Ezekiel 48

1 “Now these [specific, designated] are the names [identities, reputations] of the tribes [family groups, clans]: At the northern [Zaphon, northward] frontier, Dan [a son of Jacob, a tribe of Israel] will have one portion [allotted land, inheritance] bordering [adjacent to, next to] the road [way, path] of Hethlon [a place of hiding, a city in northern Palestine] to Lebo-hamath [an entrance to Hamath, a city in Syria] and running on [extending, stretching] to Hazar-enan [a village of fountains, a city on the northeast border] on the border [boundary, limit] of Damascus [the capital city of Syria] with Hamath [an ancient city in Syria] to the north [Zaphon, northward], and extending [stretching, reaching] from the east [the direction of sunrise] side to the west [the direction of sunset] side. word study 2 Asher [a tribe of Israel, the eighth son of Jacob] will have one [single, unique] portion [allocation, inheritance] bordering [adjacent to, next to] the territory [land, region] of Dan [a tribe of Israel, a son of Jacob] from [starting at, originating from] east [the direction of the rising sun] to [extending to, reaching] west [the direction of the setting sun, the sea]. word study 3 Naphtali [a son of Jacob, the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel] will have one [single, unique] portion [allocation, territory] bordering [adjacent to, next to] the territory [land, region] of Asher [the eighth son of Jacob] from [toward, in the direction of] east [the direction of the rising sun] to [till, as far as] west [the direction of the setting sun, the sea]. word study 4 Manasseh [a grandson of Jacob, the ancestor of a large tribe] will have one [single, unique] portion [allocation, territory] bordering [adjacent to, next to] the territory [land, region] of Naphtali [one of the twelve tribes of Israel] from [starting at, originating from] east [the direction of the rising sun] to [extending to, reaching] west [the direction of the setting sun, the sea]. word study 5 Ephraim [a tribe of doubly fruitful people] will have one [single, united] portion [allocation, inheritance] bordering [adjacent to, next to] the territory [land, region] of Manasseh [a grandson of Jacob] from east [the direction of the rising sun] to west [the direction of the setting sun, the sea]. word study 6 Reuben [the firstborn son of Jacob, ancestor of the tribe] will have one [single, unique] portion [allotment, inheritance] bordering [adjacent to, next to] the territory [land, region] of Ephraim [doubly fruitful, referring to Joseph’s son] from [starting at] east [direction, sunrise] to [extending to, reaching] west [direction, sea]. word study 7 Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, son of Jacob] will have one [single, united] portion [allocation, territory] bordering [adjacent to, next to] the territory [land, region] of Reuben [the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah] from [starting at, beginning at] east [the direction of sunrise, the rising of the sun] to [extending to, reaching] west [the direction of sunset, the setting of the sun]. word study 8 Bordering [adjacent to, near] the territory [land, region] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah], from east [the direction of the rising sun] to west [the direction of the setting sun], will be the portion [allocation, inheritance] you are to set apart [consecrate, dedicate]. It will be 25,000 cubits [a unit of measurement, approximately 37.5 feet] wide [broad, expansive], and the length [distance, extent] of a tribal portion [inheritance, allotment] from east [the direction of the rising sun] to west [the direction of the setting sun]. In the center [midst, middle] will be the sanctuary [holy place, temple, a sacred space set apart for God]. word study 9 The special portion [contribution, oblation] you set apart [to exalt, lift up] to the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] shall be 25,000 [five and twenty thousand] cubits long [in length, distance] and 10,000 [ten thousand] cubits wide [in breadth, width]. word study 10 This will be the holy [set apart, consecrated] portion [allocation, inheritance] for the priests [those who serve God, spiritual leaders]. It will be 25,000 cubits long on the north [Zaphon, the northern direction] side, 10,000 cubits wide on the west [toward the sea, the western direction] side, 10,000 cubits wide on the east [the direction of the rising sun] side, and 25,000 cubits long on the south [Negeb, the southern district] side. In the center [midst, middle] will be the sanctuary [holy place, temple] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 11 It will be for the consecrated [set apart, holy] priests [those who serve God, ministers], the descendants [sons, offspring] of Zadok [a righteous high priest], who kept [obeyed, watched over] My charge [instruction, command] and did not go astray [wander, sin] as the Levites [those from the tribe of Levi] did when the Israelites [God’s chosen people] went astray [rebelled, sinned]. word study 12 It will be [a sacred allotment, a most holy portion] a special portion [a thing most holy, a contribution] for them set apart [separated, consecrated] from the land [the earth, the territory], a most holy [sacred, set-apart] portion [oblation, offering] adjacent [by the border, next to] to the territory [border, land] of the Levites [the descendants of Levi, the priestly tribe]. word study 13 Bordering [close to, adjacent to] the territory [land, area] of the priests [spiritual leaders, mediators], the Levites [descendants of Levi, assistants to the priests] shall have an area [portion, allocation] 25,000 cubits [units of measurement, about 38 feet] long [in length, extending] and 10,000 cubits [units of measurement, about 15 feet] wide [in breadth, stretching]. The whole length [entire distance, full extent] will be 25,000 cubits, and the width [breadth, span] 10,000 cubits. word study 14 They must not [under any circumstances] sell or [exchange for something else] exchange any of it, and they must not transfer [transfer ownership of] this best part [the firstfruits] of the land, for [because of its sacred nature] it is holy [set apart, consecrated] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 15 The remaining area [left over, unused], 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, will be for common [unholy, ordinary] use by the city [town, settlement], for houses [dwellings, homes], and for pastureland [open land, suburbs]. The city [town, community] will be in the center [midst, middle] of it word study 16 and will have these [specific, detailed] measurements: 4,500 [four thousand five hundred, a large quantity] cubits on the north [Zaphon, the northern direction] side, 4,500 cubits on the south [Negeb, the southern region] side, 4,500 cubits on the east [the direction of the rising sun] side, and 4,500 cubits on the west [the direction of the setting sun, the sea] side. word study 17 The pastureland [open land, suburbs] of the city [a place with a wall, a settlement] will extend 250 cubits [two hundred and fifty, a specific measurement] to the north [Zaphon, a direction], 250 cubits to the south [Negeb, the southern district], 250 cubits to the east [the direction of the rising sun], and 250 cubits to the west [toward the sea, the direction of the setting sun]. word study 18 The remainder [what is left, the residue] of the length [distance, extent] bordering the holy [set apart, sacred] portion [contribution, offering] and running adjacent [close, near] to it will be [ten thousand, a multitude] 10,000 cubits on the east [direction, sunrise] side and 10,000 [ten thousand, a multitude] cubits on the west [direction, sunset] side. Its produce [crops, fruit] will supply [provide, sustain] food [nourishment, sustenance] for the workers [servants, laborers] of the city [town, community]. word study 19 The workers [laborers, servants] of the city [town, settlement] who cultivate [till, farm] it will come from [out of, belonging to] all [every, the whole] the tribes [clans, families] of Israel [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob]. word study 20 The entire portion [all the oblation, the whole allocation] will be a square, 25,000 cubits [five and twenty thousand] by 25,000 cubits [five and twenty thousand]. You are to set apart [offer, make provision for] the holy [set-apart, sacred] portion [contribution, offering], along with the city [town, possession of the city] property [possession, inheritance]. word study 21 The remaining area [residue, what is left] on both sides of the holy portion [contribution, offering to God] and of the property [possession, inheritance] of the city [town, settlement] will belong to the prince [leader, high-ranking official]. He will own the land adjacent to the tribal portions [smooth areas, inheritances], extending eastward [toward the rising sun] from the 25,000 cubits of the holy district [sacred area, set-apart place] toward the eastern border [edge, boundary], and westward [toward the sea] from the 25,000 cubits to the western border [edge, boundary]. And in the center [midst, middle] of them will be the holy portion [sacred contribution] and the sanctuary [holy place, temple] of the temple [house, dwelling place]. word study 22 So the Levitical [priestly, belonging to the tribe of Levi] property and the city [town, urban area] property will lie in the center [midst, middle] of the area belonging to the prince [leader, ruler]—the area between [in the midst of, surrounded by] the borders [boundaries, limits] of Judah [the tribe of Judah, the southern kingdom] and Benjamin [the youngest son of Jacob, the tribe of Benjamin]. word study 23 As for