Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 48:31
And the gates of the city [shall be] after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.
31. The measurement proceeds from W. to E. The gate Reuben was thus the westmost on the north of the city; Judah in the centre and Levi towards the east.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
So then it is probable these gates were built at equal distance from the corners and from each other.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
31. gates (Re21:12, &c.). The twelve gates bear the names of the twelvetribes to imply that all are regarded as having an interest in it.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the gates of the city shall be after names of the tribes of Israel,…. According to number of them, twelve, and called by their names; the names of the several tribes being written on them; see
Re 21:12, this shows that all true Israelites indeed, Israel not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, have a right of entrance into, and communion with, the church of God; even the whole Israel of God, whom he has chosen for himself; Christ has redeemed by his blood, and the Spirit calls by his grace, and sanctifies; these are all, be they Jews or Gentiles, fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God: these gates, though twelve, with respect to the twelve tribes that enter in at them, and the twelve apostles of the Lamb that direct unto them, and whose doctrine they embrace and profess that go in by them; yet are but one in the main, which is Christ, faith in him, and a profession of it, and a professed subjection to his Gospel and ordinances, Joh 10:1:
three gates northward; for those that lay on that side to enter in at:
one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, and one gate of Levi: these tribes, and so the rest, were not placed according to their encampment about the tabernacle in the wilderness, or as they were placed by Joshua in the land of Canaan; which shows that the tribes literally considered are not intended. Levi had a gate, though it had not a portion in the manner the other tribes had.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| The Plan of the City. | B. C. 574. |
31 And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi. 32 And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan. 33 And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun. 34 At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali. 35 It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.
We have here a further account of the city that should be built for the metropolis of this glorious land, and to be the receptacle of those who would come from all parts to worship in the sanctuary adjoining. It is nowhere called Jerusalem, nor is the land which we have had such a particular account of the dividing of any where called the land of Canaan; for the old names are forgotten, to intimate that the old things are done away, behold all things have become new. Now, concerning this city, observe here, 1. The measures of its out-lets, and the grounds belonging to it, for its several conveniences; each way its appurtenances extended 4500 measures 18,000 in all, v. 35. But what these measures were is uncertain. It is never said, in all this chapter, whether so many reeds (as our translation determines by inserting that word, v. 8, each reed containing six cubits and span, ch. xl. 5, and why should the measurer appear with the measuring reed in his hand of that length if he did not measure with that, except where it is expressly said he measured by cubits?) or whether, as others think, it is so many cubits, because those are mentioned Eze 45:2; Eze 47:3. Yet that makes me incline rather to think that where cubits are not mentioned must be intended so many lengths of the measuring reed. But those who understand it of so many cubits are not agreed whether it be meant of the common cubit, which was half a yard, or the geometrical cubit, which, for better expedition, is supposed to be mostly used in surveying lands, which, some say, contained six cubits, others about three cubits and a half, so making 1000 cubits the same with 1000 paces, that is, an English mile. But our being left at this uncertainty is an intimation that these things are to be understood spiritually, and that what is principally meant is that there is an exact and just proportion observed by Infinite Wisdom in modelling the gospel church, which though now we cannot discern we shall when we come to heaven. 2. The number of its gates. It had twelve gates in all, three on each side, which was very agreeable when it lay four square; and these twelve gates were inscribed to the twelve tribes. Because the city was to be served out of all the tribes of Israel (v. 19) it was fit that each tribe should have its gate; and, Levi being here taken in, to keep to the number twelve Ephraim and Manasseh are made one in Joseph, v. 32. On the north side were the gates of Reuben, Judah, and Levi (v. 31), on the east the gates of Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan (v. 32), on the south the gates of Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun (v. 33), and on the west the gates of Gad, Asher, and Naphtali, v. 34. Conformable to this, in St. John’s vision, the new Jerusalem (for so the holy city is called there, though not here) has twelve gates, three on a side, and on them are written the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel,Rev 21:12; Rev 21:13. Note, Into the church of Christ, both militant and triumphant, there is a free access by faith for all that come of every tribe, from every quarter. Christ has opened the kingdom of heaven for all believers. Whoever will may come and take of the water of life, of the tree of life, freely. 