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Ezekiel 48:1

in Ezekiel 48

“Now these are the names of the tribes: At the northern frontier, Dan will have one portion bordering the road of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath and running on to Hazar-enan on the border of Damascus with Hamath to the north, and extending from the east side to the west side.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Now these are the names of the tribes: From the north end, beside the way of Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath, Hazar-enan at the border of Damascus, northward beside Hamath (and they shall have their sides east and west), Dan, one portion.

KJV

Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazar–enan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan.

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This verse in Ezekiel 48

Commentary

7 notes on this verse
The distribution of the holy land is seen in detail throughout Ezek. 48. The order of the original occupation by the tribes under Joshua is partly, but only partly, followed. It is a new order of things - and its ideal character is evinced as elsewhere, by exact and equal measurements. From north to south seven tribes succeed each other.

This site's exposition

the names of the tribes

on Ezekiel 48:1-7

The land is measured out in seven parallel strips running from the eastern border to the western sea, one for each tribe, beginning at the north with Dan and ending at Judah, whose portion borders the holy oblation. The order is new, not Joshua's inheritance by lot within borders shaped by rivers and hills, but straight bands laid side by side around a fixed center. The commentators read the arrangement as the vision's own logic, a kingdom ordered outward from its sanctuary, and the readings on whether the map describes a future geography or an ideal pattern are named without a verdict.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Ezekiel · Written before 420.

proposed

(Chapter 48, verses 1 onwards) And these are the names of the tribes: starting from the northern borders, near the path of Ethalon that goes to Emath, Atrium, Enon, the boundary of Damascus to the north of Emath, and it will have the eastern boundary, the sea. Dan is one tribe. And from the boundary of Dan to the eastern boundary, Asher is one tribe. And beyond the boundary of Asher to the eastern boundary, Nephthali is one tribe. And beyond the boundary of Nephthali to the eastern boundary, Manasseh is one tribe.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren thus to dwell together! It was a figure of the communion of churches and saints under the gospel-government; thus, though they are many, yet they are one, and should hold together in holy love and mutual assistance.
Now these are the names of the tribes,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Dan--The lands are divided into portions of ideal exactness, running alongside of each other, the whole breadth from west to east, standing in a common relation to the temple in the center: seven tribes' portions on the north, five in the smaller division in the south.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Now these are the names of the tribes - See the division mentioned Num 34:7-12, which casts much light upon this.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

And these are the names of the tribes The arrangement of the portions they divide among themselves; the place of each one.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Ezekiel 48:1:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

26 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְאֵ֖לֶּהand these

    veelehH428 →746 times

  • שְׁמ֣וֹת[are] [the] names of

    shemotH8034 →864 times

  • הַשְּׁבָטִ֑יםthe tribes

    hashevatimH7626 →190 times

  • מִקְצֵ֣הfrom [the] end of

    miktzehH7097 →97 times

  • צָפ֡וֹנָהnorth -ward

    tzafonahH6828 →153 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • יַ֣ד[the] hand of

    yadH3027 →1618 times

  • דֶּֽרֶךְ־[the] road of

    derekh-H1870 →707 times

  • חֶתְלֹ֣ן׀Hethlon

    chetlonH2855 →

  • לְֽבוֹא־Lebo

    levo'-H935 →2568 times

  • חֲמָ֡תHamath

    chamatH2574 →35 times

  • חֲצַ֣רHazar

    chatzarH2704 →

  • עֵינָן֩Enan

    ʾeinanH2704 →

  • גְּב֨וּל[the] border of

    gevulH1366 →240 times

  • דַּמֶּ֤שֶׂקDamascus

    damesekH1834 →45 times

  • צָפ֙וֹנָה֙north -ward

    tzafonahH6828 →153 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • יַ֣ד[the] hand of

    yadH3027 →1618 times

  • חֲמָ֔תHamath

    chamatH2574 →35 times

  • וְהָיוּ־and they will belong

    vehayu-H1961 →3559 times

  • ל֧וֹto him

    lo

  • פְאַת־[the] side of

    feat-H6285 →86 times

  • קָדִ֛ים[the] east

    kadimH6921 →69 times

  • הַיָּ֖םthe sea

    haiyamH3220 →396 times

  • דָּ֥ןDan

    danH1835 →70 times

  • אֶחָֽד׃one [portion]

    ʾechadH259 →971 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

15 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Ezekiel 47:15–17This shall be the boundary of the land:4 worksEzekiel 47:16On the north side it will extend from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon through Lebo-hamath to Zedad, Berothah, and Sibraim (which is on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.4 worksEzekiel 47:17So the border will run from the Sea to Hazar-enan, along the northern border of Damascus, with the territory of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary.4 worksJoshua 19:40–47The seventh lot came out for the clans of the tribe of Dan:3 worksMatthew 20:15–16Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’2 worksExodus 1:1–5These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:2 works
The other 9 cross-references, with their words ▾
Numbers 1:5–15These are the names of the men who are to assist you: From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;2 worksEzekiel 47:20And on the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundary up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western boundary.2 works2 Samuel 24:2So the king said to Joab the commander of his army, who was with him, “Go now throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and register the troops, so that I may know their number.”2 worksJudges 18:26–29So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.2 worksNumbers 34:7–9Your northern border will run from the Great Sea directly to Mount Hor,2 worksRevelation 7:4–8And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel:2 works1 Kings 12:28–29After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”2 worksGenesis 30:3–6Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.”2 worksNumbers 13:4–15and these were their names: From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur;2 works

Where this verse is studied

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About Ezekiel

The Prophet Ezekiel, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Prophet Ezekiel, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Ezekiel: the study guide →Read Ezekiel 48 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.

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