24 And by the border H1366 of Benjamin, H1144 from the east H6921 side H6285 unto the west H3220 side, H6285 Simeon H8095 shall have a H259 portion.
And the second H8145 lot H1486 came forth H3318 to Simeon, H8095 even for the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Simeon H8095 according to their families: H4940 and their inheritance H5159 was within H8432 the inheritance H5159 of the children H1121 of Judah. H3063 And they had in their inheritance H5159 Beersheba, H884 or Sheba, H7652 and Moladah, H4137 And Hazarshual, H2705 and Balah, H1088 and Azem, H6107 And Eltolad, H513 and Bethul, H1329 and Hormah, H2767 And Ziklag, H6860 and Bethmarcaboth, H1024 and Hazarsusah, H2701 And Bethlebaoth, H1034 and Sharuhen; H8287 thirteen H7969 H6240 cities H5892 and their villages: H2691 Ain, H5871 Remmon, H7417 and Ether, H6281 and Ashan; H6228 four H702 cities H5892 and their villages: H2691 And all the villages H2691 that were round about H5439 these cities H5892 to Baalathbeer, H1192 Ramath H7414 of the south. H5045 This is the inheritance H5159 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Simeon H8095 according to their families. H4940 Out of the portion H2256 of the children H1121 of Judah H3063 was the inheritance H5159 of the children H1121 of Simeon: H8095 for the part H2506 of the children H1121 of Judah H3063 was too much H7227 for them: therefore the children H1121 of Simeon H8095 had their inheritance H5157 within H8432 the inheritance H5159 of them.
Simeon H8095 and Levi H3878 are brethren; H251 instruments H3627 of cruelty H2555 are in their habitations. H4380 O my soul, H5315 come H935 not thou into their secret; H5475 unto their assembly, H6951 mine honour, H3519 be not thou united: H3161 for in their anger H639 they slew H2026 a man, H376 and in their selfwill H7522 they digged down H6131 a wall. H7794 Cursed H779 be their anger, H639 for it was fierce; H5794 and their wrath, H5678 for it was cruel: H7185 I will divide H2505 them in Jacob, H3290 and scatter H6327 them in Israel. H3478
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ezekiel 48
Commentary on Ezekiel 48 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 48
Eze 48:1-35. Allotment of the Land to the Several Tribes.
1. 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. The portions of the city, the temple, the prince, and the priesthood, are in the middle, not within the boundaries of any tribe, all alike having a common interest in them. Judah has the place of honor next the center on the north, Benjamin the corresponding place of honor next the center on the south; because of the adherence of these two to the temple ordinances and to the house of David for so long, when the others deserted them. Dan, on the contrary, so long locally and morally semi-heathen (Jud 18:1-31), is to have the least honorable place, at the extreme north. For the same reason, St. John (Re 7:5-8) omits Dan altogether.
3. Asher—a tribe of which no one of note is mentioned in the Old Testament. In the New Testament one is singled out of it, the prophetess Anna.
4. Manasseh—The intercourse and unity between the two and a half tribes east of the Jordan, and the nine and a half west of it, had been much kept up by the splitting of Manasseh, causing the visits of kinsmen one to the other from both sides of the Jordan. There shall be no need for this in the new order of things.
5. Ephraim—This tribe, within its two dependent tribes, Manasseh and Benjamin, for upwards of four hundred years under the judges held the pre-eminence.
6. Reuben—doomed formerly for incest and instability "not to excel" (Ge 49:4). So no distinguished prophet, priest, or king had come from it. Of it were the notorious Dathan and Abiram, the mutineers. A pastoral and Bedouin character marked it and Gad (Jud 5:16).
15-17. The five thousand rods, apportioned to the city out of the twenty-five thousand square, are to be laid off in a square of four thousand five hundred, with the two hundred fifty all around for suburbs.
profane—that is, not strictly sacred as the sacerdotal portions, but applied to secular uses.
24. Benjamin—Compare Jacob's prophecy (Ge 49:27; De 33:12). It alone with Judah had been throughout loyal to the house of David, so its prowess at the "night" of the national history was celebrated as well as in the "morning."
25. Simeon—omitted in the blessing of Moses in De 33:1-29, perhaps because of the Simeonite "prince," who at Baal-peor led the Israelites in their idolatrous whoredoms with Midian (Nu 25:14).
26. Issachar—Its ancient portion had been on the plain of Esdraelon. Compared (Ge 49:14) to "a strong ass crouching between two burdens," that is, tribute and tillage; never meddling with wars except in self-defense.
31. gates—(Re 21:12, &c.). The twelve gates bear the names of the twelve tribes to imply that all are regarded as having an interest in it.
35. Lord is there—Jehovah-Shammah. Not that the city will be called so in mere name, but that the reality will be best expressed by this descriptive title (Jer 3:17; 33:16; Zec 2:10; Re 21:3; 22:3).