, or, district, the same word as Galilee (Isaiah 9:1). Cf. Joshua 22:10-11, “the circuits of the Jordan.”

unto the desert] the Arabah, what is now called the Ghor, the depression of the Jordan valley, the Dead Sea, and southward as far as the gulf of Akaba; Deuteronomy 1:1; Deuteronomy 3:17; Joshua 18:18. The “sea” into which the waters flow is the Dead Sea.

brought forth into the sea] The construction is difficult. For “into the sea” LXX. read “the waters.” This would necessitate a further change: into the sea, unto the bitter waters, and the waters, &c.; so Corn. after Syr., putrid waters.

9. every thing … moveth] every living: creature which swarmeth (or, creepeth). The word is used of the smaller animals, particularly the smaller aquatic creatures—these shall come to life and swarm in the waters of the Dead Sea. This sea is entirely destitute of life.

the rivers shall come] lit. the two rivers. The dual is difficult to explain; LXX. sing. The representation is different in Zechariah 14:8, where one stream goes to the Dead Sea and another to the western sea.

because these waters] with different interpunction: multitude of fish; for when these waters come thither they (the waters of the sea) shall be healed and there shall be life, whithersoever the river cometh.

10. En-gedi, the modern Ain Jidy, kid’s well, situated about the middle of the west shore of the Dead Sea. En-eglaim has not been identified; it probably lay N. toward the mouth of the Jordan. It has been supposed to be Ain Feshkah, Robinson ii. 489. The word differs in spelling from Eglaim, Isaiah 15:8, which probably lay to the south of the sea.

11. The marshes around the sea shall not be sweetened, but left as beds for digging salt. The saltness of the Dead Sea is due to the strata of salt rocks which surround it.

12. according to his months] every month. For issued, issue. The fruit of these trees shall not “be consumed” i.e. fail; it shall renew itself every month, and the leaves shall be ever green and possess a healing virtue. Psalm 1:3; Revelation 22:2.

This beautiful representation of the healing stream, issuing from the temple and fertilizing the desert as well as changing the bitter waters of the Dead Sea into sweet, so that they yield abundant sustenance to men, rests on some natural and some spiritual conceptions common in Ezekiel’s days. One natural fact was this, that there was a fountain connected with the temple-hill, the waters of which fell into the valley east of the city and made their way towards the sea; and long ere this time the gentle waters of this brook, that flowed fast by the oracle of God, had furnished symbols to the prophets (Isaiah 8:6). Such waters in the east are the source of every blessing to men. The religious conceptions are such as these: that Jehovah himself is the giver of all blessings to men, and from his presence all blessings flow. He was now present in his fulness and for ever in his temple. Hence the prophet sees the life-giving stream issue from the sanctuary. Another current idea was that in the regeneration of men, when the tabernacle of God was with them, external nature would also be transfigured. Then every good would be enjoyed and there would be no more evil nor curse. The desert would blossom like the rose, and the field that aforetime was thought fruitful should be accounted no better than bush. The barren land toward the east and the bitter waters of the sea were a contradiction to the ideal of an external nature subservient in all her parts to man in the fellowship of God. Therefore the desert shall be fertilized and the waters of the sea healed, and all things minister to man’s good. But “good” to the Israelite was not exclusively spiritual, it was also material. It would be an error to regard this fertilizing, healing stream in the light of a mere symbol for blessings which we call “spiritual.” It is well fitted in other connexions to be such a symbol; but to take it so here would be to overstep the limits of the Old Testament and anticipate a later revelation. As yet the Israelite had no conception of a transcendent sphere of existence for men in the fellowship of God, such as we name heaven. Man’s final abode even in his perfect state was considered to be still on the earth. God came down and dwelt with men; men were not translated to abide with God. But God’s presence with men on earth gave to earth the attributes of heaven. Yet man’s needs remained, and God’s presence was the source of all things necessary to supply them. When he had the needful blessings the Israelite saw in them the tokens and the sacraments of God’s favour and presence with him; and conversely when God was near him he was assured that he should want no good thing (Psalm 34:9).

13. The tribe of Joseph, being composed of two great families, shall have “portions,” i.e. two lots (perhaps dual should be read). There still remained twelve tribes, therefore, even when Levi was provided for by the sacred Terumah or oblation.

13–21. The boundaries of the new holy land

On the east the boundary shall be the Jordan from Hazar Enon on the north to the salt sea on the south, for in the time of restitution the promised land shall be confined to Palestine west of the Jordan, according to the oath sworn by God unto the fathers (Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15; Genesis 17:8; Genesis 28:13). On the west the boundary shall be the Mediterranean sea. The boundaries on the N. and S. are particularly defined, the towns being mentioned by which they run, but the places named are mostly unknown. The boundaries are in the main the same as those laid down in Numbers 34.

