Ezekiel 47 commentary

These waters signify the gospel of Christ, which went forth from Jerusalem, and spread into the countries about; also the gifts and powers of the Holy Ghost which accompanied it, by virtue of which is spread far, and produced blessed effects. Christ is the Temple; and he is the Door; from him the living waters flow, out of his pierced side. They are increasing waters. Observe the progress of the gospel in the world, and the process of the work of grace in the heart; attend the motions of the blessed Spirit under Divine guidance. If we search into the things of God, we find some things plain and easy to be understood, as the waters that were but to the ankles; others more difficult, which require a deeper search, as the waters to the knees, or the loins; and some quite beyond our reach, which we cannot penetrate; but must, as St. Paul did, adore the depth, Rom. 11. It is wisdom to begin with that which is most easy, before we proceed to that which is dark and hard to be understood. The promises of the sacred word, and the privileges of believers, as shed abroad in their souls by the quickening Spirit, abound where the gospel is preached; they nourish and delight the souls of men; they never fade nor wither, nor are exhausted. Even the leaves serve as medicines to the soul: the warnings and reproofs of the word, though less pleasant than Divine consolations, tend to heal the diseases of the soul. All who believe in Christ, and are united to him by his sanctifying Spirit, will share the privileges of Israelites. There is room in the church, and in heaven, for all who seek the blessings of that new covenant of which Christ is Mediator.

CHAPTER 47

Eze 47:1-23. Vision of the Temple Waters. Borders and Division of The land.

The happy fruit to the earth at large of God's dwelling with Israel in holy fellowship is that the blessing is no longer restricted to the one people and locality, but is to be diffused with comprehensive catholicity through the whole world. So the plant from the cedar of Lebanon is represented as gathering under its shelter "all fowl of every wing" (Eze 17:23). Even the desert places of the earth shall be made fruitful by the healing waters of the Gospel (compare Is 35:1).

1. waters--So Re 22:1, represents "the water of life as proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." His throne was set up in the temple at Jerusalem (Eze 43:7). Thence it is to flow over the earth (Joe 3:18; Zec 13:1; 14:8). Messiah is the temple and the door; from His pierced side flow the living waters, ever increasing, both in the individual believer and in the heart. The fountains in the vicinity of Moriah suggested the image here. The waters flow eastward, that is, towards the Kedron, and thence towards the Jordan, and so along the Ghor into the Dead Sea. The main point in the picture is the rapid augmentation from a petty stream into a mighty river, not by the influx of side streams, but by its own self-supply from the sacred miraculous source in the temple [Henderson]. (Compare Psa 36:8, 9; 46:4; Is 11:9; Ha 2:14). Searching into the things of God, we find some easy to understand, as the water up to the ankles; others more difficult, which require a deeper search, as the waters up to the knees or loins; others beyond our reach, of which we can only adore the depth (Ro 11:33). The healing of the waters of the Dead Sea here answers to "there shall be no more curse" (Re 22:3; compare Zec 14:11).

7. trees--not merely one tree of life as in Paradise (Ge 3:22), but many: to supply immortal food and medicine to the people of God, who themselves also become "trees of righteousness" (Is 61:3) planted by the waters and (Psa 1:3) bearing fruit unto holiness.

8. the desert--or "plain," Hebrew, Arabah (De 3:17; 4:49; Jos 3:16), which is the name still given to the valley of the Jordan and the plain south of the Dead Sea, and extending to the Elanitic gulf of the Red Sea.

the sea--the Dead Sea. "The sea" noted as covering with its waters the guilty cities of the plain, Sodom and Gomorrah. In its bituminous waters no vegetable or animal life is said to be found. But now death is to give place to life in Judea, and throughout the world, as symbolized by the healing of these death-pervaded waters covering the doomed cities. Compare as to "the sea" in general, regarded as a symbol of the troubled powers of nature, disordered by the fall, henceforth to rage no more, Re 21:1.

9. rivers--in Hebrew, "two rivers." Hence Hebrew expositors think that the waters from the temple were divided into two branches, the one emptying itself into the eastern or Dead Sea, the other into the western or Mediterranean. So Zec 14:8. However, though this probably is covertly implied in the Hebrew dual, the flowing of the waters into the Dead Sea only is expressed. Compare Eze 47:8, "waters ... healed," which can apply only to it, not to the Mediterranean: also Eze 47:10, "fish as the fish of the great sea"; the Dead Sea, when healed, containing fish, as the Mediterranean does.