3. The name given to this city: From that day, when it shall be newly-erected according to this model, the name of it shall be, not, as before, Jerusalem–The vision of peace, but which is the original of that, and more than equivalent to it, Jehovah Shammah–The Lord is there, v. 35. This intimated, (1.) That the captives, after their return, should have manifest tokens of God’s presence with them and his residence among them, both in his ordinances and his providences. They shall have no occasion to ask, as their fathers did, Is the Lord among us, or is he not? for they shall see and say that he is with them of a truth. And then, though their troubles were many and threatening, they were like the bush which burned but was not consumed, because the Lord was there. But when God departed from their temple, when he said, Migremus hinc–Let us go hence, their house was soon left unto them desolate. Being no longer his, it was not much longer theirs. (2.) That the gospel-church should likewise have the presence of God in it, though not in the Shechinah, as of old, yet in a token of it no less sure, that of his Spirit. Where the gospel is faithfully preached, gospel ordinances are duly administered, and God is worshipped in the name of Jesus Christ only, it may truly be said, The Lord is there; for faithful is he that has said, and he will be as good as his word, Lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world. The Lord is there in his church, to rule and govern it, to protect and defend it, and graciously to accept and own his sincere worshippers, and to be nigh unto them in all that they call upon him for. This should engage us to keep close to the communion of saints, for the Lord is there; and then whither shall we go to better ourselves? Nay, it is true of every good Christian; he dwells in God, and God in him; whatever soul has in it a living principle of grace, it may be truly said, The Lord is There. (3.) That the glory and happiness of heaven should consist chiefly in this, that the Lord is there. St. John’s representation of that blessed state does indeed far exceed this in many respects. That is all gold, and pearls, and precious stones; it is much larger than this, and much brighter, for it needs not the light of the sun. But, in making the presence of God the principal matter of its bliss, they both agree. There the happiness of the glorified saints is made to be that God himself shall be with them (Rev. xxi. 3), that he who sits on the throne shall dwell among them, Rev. vii. 15. And here it is made to crown the bliss of this holy city that the Lord is there. Let us therefore give all diligence to make sure to ourselves a place in that city, that we may be for ever with the Lord.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Eze 48:31 And the gates of the city [shall be] after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.
Ver. 31. And the gates of the city. ] Through which all the Israel of God, both Jews and Gentiles from all parts, qua data porta, ruunt, do enter into the Church of Christ, flowing and flocking thereto, as waters do to the sea, and as the doves to their windows.
Three gates northward.
One gate of Levi.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 26:1, Isa 26:2, Isa 54:12, Isa 60:11, Rev 21:12, Rev 21:13, Rev 21:21, Rev 21:25
Reciprocal: Rev 7:4 – all
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 48:31. The second chapter of Numbers gives the order of encampment for the children of Israel when they paused In their journey through the wilderness. There is a similarity between that arrangement and that described in this verse in that three tribes were to be grouped together in the four units.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eze 48:31. And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel It had twelve gates in all, three on each side, which was very proper, since it lay four-square; and these twelve gates were inscribed to the twelve tribes. Because the city was to be served out of all the tribes of Israel, Eze 48:19, it was fit that each tribe should have its gate; and Levi being here taken in to keep to the number twelve, Ephraim and Manasseh are made one in Joseph. Conformable to this, in St. Johns vision, Rev 21:12-13, the New Jerusalem (for so the holy city is called there, though not here) has twelve gates, three on a side, and on them are written the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Observe, reader, into the church of Christ, whether militant or triumphant, there is a free access by faith for all that come, of every tribe, from every quarter. Christ has opened the kingdom of heaven for all believers. Whoever will may come, and take of the water of life, and of the tree of life, freely.