Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 48:8
And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand [reeds in] breadth, and [in] length as one of the [other] parts, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it.
8. the offering reeds in breadth ] The Oblation (Eze 45:1) cubits in breadth, i.e. N. to S. This is the breadth of the whole part subtracted from the territory of the country, and devoted to the priests, the Levites, the city and the prince. In length it goes from the Jordan to the sea, just “as one of the other parts,” i.e. the portions of the tribes. The sanctuary shall be situated in the centre of this oblation, viz. in the portion assigned to the priests that assigned to the Levites being on the north and that assigned to the city on the south.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Length is throughout measured from west to east, as breadth is from north to south.
The offering Eze 48:9-22, or, oblation, here includes all the land given to priests, Levites, city, and prince; the different parts being distinguished. All these together are to extend from west to east in the same way as the portions of the other tribes, the imaginary Jordan being the eastern boundary of all.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
The offering; the holy portion, of which Eze 45:1, set out for priests, Levites, and city, Eze 45:4-6.
Reeds is here supplied by the translators, but I rather think cubits; for the greatness of the portion measured by reeds will eat out the tribes, or leave very little for them, as appears thus: The whole length from north to south was about one hundred and sixty miles, the breadth about sixty. Now twenty-five thousand reeds is at the least seventy-seven miles, at one thousand paces to a mile. These seventy-seven taken out of one hundred and sixty, there will remain but eighty-three for the twelve tribes, which will afford not quite seven miles in breadth for each tribe; whereas seventy-seven miles are allotted to the priests, Levites, and city; so that there will remain but eighty-three miles for the twelve tribes, that is, to each one almost seven miles. Now this to me would seem very much disproportioned; but twenty-five thousand cubits reckoned doth give the holy portion and city twelve miles and half square, and gives near as much in breadth to each tribe, and five times almost as much in length to each tribe; which appears thus: twelve times twelve make one hundred and forty-four, and twelve quarters make three wholes; give then each tribe twelve and a quarter, you divide one hundred and forty-seven by twelve and a quarter: now to this add the princes, the holy portion, and the city land, which is twelve miles and a half, and you have one hundred and fifty-nine miles and three quarters, which is the length of the whole land. Thus the breadth of each portion for each tribe; but the length of each exceeded the princes by twelve and a half, and the holy portion as much as sixty exceeds twelve and a half.
From the east side to the west side; that is, twenty-five thousand in length, which amounts to twelve miles and a half. Now the residue of the land from the sea eastward abutting on the whole breadth of the holy portion by equal proportion, will be twenty-three and a quarter, and as much from the other side, measuring from the eastern bounds of the holy portion to the utmost bounds eastward of the land, which is sixty miles from its utmost western bounds; as appears thus: take an oblong square, whose breadth is twelve and a half, its length sixty; suppose in the very middle twelve and a half square taken up, there will remain at each end the half of forty-seven and a half, which is twenty-three and three quarters. According to this we conceive the prince hath assigned him as much as two tribes very near, and almost four times as much as the holy oblation; so that there is good reason for that Eze 45:9, against oppression, and the command that he be content.
The sanctuary; the whole contents of suburbs, courts, and house.
In the midst of it; of the land laid out for the holy portion, for God and his priests.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering,…. Or the oblation of a holy portion of the land unto the Lord before made mention of, Eze 45:1 this was close by the tribe of Judah, and in the same direction with that and the rest of the tribes, proceeding in length from east to west: this takes in the whole allotted to the sanctuary, the priests, the Levites, the city, and the prince; each of which are taken notice of in the following verses:
which they shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in breadth; from north to south; which makes, as the Jews u say, seventy five miles; some make it seventy seven, and others more:
and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the west side; that is, equal to one of the portions allotted to anyone of the tribes, which were alike: what this measure was is not said, but was the same with the breadth; since the whole oblation was five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand, Eze 48:20:
and the sanctuary shall be in the midst thereof; of the holy portion of land; see Eze 45:3, not in the tribe of Judah or Benjamin; nor in the city of Jerusalem, as before; but many miles from thence.