10. En-gedi ... En-eglaim--En-gedi (meaning "fountain of the kid"), anciently, Hazazon-Tamar, now Ain-Jidy; west of the Dead Sea; David's place of refuge from Saul. En-eglaim means "fountain of two calves," on the confines of Moab, over against En-gedi, and near where Jordan enters the Dead Sea (Is 15:8). These two limits are fixed on, to comprise between them the whole Dead Sea.

fish ... according to their kinds--Jerome quotes an ancient theory that "there are a hundred fifty-three kinds of fishes," all of which were taken by the apostles (Joh 21:11), and not one remained uncaptured; signifying that both the noble and baseborn, the rich and the poor, and every class, are being drawn out of the sea of the world to salvation. Compare Mt 13:47, the gospel net; the apostles being fishermen, at first literally, afterwards spiritually (Mt 4:19).

11. marshes--marshy places. The region is known to have such pits and marshes. The Arabs take the salt collected by evaporation in these pits for their own use, and that of their flocks.

not be healed--Those not reached by the healing waters of the Gospel, through their sloth and earthly-mindedness, are given over (Re 22:11) to their own bitterness and barrenness (as "saltness" is often employed to express, De 29:23; Psa 107:34; Zep 2:9); an awful example to others in the punishment they suffer (2Pe 2:6).

12. Instead of the "vine of Sodom and grapes of Gomorrah" (De 32:32), nauseous and unwholesome, trees of life-giving and life-restoring virtue shall bloom similar in properties to, and exceeding in number, the tree of life in Eden (Re 2:7; 22:2, 14).

leaf ... not fade--expressing not only the unfailing character of the heavenly medicine of the tree of life, but also that the graces of the believer (as a tree of righteousness), which are the leaves, and his deeds, which are the fruits that flow from those graces, are immortal (Psa 1:3; Jr 17:8; Mt 10:42; 1Co 15:58).

new fruit--literally, "firstlings," or first fruit. They are still, each month afresh, as it were, yielding their first-fruit [Fairbairn]. The first-born of a thing, in Hebrew idiom, means the chiefest. As Job 18:13, "the first-born of death," that is, the most fatal death.

13. The redivision of the land: the boundaries. The latter are substantially the same as those given by Moses in Nu 34:1-29; they here begin with the north, but in Numbers they begin with the south (Nu 34:3). It is only Canaan proper, exclusive of the possession of the two and a half tribes beyond Jordan, that is here divided.

Joseph ... two portions--according to the original promise of Jacob (Ge 48:5, 22). Joseph's sons were given the birthright forfeited by Reuben, the first-born (1Ch 5:1). Therefore the former is here put first. His two sons having distinct portions make up the whole number twelve portions, as he had just before specified "twelve tribes of Israel"; for Levi had no separate inheritance, so that he is not reckoned in the twelve.

15. Zedad--on the north boundary of Canaan.

16. Hamath--As Israel was a separate people, so their land was a separate land. On no scene could the sacred history have been so well transacted as on it. On the east was the sandy desert. On the north and south, mountains. On the west, an inhospitable sea-shore. But it was not always to be a separate land. Between the parallel ranges of Lebanon is the long valley of El-Bekaa, leading to "the entering in of Hamath" on the Orontes, in the Syrian frontier. Roman roads, and the harbor made at Cæsarea, opened out doors through which the Gospel should go from it to all lands. So in the last days, when all shall flock to Jerusalem as the religious center of the world.

Berothah--a city in Syria conquered by David (2Sa 8:8); meaning "wells."

Hazar-hatticon--meaning "the middle village."

Hauran--a tract in Syria, south of Damascus; Auranitis.

17. Hazar-enan--a town in the north of Canaan, meaning "village of fountains."

18. east sea--the Dead Sea. The border is to go down straight to it by the valley of the Jordan. So Nu 34:11, 12.

19. Tamar--not Tadmor in the desert, but Tamar, the last town of Judea, by the Dead Sea. Meaning "palm tree"; so called from palm trees abounding near it.

22. to the strangers--It is altogether unprecedented under the old covenant, that "strangers" should have "inheritance" among the tribes. There would not be room locally within Canaan for more than the tribes. The literal sense must therefore be modified, as expressing that Gentiles are not to be excluded from settling among the covenant-people, and that spiritually their privileges are not to be less than those of Israel (Ro 10:12; Ga 3:28; Ep 3:6; Col 3:11; Re 7:9, 10). Still, "sojourneth," in Eze 47:23, implies that in Canaan, the covenant people are regarded as at home, the strangers as settlers.

Behold, waters issued out from under the threshold - Ezekiel, after having made the whole compass of the court of the people, is brought back by the north gate into the courts of the priests; and, having reached the gate of the temple, he saw waters which had their spring under the threshold of that gate, that looked towards the east; and which passing to the south of the altar of burnt-offerings on the right of the temple, ran from the west to the east, that they might fall into the brook Kidron, and thence be carried into the Dead Sea. Literally, no such waters were ever in the temple; and because there were none, Solomon had what is called the brazen sea made, which held water for the use of the temple. It is true that the water which supplied this sea might have been brought by pipes to the place: but a fountain producing abundance of water was not there, and could not be there, on the top of such a hill; and consequently these waters, as well as those spoken of in Joe 3:18, and in Zac 14:8, are to be understood spiritually or typically; and indeed the whole complexion of the place here shows, that they are thus to be understood. Taken in this view, I shall proceed to apply the whole of this vision to the effusion of light and salvation by the outpouring of the Spirit of God under the Gospel dispensation, by which the knowledge of the true God was multiplied in the earth; and have only one previous remark to make, that the farther the waters flowed from the temple, the deeper they grew.

