25 And by the border H1366 of Simeon, H8095 from the east H6921 side H6285 unto the west H3220 side, H6285 Issachar H3485 a H259 portion.
And the fourth H7243 lot H1486 came out H3318 to Issachar, H3485 for the children H1121 of Issachar H3485 according to their families. H4940 And their border H1366 was toward Jezreel, H3157 and Chesulloth, H3694 and Shunem, H7766 And Hapharaim, H2663 and Shion, H7866 and Anaharath, H588 And Rabbith, H7245 and Kishion, H7191 and Abez, H77 And Remeth, H7432 and Engannim, H5873 and Enhaddah, H5876 and Bethpazzez; H1048 And the coast H1366 reacheth H6293 to Tabor, H8396 and Shahazimah, H7831 and Bethshemesh; H1053 and the outgoings H8444 of their border H1366 were at Jordan: H3383 sixteen H8337 H6240 cities H5892 with their villages. H2691 This is the inheritance H5159 of the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Issachar H3485 according to their families, H4940 the cities H5892 and their villages. H2691
And Reuben H7205 went in H3212 the days H3117 of wheat H2406 harvest, H7105 and found H4672 mandrakes H1736 in the field, H7704 and brought H935 them unto his mother H517 Leah. H3812 Then Rachel H7354 said H559 to Leah, H3812 Give me, H5414 I pray thee, of thy son's H1121 mandrakes. H1736 And she said H559 unto her, Is it a small matter H4592 that thou hast taken H3947 my husband? H376 and wouldest thou take away H3947 my son's H1121 mandrakes H1736 also? And Rachel H7354 said, H559 Therefore he shall lie H7901 with thee to night H3915 for H8478 thy son's H1121 mandrakes. H1736 And Jacob H3290 came H935 out of the field H7704 in the evening, H6153 and Leah H3812 went out H3318 to meet H7125 him, and said, H559 Thou must come in H935 unto me; for surely H7936 I have hired H7936 thee with my son's H1121 mandrakes. H1736 And he lay H7901 with her that night. H3915 And God H430 hearkened H8085 unto Leah, H3812 and she conceived, H2029 and bare H3205 Jacob H3290 the fifth H2549 son. H1121 And Leah H3812 said, H559 God H430 hath given H5414 me my hire, H7939 because H834 I have given H5414 my maiden H8198 to my husband: H376 and she called H7121 his name H8034 Issachar. H3485
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).