u Jarchi Kimchi in loc. e Siphri so Lipman. Tzurath Beth Hamikdash, fol. 1. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2. The sanctified portion (48:822)
TRANSLATION
(8) And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the oblation which you shall offer, twenty-five thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the portions, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. (9) The oblation that you shall offer unto the LORD shall be twenty-five thousand reeds in length, and ten thousand in breadth. (10) And for these, even for the priests, shall be the holy oblation; toward the north twenty-five thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south twenty-five thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the midst thereof. (11) It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, that have kept My charge, that went not astray when the children of Israel went astray. (12) And it shall be unto them an oblation from the oblation of the land, a thing most holy, by the border of the Levites. (13) And answerable unto the border of the priests, the Levites shall have twenty-five thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be twenty-five thousand, and the breadth ten thousand. (14) And they shall sell none of it, nor exchange it, nor shall the first-fruits of the land be alienated; for it is holy unto the LORD. (15) And the five thousand that are left in the breadth, in front of the twenty-five thousand, shall be for common use, for the city, for dwelling and for suburbs; and the city shall be in the midst thereof. (16) And these shall be the measures thereof: the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred. (17) And the city shall have suburbs: toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty. (18) And the residue in the length, answerable unto the holy oblation, shall be ten thousand east ward, and ten thousand westward; and it shall be answerable unto the holy oblation; and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that labor in the city. (19) And they that labor in the city, out of all the tribes of Israel, shall till it. (20) All the oblation shall be twenty-five thousand: you shall offer the holy oblation four-square, with the possession of the city. (21) And the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation and of the possession of the city; in front of the twenty-five thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward in front of the twenty-five thousand toward the west border, answerable unto the portions, it shall be for the prince: and the holy oblation and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof. (22) Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the princes, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, it shall be for the prince.
COMMENTS
Just south of the tribal area of Judah was a tract 25,000 cubits square. Like the tribal areas this tract occupied the entire length of the land from east to west. This area was known as the offering or oblation (Eze. 48:8). Within the oblation was a smaller oblation or offering. This area measured 25,000 cubits east and west and 10,000 cubits from north to south. The sanctuary was situated in the midst of this inner oblation (Eze. 48:9-10). The smaller oblation was to be the possession of the faithful priests of the line of Zadok (Eze. 48:11). The larger oblation area was holy; but the smaller oblation within it was most holy (Eze. 48:12).
Another section of the larger oblation was set aside for the Levites. It was comparable in size to the area set aside for the priests, 25,000 by 10,000 cubits (Eze. 48:13). Scholars are not agreed as to whether this Levite area was north or south of the priestly area. The areas inhabited by the priests and Levites were holy, therefore could not be sold or exchanged by them. This area was called the first portion (reshith)[545] as well as the oblation.
[545] The priestly dues from the crops are called first fruit (reshith) in Deu. 18:4. Hebrews migrash actually means common land perhaps for grazing cattle.
The city of Jerusalem was assigned the territory south of the priestly area within the oblation. This area measured 5,000 cubits north to south and, like the other sections of the oblation, 25,000 cubits east to west. This area contained the city proper, (a square of 4,500 cubits), open land about the city (250 cubits on all sides), and two tracts of arable land on either side of the city (10,000 by 5,000 cubits each; Eze. 48:15-17). These latter areas were to be cultivated by the inhabitants of the city. Regardless of tribal affiliation, every citizen of the city was expected to work that ground for the good of all (Eze. 48:19).
The entire oblation area with all of its subdivisions formed a square of 25,000 cubits (Eze. 48:20). This would be equivalent to about fifty square miles if the conventional cubit is intended, sixty-nine square miles if the longer cubit is intended.
On the east and west sides of the oblation was a large territory belonging to the prince. To state the matter differently, the territories of the priests, the Levites, the sanctuary and the city were situated between the two halves of the domain of the prince (Eze. 48:21-22).
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
8, 9. Toy reads: “On the border of Judah, from the east end to the west end, shall be the reservation which ye shall set aside: twenty-five thousand cubits wide, and in length equal to one tribal portion from east to west; and the sanctuary shall be therein. The reservation which ye shall set aside for Jehovah shall be twenty-five thousand cubits long and twenty thousand cubits wide.” Plumptre, with many old expositors, believes not cubit but reed is “undoubtedly the word to be supplied” in the above specifications, if so it would mark distinctively the ideal character of the land distribution, since if the attempt were made to lay off this reservation (A.V., “offering;” R.V., “oblation”) of twenty thousand reeds (one hundred and forty thousand cubits) in length, it would extend far beyond the Jordan, which is given as the east border of the land. We think probably “cubit,” not “reed,” should be supplied (see Eze 45:1-5) and read with the Septuagint twenty thousand instead of ten thousand (Eze 48:9), believing that this verse and the close of Eze 48:13 refer to the entire territory occupied by both priests and Levites.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Holy Portion And The City ( Eze 48:8-20 ). Compare Eze 45:1-5 .