With respect to the phraseology of this chapter, it may be said that St. John had it particularly in view while he wrote his celebrated description of the paradise of God, Revelation 22. The prophet may therefore be referring to the same thing which the apostle describes, viz., the grace of the Gospel, and its effects in the world.

There ran out waters - מים מפכים mayim mephaccim, the waters seem to have been at first in small quantity; for the words imply that they oozed or dropped out. They were at first so small that they came guttatim, drop by drop; but they increased so, that they became a river in which one could swim.

He measured a thousand cubits - the waters were to the Ankles; a thousand more, - the waters were to the Knees; a thousand more, - they became a River that could not be forded. The waters were risen, and they were waters to Swim in.

I. This may be applied to the gradual discoveries of the plan of salvation, -

1. In the patriarchal ages.

2. In the giving of the law.

3. In the ministry of John the Baptist. And,

4. In the full manifestation of Christ by the communication of the Holy Ghost.

II. This vision may be applied also to the growth of a believer in the grace and knowledge of God. There is -

1. The seed of the kingdom.

2. The blade from that seed.

3. The ear out of that blade. And,

4. The full corn in that ear.

III. It may be applied to the discoveries a penitent believer receives of the mercy of God in his salvation. He is -

1. A little child, born of God, born from above, and begins to taste the bread of life, and live on the heavenly food.

2. He grows up and increases in stature and strength, and becomes a young man.

3. He becomes matured in the Divine life, and has his spiritual senses exercised so as to become a father in Christ. In other words, the grace of God appears to come drop by drop; it is given as it can be used; it is a seed of light, and multiplies itself. The penitent at first can scarcely believe the infinite goodness of his Maker; he however ventures to follow on with the conducting angel, the minister of the Gospel, in his descriptions of the plenitude of that salvation, provided in that living Temple in which alone the well-spring of life is to be found.

4. In thus following on to know the Lord he finds a continual increase of light and life, till at last he is carried by the streams of grace to the ocean of eternal mercy; then "Plunged in the Godhead's deepest sea, And lost in his immensity."

IV. These waters may be considered as a type of the progress which Christianity shall make in the world.

1. There were only a few poor fishermen.

2. Afterwards many Jews.

3. Then the Gentiles of Asia Minor and Greece.

4. The continent and isles of Europe. And,

5. Now spreading through Africa, Asia, and America, at present these waters are no longer a river, but an immense sea; and the Gospel fishers are daily bringing multitudes of souls to Christ.

Every thing - whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live - Life and salvation shall continually accompany the preaching of the Gospel; the death of sin being removed, the life of righteousness shall be brought in.

There shall be a very great multitude of fish - On the above plan this must refer to genuine converts to the Christian faith; true believers, who have got life and salvation by the streams of God's grace. The apostles were fishers of men; converts were the fish caught. See below. As the waters flow into the Dead Sea, where no fish, it is said, can live, its waters must be healed, that is, made capable of preserving life; and so its nature be thus far most surprisingly altered.

The fishers shall stand upon it - On the above plan of interpretation these must mean -

1. The apostles of our Lord Jesus.

2. The preachers of the everlasting Gospel. See Mat 4:19.

From En-gedi - At the southern extremity of the Dead Sea.

Unto En-eglaim - At the northern extremity of the same.

Their fish shall be according to their kinds - Every kind of fish, and the fish all excellent of their kinds. All nations, and kindreds, and people shall be called by the Gospel; it shall not be an excluding system like that of Judaism, for its Author tasted death for every man.

The miry places - "Point out," says Calmet, "the schismatics and heretics who do not live by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, but separate from his Church; and the evil Christians who dishonor that Church, of which they are corrupt members." A description applicable to the Roman Catholic Church, that is both schismatic and heretic from the Church of Jesus Christ, which is built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles, Jesus himself being the chief corner stone; for the Church of Rome, leaving this foundation, is now built on the foundation of councils and traditions, and lying miracles; the popes in their succession being its only corner stones.

Shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade - A description that suits the righteous, who are still producing -

1. The fruits of faith.

2. The fruits of the Spirit.

3. The fruits of love to God, obedience to his holy will, and love to all men. Benevolence, mercy, charity, kindness, etc.

The leaf thereof for medicine - See Rev 22:1-5. Even the leaves, the holy profession of the righteous, is a spiritual medicine. Righteousness is thus encouraged in the world. The profession points out the salvation, as it shows the nature and sufficiency of that salvation; for a just creed contains all the articles of the Christian faith.