the rest [remainder, what is left] of the tribes [clans, families]: Benjamin [son of the right hand] will have one [single, unique] portion [allocation, inheritance] extending from the east [direction of the rising sun] side [border, edge] to the west [direction of the setting sun, by the sea] side [border, edge]. word study 24 Simeon [Shimeon, the second son of Jacob] will have one [unique, single] portion [allotment, inheritance] bordering [adjacent to, next to] the territory [land, region] of Benjamin [son of the right hand] from east [the direction of the rising sun] to west [the direction of the setting sun]. word study 25 Issachar [the tribe of recompense] will have one [single, united] portion [allocation, territory] bordering [adjacent to, next to] the territory [land, region] of Simeon [Shimeon, the second son of Jacob] from [toward, in the direction of] east [the direction of sunrise, the rising of the sun] to [until, as far as] west [the direction of sunset, the setting of the sun]. word study 26 Zebulun [a tribe of Israel, founded by the tenth son of Jacob] will have one [single, unique] portion [allocation, territory] bordering [adjacent to, next to] the territory [land, region] of Issachar [there is recompense, the 9th son of Jacob] from [starting at] east [the direction of the rising sun] to [until, as far as] west [the direction of the setting sun]. word study 27 And Gad [the seventh son of Jacob, founder of the tribe] will have one [single, unified] portion [allocation, territory] bordering [adjacent to, next to] the territory [land, region] of Zebulun [a son of Jacob, founder of one of the twelve tribes] from [starting at, originating in] east [the direction of the rising sun] to [until, as far as] west [the direction of the setting sun, the sea]. word study 28 The southern [Negeb, southward] border of Gad [the seventh son of Jacob, the founder of the tribe] will run from Tamar [a place of palm trees, a city in the wilderness] to the waters [source of refreshment] of Meribath-kadesh [a place of provocation, a site of contention between God and the Israelites], then along the Brook [a small river, a valley] of Egypt [a place of slavery] and out to the Great [large, vast] Sea. word study 29 This [specific land, the promised territory] is the land [earth, territory, or region] you are to allot [divide by lot, distribute] as an inheritance [permanent possession, heritage] to the tribes [family groups, clans] of Israel [God’s chosen people], and these [specific portions, assigned allocations] will be their portions [divisions, inheritances],” declares [utters, speaks] the Lord [Adonay, Master] GOD [Yehovah]. word study 30 “These [specific, particular] will be the exits [outgoings, boundaries] of the city [town, settlement]: Beginning on the north [Zaphon, northern direction] side [corner, region], which will be 4,500 [four thousand and five hundred, a large number] cubits [measured, portioned out] long [in length, by measure], word study 31 the gates [city entrances, doors of access] of the city [settlement, community] will be named [designated, identified] after the tribes [family groups, clans] of Israel [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob]. On the north [northern direction, Zaphon] side there will be three [a triad, thrice] gates: the gate [entrance, doorway] of Reuben [the firstborn son of Jacob], the gate of Judah [the tribe of praise], and the gate of Levi [the tribe of priesthood]. word study 32 On the east [toward the rising sun] side [corner, edge], which will be 4,500 [four thousand five hundred, a specific measurement] cubits [a unit of length, about 1.5 miles/2.4 km] long, there will be three [a specific number] gates [entrances, doors]: the gate [entrance, door] of Joseph [Jehovah has added, a name given to several Israelites], the gate of Benjamin [son of the right hand, a tribe of Israel], and the gate of Dan [a son of Jacob, a tribe of Israel]. word study 33 On the south [Negeb, southern district] side, which will be 4,500 cubits [measures, reeds by measure] long, there will be three [thrice] gates: the gate [city entrance] of Simeon [Shimeon, the second son of Jacob], the gate of Issachar [there is recompense], and the gate of Zebulun [exalted, honored]. word study 34 And on the west [seaward, towards the Mediterranean] side, which will be 4,500 cubits [about 1.5 miles or 2.4 kilometers] long, there will be three [exactly, a tripled] gates: the gate [entrance, doorway] of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali. word study 35 The perimeter [distance around, circumference] of the city will be 18,000 [eighteen thousand, a large number] cubits, and from that day [time, period] on the name [identity, character] of the city will be: THE LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] IS THERE [in that place, present]. ” word study