Ezekiel 47:13-23

The Boundaries of the Land

This passage may be compared with Numbers 34:1-12. The N. border started from a point on the Mediterranean, and ran eastward by Hamath and other places to Hazar-enon, between Damascus and the Hauran. The E. border ran southward from here, between Gilead and the land of Israel, and followed the Jordan, ending at Tamar, S. of the Dead Sea. From Tamar the S. border ran by Meriboth-kadesh to the brook of Egypt at the SE. corner of the Mediterranean. The W. border is formed by the Mediterranean (Ezekiel 47:13-21). Strangers born in the land were to share it with the Israelites (Ezekiel 47:22-23).

14. Lifted up mine hand] sware.

15, 16. Hethlon.. Zedad.. Berothah, Sibraim] are unknown localities. As men go to Zedad; Hamath] RV ’unto the entering in of Zedad, Hamath’. Hamath and Zedad have probably changed places. ’The entering in of Hamath ’was a well-known pass between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon.

17. Hazar-enan, the border, etc.] RV ’Hazar-enon at the border’. Hazar-enon and Hazar-hatticon (Ezekiel 47:16) are probably the same.

18. Ye shall measure] should ’possibly be ’from Hazar-enon’ (see Ezekiel 47:19). From Hauran, and from Damascus] must mean ’between Hauran and Damascus’, where Hazar-enon lay (Ezekiel 47:16-17). Hauran is a district E. of the Jordan and S. of Damascus. From Gilead, and from the land of Israel] means, ’between Gilead’ (E. of the Jordan) ’and the land of Israel’ (W. of it). The east sea] the Dead Sea.

19. Tamar] unknown, but probably near the S. end of the Dead Sea.

Strife in Kadesh] RV ’Meriboth-kadesh’, Kadesh-barnea, in the wilderness on the S. of Palestine (Numbers 20:13). The river] RV ’the brook of Egypt’, the Rhmocolura or Wady-el-Arish, which enters the Mediterranean at its SE. corner.