Joseph shall have two portions - That is, In Ephraim and Manasseh, his two sons, who each had a separate inheritance.

The way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad - Probably Hethlon is the same as Cuthlon, a city of Syria, between Antioch and Laodicea, according to Antoninus. Some of these places are not known; but see the same kind of division, Num 34:7-12.

Hamath - Emesa or Amesa, in Syria. - Calmet.

Berothah - Berytus, now Baruth or Beeroth, which David took from Hadarezer, king of Syria, 2Sam 8:8; but these things are very uncertain.

Sibraim - Sabarim or Sepharvaim, according to the Syriac, between Hamath and Damascus.

Hazar-hatticon - The middle Hazar; or middle village, as the margin.

Hauran - The city Aurana, and the district Auranitis, are in the north-east limit of the Holy Land.

The border from the sea - The north border eastward is ascertained Eze 47:15, Eze 47:16; here it is shown how far it extends itself northward.

Hazar-enan - The village of Enan, Num 34:9, placed to the north of Caesarea Philippi. Ziphron, see Num 34:9, called Zaphion by the Syriac.

The east sea - The same as the Dead Sea.

Tamar - Called Hazazon Tamar, or Engedi, 2Chr 20:2.

The river - Besor, which runs into the sea near Gaza.

The great sea - The Mediterranean.

From the border - The southern border, mentioned Eze 47:19.

And to the strangers that sojourn - In former divisions of the land, no place was given to strangers; but in this division, (which seems to have no other reference than to the Gospel, for literally such a division never took place), the strangers are to have an inheritance; intimating the calling of the Gentiles into the Church of Christ, to an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. Glory be to God for his unspeakable gift! Amen. Amen.

Eastward - The fountain lay to the west, the conduit pipes were laid to bring the water to the temple, and so must run eastward, and perhaps one main pipe might be laid under the east - gate of the temple. The right side - On the south - side of the temple.

Out - Of the inmost court. The outer gate - The outmost north - gate in the wall that compassed the whole mountain of the Lord's house.

He measured - By the line in his hand. He brought me - Went before, and the prophet followed; all this was in vision.

The sea - The Dead - sea, or lake of Sodom. Shall be healed - The waters of the sea shall be healed, made wholesome. So where the grace of God from his temple and altar flows, it heals the corrupt nature of man, and renders barren terrible deserts, as a land of waters and gardens.

Shall live - Be preserved alive, and thrive, whereas no fish can live in the Dead - sea. For they - The poisonous waters of the Dead - sea shall be made wholesome for fish. Shall live - Thrive, and multiply in the virtue of the healing streams. Thus is the fruitfulness of the grace of God in the church set forth.

En - gedi - Which lay on the south - west of the lake of Sodom. En - eglaim - A city on the north - east of the Dead - sea. To spread forth nets - All along on the west - side of this sea to dry them.

Consumed - Never be consumed, never decay, there shall always be fruit, and enough. Their waters - Those that watered them. Issued out - And so carried a blessing with them.

The border - The utmost bounds of the whole land. Shall inherit - That is, shall divide for inheritance to the tribes of Israel. Joseph - That is, the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh.

The great sea - The Mediterranean, which was the greatest sea the Jews knew.

The east sea - The Dead - sea, which lay on the east of Jerusalem. Thus a line drawn from Damascus through Auranitis, Gilead, the land of Israel beyond Jordan to the east - sea, made the eastern frontier.

The river - Called the river of Egypt, lay directly in the way to Egypt from Jerusalem. The great sea - To the south - west part of the Mediterranean sea near Gaza.

Children - Who from their birth should be invested with this right of inheriting.

His inheritance - This certainly looks at gospel times, when the partition - wall between Jew and Gentile was taken down, and both put on a level before God, both made one in Christ Jesus.

1 AFterward he brought me again unto the door of the house , and behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

After that the Temple was measured▪ and the ordinances of it were setled, and what pertained to Prince and people assign'd, &c.

The Angel, or the Spirit of God, chap. 1.3. and 3.22.

The Temple it self.

Some do observe, that there were Aquaeducts laid under ground, which from some Fountain were convey'd to cleanse and purge away the blood of Sacrifices poured forth, and the excrements of the slain beasts, of which some would remain after greatest care, however they would need much water about their Temple services, and this was conveyed in pipes from the Fountain Et[illegible: 1 letter]m as Dr. Lightfoot observes from their Rabbins, and from Arist us an eyewitness; these gave occasion or ground of this vision.

The Fountain lay to the West, the Conduit pipes were laid to bring the water to the Temple, and so must run Eastward, and perhaps, one main pipe might be laid under the East Gate of the Temple.

On the South side of the Temple, for so the South is to a man, whose face looketh toward the East.