15. The northern border. The two ends of the line of delimitation on the N. are the great sea on the west and Hazar Enon on the east. The line passes from west to east, bending, towards its termination at least, towards S.E. In its way it skirts the territory of Hamath and that of Damascus.

as men go to Zedad] In Ezekiel 47:20 and Ezekiel 48:1 the reading is “as one goeth to Hamath,” a frequent phrase, sometimes rendered “the entering into Hamath” (Joshua 13:5), or “the entering in of Hamath” (Jdg 3:3; 1 Kings 8:65), or “the entrance of Hamath” (Numbers 34:8). In 1 Kings 8:65 the phrase seems to mean the southern boundary of Hamath. Unfortunately the point on the western sea from which the line starts is not specified, as the situation of Hethlon is unknown. The entrance to Hamath must be either the mouth of the Bukâ’, the great plain between the Libanus on the W. and the Anti-libanus on the E., by which one goes N. to Hamath, or it must be the plain between the North end of the Libanus and the Nusairîyeh mountains, opening from the sea and running east. This would throw the boundary-line north of Tripoli, and south of Arvad. In Joshua 13:5, the land of the Giblites, i.e. Gebal (Byblus) to the N. of Beirut, is regarded as part of Israel’s possession. In Numbers 34:8, where the northern boundary is described, the reading is the “entrance of Hamath,” Zedad being mentioned afterwards. Except in 1 Chronicles 5:9 the phrase is only used of Hamath. Following Ezekiel 48:1, and Numbers 34:8, the place of Zedad and Hamath may be changed, as LXX. also seems to have read Hamath before Zedad.—15 “And this shall be the boundary of the land: on the N. side, from the great sea by the way of Hethlon, where the way goeth unto Hamath, by Zedad, 16 Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath, even unto Hazar-hattikon, which is by the border of Hauran.” If we could suppose the entry to Hamath not the southern one by the plain of Cœle Syria, but the western one from the sea to the N. of Tripoli, Hethlon might be the modern Heitela (Robinson’s Map, 1852). Zedad has been supposed to be Sadad, S. of Emesa (Homs) and not far from Riblah. With Berotha, cf. Berothai, 2 Samuel 8:8. In Numbers 34:9 Ziphran seems to occupy the place of Sibraim here. In Numb, the line appears to run E. as far as Zedad, and then to change its direction to the S. till it ends at Hazar Enan.

17. The verse repeats and sums up Ezekiel 47:15-16, with special reference to the countries lying on the N. of the northern border of Israel. In Ezekiel 47:17 Hazar Enon is named as the extremity of the Northern boundary, in Ezekiel 47:16 Hazar hattikon (the middle Hazar). The places must be identical, whether hattikon be a misreading or not. LXX. reads Saunan, Cod. Alex. Eunan, and in Ezekiel 48:1, Numbers 34:9, Enon here is spelled Enan. In Ezekiel 47:16 the place is said to be on the border of Hauran. Ezekiel 47:17 may read: “and so the border shall be from the sea to Hazar Enon on the border of Damascus, and north northwards the border of Hamath: this is the north side” (reading this as Ezekiel 47:20 and possibly with omission of and before “border of Hamath,” words wanting in LXX.). The boundary is first stated generally as going from the sea to Hazar Enan, and then in the contrary direction north, Hamath being the country to the N. It is not certain that Hauran is the district now so called, but it is probable. Wetzstein (Del. Psalms iii. 439, Eaton’s Trans.), identifies the village of Haḍar at the East foot of Hermon with Hazar Enan. In all likelihood the end of the boundary line is hereabouts; in Deuteronomy 3:8 Hermon is the northernmost point of conquest, and Ezek. would probably follow this. The northern boundary followed an easterly course from the sea, Hamath lying on the N., then a southerly course having Damascus on the E., till it terminated at Hazar Enon between Damascus and Hauran. But at what point of the sea it started, and in what latitude the line to the east ran is obscure. The identifications of Hethlon with Heitela and of Zedad with Sadad would give the latitude of Emesa (Homs), which is very far north; see Porter, Five Years in Damascus, 11. 354 seq. and map. More likely the prophet fancied the starting-point on the W. to be about Tyre.

18. The eastern border.

In Ezekiel 47:16 the eastmost point of the north border was said to be Hazar Enon on the border of Hauran. The E. boundary will therefore start from this point. The verse may read: “and the east side: from between Hauran and Damascus, between Gilead and the land of Israel shall be the Jordan, from the (north) boundary to the eastern sea, even unto Tamar; this is the east side.” The line starts from Hazar Enon, a place lying where Damascus and Hauran adjoin one another (Ezekiel 47:16). Instead of Hazar Enon, however, the point of contact between Damascus and Hauran is named as the starting-point (for the last two umibben read ben and uben). From this point the line runs south; its course is the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel. The order Hauran, Damascus, Gilead is entirely incomprehensible (for Hauran lay S. of Damascus) if R.V. be followed. The phrase “ye shall measure” is no doubt a misspelling for “unto Tamar” (LXX. Syr., d for r), from which the southern border starts in Ezekiel 47:19. Tamar probably lay S. of the Dead Sea. The Onomasticon (Ed. Lagarde, p. 85) says: one day’s journey from Mampsis as you go to Aelia (?Elath) from Hebron. Robinson identifies Mampsis with Malatha, in his view el Milḥ.

19. The southern boundary. Read: “and the southside southward: from Tamar on to the waters of Meriboth-Kadesh, to the brook (of Egypt), and unto the great sea; this is the south side southward.” The delimitation on the S. is more fully described Numbers 34:3-5; Joshua 15:1-4. There Kadesh is called Kadesh-Barnea, here Meriboth Kadesh (elsewhere Meribah), i.e. waters of strife of Kadesh, Numbers 27:14. The brook of Egypt is the Wady el Arish. The line striking this brook follows its course to the sea.

20. The western boundary—“and the west side: the great sea, from the (south) border as far as over against where one goeth unto Hamath; this is the west side.”

21–23. The land so bounded shall be divided equally among the tribes; and strangers sojourning in Israel shall inherit just as those born in the land. The stranger shall have his inheritance among the members of the tribe in which he sojourns.