“And by the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, will be the Gift-offering that you will offer, twenty five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in breadth, and in length as one of the portions, from the east side to the west side, and the sanctuary will be in the midst of it. The Gift-offering that you shall offer to Yahweh will be twenty five thousand in length and ten thousand in breadth.”
The holy portion, with the heavenly sanctuary in its midst, given to the priests, is adjacent to the portion of Judah. Thus the Levite portion must be below the priests’ portion. The portion is twice here stated to be twenty five thousand by ten thousand, (as in chapter 45), bringing out Ezekiel’s habit of repetition common to much ancient writing. ‘And in length as one of the portions’ must be seen as including with it the prince’s portion.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 48:8. Shall be the offering, &c. Shall be the sacred portion which they shall set apart of five-and-twenty thousand cubits.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 48:8 And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand [reeds in] breadth, and [in] length as one of the [other] parts, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it.
Ver. 8. Shall be the offering. ] Whereof see Eze 45:1-7 .
Of five and twenty thousand reeds.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Eze 48:8-14
8And beside the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, shall be the allotment which you shall set apart, 25,000 cubits in width, and in length like one of the portions, from the east side to the west side; and the sanctuary shall be in the middle of it. 9The allotment that you shall set apart to the Lord shall be 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in width. 10The holy allotment shall be for these, namely for the priests, toward the north 25,000 cubits in length, toward the west 10,000 in width, toward the east 10,000 in width, and toward the south 25, 000 in length; and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in its midst. 11It shall be for the priests who are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, who have kept My charge, who did not go astray when the sons of Israel went astray as the Levites went astray. 12It shall be an allotment to them from the allotment of the land, a most holy place, by the border of the Levites. 13Alongside the border of the priests the Levites shall have 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in width. The whole length shall be 25,000 cubits and the width 10,000. 14Moreover, they shall not sell or exchange any of it, or alienate this choice portion of land; for it is holy to the Lord.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
offering = heave offering. Hebrew. terumah. (App-43.) See note on Exo 29:27. The same word as “oblation”, Eze 48:9; the whole area of which is to be considered as the heave offering offered to Jehovah.
ye. The 1611 edition of the Authorized Version reads “they”.
offer = offer up.
and the sanctuary. Note the Alternation in on. sew.
it = him: i.e. Judah.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the offering: Eze 45:1-6
the sanctuary: Eze 48:35, Isa 12:6, Isa 33:20-22, Zec 2:11, Zec 2:12, 2Co 6:16, Eph 2:20-22, Col 2:9, Rev 21:3, Rev 21:22, Rev 22:3
Reciprocal: Num 35:2 – General Eze 48:10 – and the sanctuary Eze 48:21 – and westward Rev 21:16 – twelve
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 48:8. This offering is called an oblation in Eze 45:1 which was to consist of certain portions of the land; a sanctuary is a holy place.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eze 48:8. By the border of Judah, &c., shall be the offering, &c. Next to the border of Judah, which runs in length from east to west, shall be the offering ye shall set apart for the service of God, Eze 45:1. The word reeds, it must be observed, is not in the original text, either here or in that place, and, as we have there noticed, many learned men think it more probable, that the measure of cubits is intended in both passages: see the note there. And in the length as in one of the other parts Given to the adjoining tribes. From the east side unto the west side Which was likewise twenty-five thousand reeds, or cubits, according to the dimensions of the holy portion, set down Eze 45:1-6, for the oblation was to be four-square, consisting of twenty-five thousand, multiplied by twenty-five thousand.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
48:8 And by the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, {b} shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand [reeds in] breadth, and [in] length as one of the [other] parts, from the east side to the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it.
(b) That is, the portion of the ground which they will separate and appoint to the Lord which will be divided into three parts for the priests for the prince and for the city.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The holy allotment 48:8-22
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
It would include a section 25,000 cubits (about 8.3 miles) wide, and the temple sanctuary would stand in its center. This portion would be 25,000 cubits long, from east to west, and 10,000 cubits (about 3.3 miles) wide, from north to south. It would be for the descendants of the Zadokite priests who remained faithful to the Lord. This would be a most holy place next to the territory for the other Levitical priests. [Note: See a diagram of this holy allotment within the sacred district above (near my comments on 45:2-4).]
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
South of Judah’s portion would be a special territory, which would be the same size as the other tribal allotments.