Towards the South side of the Altar, for so it seems they were convey'd to run, till they came to the Altar, and were convey'd by the right side of it, into a room they called the well room. The spiritual meaning I refer to the private meditations of Christians; thus far of the Aquaeducts.

2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate north-ward , and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward , and behold there ran out waters on the right side .

Of the inmost Court, where he saw the waters running under the threshold, and by the South side of the Altar.

The East gate being shut, the Prophet in this vision is led to the North gate, out of which he goeth into the next Court, and so through them all, till he comes to the North gate of the outmost Court.

Caused him to go about from that gate to the East gate of the same Court.

Not on the inside of the Wall, but round on the outside of the Wall, which will appear presently, and the reason why.

The outmost North gate in the Wall, that compassed the whole Mountain of the Lords House.

When the Prophet was come quite out of all the Courts, and is on the outside of the last Wall, he is turned from the North gate towards the East gate, and walks up to that gate.

There he found the water course.

That is on the South side. Vid. verse 1. let. f.

3 And when the man that had the line in his hand, went forth east-ward, he measured a thousand cubits , and he brought me through the waters : the waters were to the ankles .

This is he, who accompanied the Prophet, as his Guide all along, and of whom already hath been spoken in several notes.

Mentioned in chap. 40. ver. 3. but hitherto not used, for the Reed and Cubit hitherto were used only, at least only mentioned.

From the gate directly East, with whom the Prophet goeth.

By the Line in his hand.

Almost the third part of an English Mile, it wanted about 80 yards of a third part.

Went before him, as his Guide, and the Prophet followed, all this in vision.

Some five or six inches deep.

Marginal references: Heb. waters of the ankles.

5 Afterward he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over .

This was all done in vision, and these waters thus encreased were visional waters, there was no such natural course of waters in the place, nor is it imaginable, that in three Miles, or thereabouts, which was the most of the current, the waters should so rise; but it is Emblematical, and hath a deep mysterious meaning, and includes spiritual things, and their wonderful growth from small beginnings, and these from the Temple also: But I refer this still to private meditations.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] of [illegible: 1 word]

6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this ? then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.

The man with measuring line in hand.

Observed and considered this, hast thou well seen this?

'Tis not said whether he was gone from the bank, though it be said, he returned to the brink, or, perhaps 'tis, he caused me to return along by the brink of the River.

7 Now when I had returned , behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other .

In his first coming he observed none, and no mention is made of any Trees, but it seems he found them on his return, though they do not really so soon grow, they might be visionally there.

Where usually for delight and ornament, for profit too men plant Trees.

The kinds are not mentioned, though the excellency of them is commended, verse 12. but the multitude of them is mentioned, and the growth intimated, in the Hebrew, and perhaps the uniformity of them, which seemed as of one Tree, for so 'tis the single number in the Hebrew.

On the North and South sides, for the River ran from East to West.

Marginal references: Rev. [illegible: 1 word]; Heb. [illegible: 1 word]

8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east-country, and go down into the desert , and go into the sea : which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.

Verse 6. let. a.

Some read it as a proper name, and so render it, they did run toward Galilee in the East, and the Hebrew bears it indeed, as to the sound of the word; but it cannot be the meaning of the place, for Galilee, neither the upper or lower were East, but North-West from Ierusalem toward Tyre: our Translation doth therefore better render it the East Country, or border, as the Hebrew properly.

To Arabia say the 72. in their Gr. Version, if this were the course of the waters, they did run a course quite [illegible: 1 letter]ontrary to that of Galilee, which lay North and by West from Ierusalem, whereas Arabia lay South and by East from Ierusalem. 'Tis then the Champagne, plain country, or the desert, as we read it, and may literally be understood of t[illegible: 2 letters] desert of Maon, or Kadesh, or Ziph, which lay on the dead Sea, [illegible: 1 letter]nd this suits well enough with E[illegible: 1 letter] gedi, and En-Eglaim, mentioned as bordering on these waters, verse 10.

The Sea of Tiberias say some, others, the Sea called the dead Sea, or Lake of Sodom, which needed healing.

When they run into this Sea, or fall into it, which is our usual phrase.

The waters of the Sea shall be healed, made wholsome, where the Grace of God from his Temple and Altar flowes, as this water, it heals the corrupt vitious nature of man, and renders barren, horrid and terrible deserts, as a land of waters, and Gardens so represented here, and so promised by the Lord, Isa. 35.1, 2. and 41.19. and 43.19, 20. and 51.3. Once more to this verse let me add, that as the Hebrew Doctors do, so we may take it here, that these flowing waters do divide themselves, and that some flow toward one Sea, i. e. the Sea of Tiberias, this toward Galilee, other parts flow toward Arabia the Desert, and so in their way take their course by Engedi the desert of Ziph, and into the dead Sea.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 span].

9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth , which moveth , whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live : and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed , and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.

As fish, so this universal is to be limited.

In the waters▪ so Gen. 1.20. this kind of living Creatures are described.

These Rivers (by this it appears, the Hebrew Doctors have some ground for their interpreting the running of these waters in two Channels) flow.

Be preserved alive, or nourished, and thrive, whereas no fish can live in the dead Sea, as all reports assure us, and to which this of the Prophet alludeth.

Before none, now innumerable fish there.

These Temple waters, which have in them a healing vertue.

The poisonous waters of the dead Sea shall be made wholesome for fish.

Thrive, and multiply in the vertue of the healing streams of this Temple water. Thus Aenigmatically is the fruitfulness of the Grace of God in the Church set forth.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] vers.

10 And it shall come to pass that the fishers shall stand upon it , from En-gedi , even unto En-Eglaim ; they d shall be a place to spread forth nets , their fish shall be according to their kinds , as the fish of the great sea , exceeding many .

Men whose trade is to fish for livelyhood and profit.

Shall dispose of themselves about these waters; either on the shore along the River side, or in boats on the Sea, to take the fish.

The Sea, whose waters healed become fruitful.

Which lay on the South-West of the Lake of Sodom, so near, that 'tis reported, that there are the Trees, which bring forth fruit beautiful to the eye, but toucht with the hand fall into ashes; yet on those parts, more remote from this Sea, Engedi affords excellent Vines, Canticles 1.14. or Gardens of Balsam Trees.

A City on the North-East of the dead Sea, near which place Iordan runs into it, and they say 'tis a boundary Town of Moab, others will have it no proper, but common name, and signifying the confluence of waters in any place, if so, 'twill be likeliest to be understood of that part of the Red Sea, where Iordan, and two more lesser Rivers run into it, at North, and North-East end of this Sea.

All along on the West side of this Sea to dry them, and fit them again.

Of all sorts.

[illegible: 1 letter]umb. 34.6.

For number, growth, and goodness for use.

Or great, of exceeding great bigness in their several kinds. All this is mystical, and fulfilled since Christ hath made his Ministers, as he made his Apostles, fishers of men.

11 But the miry places thereof, and the marishes thereof shall not be healed , they shall be given to salt .

Unsound, rotten parts, that are neither Sea, nor yet sound ground, a proper emblem of Hypocrites.

Low Land, sob'd with the overflowings of unhealthful waters, neither fit to breed fish as the Sea, nor bear trees as the Land.

These waters find them, and leave them corrupt and noxious.

Left to their barrenness, or used as salt to season, by being made examples to others.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] and that [illegible: 1 word] shall not [illegible: 1 word].

12 And by the river upon the bank thereof on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat , whose leaf shall not fade , neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed : it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months , because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary , and the fruit thereof shall be for meat , and the leaf thereof for medicine .

All along this River, which way ever it runs, it shall make its banks so fruitful, that on both sides thereof it shall be abundantly planted with best Trees.

Take root, flourish, and be fruitful, as Trees that like their Soil.

They shall not be as Trees that are set only for pleasur[illegible: 1 letter], their Fruit shall be for food.

Ever green, and flourishing, as Trees in the Spring, and in their prime.

Never be so little as to be consumed, and spent, never rot and decay, there shall alwayes be fruit, and enough.

These Trees have, as the Tree of Life, their fruit every Month, Rev. 22.2.

Called their waters, because watered by this stream.

And so carried a blessing with them, these waters came from the Temple, and were indeed a spell against barrenness.

See let. p.

There are many Herbs of a healing property, none like the Leaves of these Trees.

Healing the Nations, as Rev. 22.2. These Trees most likely were Palmeto Trees, whence the Balm that healeth, the Fruit that feedeth, and Juice that refresheth, and allays our thirst. Thus the letter, the mystery I do not insist on, 'tis no hard matter for private Christians to accommodate it to themselves.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 letter]eb. come up.; [illegible: 1 letter]ob 8.16. [illegible: 1 word] 1.3. [illegible: 1 word] 17.8.; [illegible: 1 word], principal.; [illegible: 1 word], for bruises [illegible: 1 word] sores.

13 Thus saith the Lord GOD: This shall be the border whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.

The utmost bounds of the whole Land.

That is, shall divide for inheritance to the Tribes of Israel.

As 'twas at first divided into twelve portions, so now again.

That is the two sons of Ioseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, and this pursuant of their Adoption by Iacob, as well as in [illegible: 1 letter]ulfilling the will of Iacob, who gave Ioseph a double share.

14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers , and this lan[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 letter]hall fall unto you for inheritance.

By equal right each Tribe, and each Family shall inherit their assign'd Portion, by right of children descendant from a Father, whose 'twas by Letters Patents from Heaven.

Which by oath I bound my self, saith God, to give to you, see this form of oath: Chap. 20. ver. 5. let. r. and chap. 36. ver. 7. let. g.

First to Abraham, Gen. 13.15. and 15.18. next to Isaac, Gen. 26.3. next to Iacob, Gen. 28.13. and all three are frequently mentioned, as those, to whom the Lord sware in this thing, Exod. 33.1. Deut. 1.8. and 6.10. &c.

So we speak of the inheritance which is sure, and firm by indefeisable right, and comes into actual possession, beside it may refer to the dividing by lot, which God will guide, that each may have their own.

Returned Captives, who were carried away, and used as if nothing were your own, and as if you never should have any thing, but in their sight you shall inherit.

Marginal references: Or, swore.; Gen. 17.7, 8.

15 And this shall be the border of the land toward the north-side , from the great sea , the way of Hethlon , as men go to Zedad :

In bounding the Land, the Prophet is informed what is the North border first.

This called so, not that 'tis the greatest, for 'tis the Mediterrane here spoken of, but with respect to the Iews; this to them was the greatest they knew, or Traded on, from this Sea doth the measuring of the Land begin, from the West point along to Hethlon.

Which is called Hethalon by Adrichmius, in the Tribe of Asher, at the foot, or near the Mount Hermon or Senir, as chap. 27.5. calls that Mount: This City was in the North-East of Asher's lot, and on the North-West of Nephthali's lot, in the old division of the Land.

Which is Sedada a small Town under the same Hill, and near the head of the River Eleutherus, antiently Gebat.

16 Hamath , Berothah , Sibraim , which is between the border of Damascus, and the border of Hamath; Hazar-hatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran.

Very near to the head of Eleutherus, or Gebat, and to Sedada: It is like to be that mentioned, Isa. 10.9. scituate about the middle of the North boundary of the Land, called sometime Epiphania, from Antiochus Epiphanes, who repair'd it, and some say, now called Enimas.

Berotha a small and inconsiderable Town or Village, lying East of Sedada.

Or Sabarim, a place of no farther note then the former, known thus by being a boundary.

It lay between these two, Hamath to the West of it▪ and Damascus to the East by North, somewhat nearer to Hamath then to Damascus.

Though we render it as a proper name, some render it otherwise. The small Villages between them two, (so the Fr.) i. e. between Hamath and Hauran.

Or Auran, some miles beyond Iordan, Eastward from Hamath, which also gives name to the Country called Auranitis.

Marginal references: Or, the middle Village.

17 And the border from the sea shall be Hazar-Enan the border of Damascus, and the North northward , and the border of Hamath: and this is the North side.

The utmost Northern bounds.

Vid. ver. 15: let. l.

The Village Enan, or Enon near Sebada.

A line drawn from West to East, that shall distinguish the most Northern boundaries of Israel from the most Southern of Syria Damascena.

Marginal references: Chap. 48.1.

18 And the East side ye shall measure from Hauran , and from Damascus , and from Gilead , and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the East sea ; and this is the East side.

That was the North-East bound, where we must begin to measure the East side, and

This was more Northward than the City Hauran, but the countrey Auranitis, for ought I know might reach to Damascus, or near it, and so this more particularly direct the measuring: begin at Damascus, draw the line through Auranitis, and so on Southerly to Gilead.

A famous mountain about fifty miles in length from South to North where joins Mount Libanus at the East end of it, and hath many particular names in particular places, and seems to end his Souththern progress at the Rock Arnon.

From the out-side of the land of Israel, which lay beyond Iordan.

Thence to the East Sea, or Dead Sea, which lay on the East of Ierusalem. Thus a line drawn from Damascus through Auranitis, Gilead, the land of Israel beyond Iordan, to the East Sea, made the Eastern Frontier.

Marginal references: Heb. from between.

19 And the South side southward from Tamar, even to the waters of strife in Kadesh; the river , to the great sea . And this is the southside southward.

Shall begin at that point, which first vergeth Southward from the East sea toward Tamar, which is near Engedi, and known by the addition Hazezon Tamar, and so some place the lake of Sodom, that the greatest part will be this Southern Frontier.

From Tamar a line drawn to Meriba[illegible: 1 letter] in Kad[illegible: 1 letter]sh, of which Num. 20.13. and 27.14.

Called the river of Egypt and was on the South of Iudah, lay directly in the way to Egypt from Ierusalem.

To the South-west part of the Mediterranean Sea near Gaza. This the Southern Frontier.

Marginal references: Or, Meriba[illegible: 1 letter].; Or, Valley.; Or, toward Tamar.

20 The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath : This is the west side.

This boundary begins where the River falls into the Mediterrane, a little South of Gaz[illegible: 1 letter], this the South point of the Western boundary, and the line runs all along the Sea shore Northward, till you come in a strait line to Hamath, and this is the Northern point of the West Frontier, over right Sidon, or little differing.

21 So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.

Now bounded.

Into twelve parts or Tribes, to which all but what is allotted to Prince, Priests, Levites, and the City. This, as Holy, must be reserved; and when reserved, a very fair portion is left to the 12 Tribes, if you measure the Holy Portion by Cubits, and not by Reeds.

22 And it shall come to pass , that ye shall divide it by Lot for an inheritance unto you , and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the countrey among the children of Israel: they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.

This directs what they should do, as well as foretels the event that shall be.

So 'twas divided before, so it must again, for thus all controversies shall be prevented, thus he will choose their inheritance for them, for the disposition of the Lot is of the Lord.

That are the Natural seed of Abraham.

Forreigners never had such priviledge before, tho' they might dwell, and trade among the Iews yet they were excluded all Hereditary right, could not purchase, nor possess inheritances, but now the constitution is altered, and by this temporal external incorporating them, a Spiritual and Heavenly is signified no doubt, They are put into capacity of Inheriting with Israel in both Canaans, in this below, in that above.

Who from their Birth should be invested with this right of inheriting.

Equally with the children of Israel in point of Right, and with that very Tribe, in which they sojourn.

Possess, and enjoy, as well as you.

This speaks the equal Title or Priviledge.

This directs where the inheritance of these strangers born among them, or that first came with them, when they came out of Babylon, should be assign'd them, viz. in that very tribe, where they sojourn'd which is fully exprest in the next Verse.

23 And it shall come to pass , that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD .

See ver. 22. let. m.

Whether by choice, or chance the stranger fix'd in that Tribe, No stranger shall be excluded out of the Tribes inheritance, among whom he hath sojourn'd, and begotten children.

Every Proselyte or Gentile, that joyns himself to the people of God,

Neither the Iew might thrust a stranger out into another Tribe, nor might the stranger by choice go to another.

'Tis called his, for so much as he had a right preceding the Assignation.

All this confirmed by Divine Authority.

Blessing of the Land of Canaan, and Distribution of It Among the Tribes of Israel - Ezekiel 47-48

After Ezekiel had seen the entrance of the glory of the Lord into the new temple, which was measured before his eyes, and had received the new thorah to be announced to the people concerning the service which Israel was to render to its God in the new sanctuary, a stream of living water was shown to him, proceeding from the threshold of the temple, flowing to the Arabah, and emptying itself into the Dead Sea, to fertilize the barren soil, and fill the salt water of the Dead Sea with vital power (Eze 47:1-12); and finally, the command of the Lord is communicated to him concerning the boundaries of the holy land, its distribution among the twelve tribes of Israel, and the building of the holy city (Ezekiel 47:13-48:35).

The River of Water of Life

When Jehovah shall have judged all the heathen in the valley of Jehoshaphat, and shall dwell as King of His people upon Zion His holy mountain, then will the mountains trickle with new wine, and the hills run with milk, and all the brooks of Judah flow with water; and a spring will proceed from the house of Jehovah, and water the Acacia valley. With these figures Joel (Joel 4:18) has already described the river of salvation, which the Lord would cause to flow to His congregation in the time when the kingdom of God shall be perfected. This picture of the Messianic salvation shapes itself in the case of our prophet into the magnificent vision contained in the section before us.Compare W. Neumann, Die Wasser des Lebens. An exegetical study on Eze 47:1-12. Berlin, 1848.

Eze 47:1. And he led me back to the door of the house, and, behold, water flowed out from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the front side of the house was toward the east; and the water flowed down from below, from the right shoulder of the house on the south of the altar. Eze 47:2. And he led me out by the way of the north gate, and caused me to go round about on the outside, to the outer gate of the way to the (gate), looking toward the east; and, behold, waters rippled for the right shoulder of the gate. Eze 47:3. When the man went out toward the east, he had a measuring line in his hand, and he measured a thousand cubits, and caused me to go through the water-water to the ankles. Eze 47:4. And he measured a thousand, and caused me to go through the water-water to the knees; and he measured a thousand, and caused me to go through-water to the hips. Eze 47:5. And he measured a thousand-a river through which I could not walk, for the water was high, water to swim in, a river which could not be forded. Eze 47:6. And he said to me, Hast thou seen it, son of man? and he led me back again by the bank of the river. Eze 47:7. When I returned, behold, there stood on the bank of the river very many trees on this side and on that. Eze 47:8. And he said to me, This water flows out into the eastern circle, and runs down into the plain, and reaches the sea; into the sea is it carried out, that the waters may become wholesome. Eze 47:9. And it will come to pass, every living thing with which it swarms everywhere, whither the double river comes, will live, and there will be very many fishes; for when this water comes thither they will become wholesome, and everything will live whither the river comes. Eze 47:10. And fishermen will stand by it, from Engedi to Eneglaim they will spread out nets; after their kind will there be fishes therein, like the fishes of the great sea, very many. Eze 47:11. Its marshes and its swamps, they will not become wholesome, they will be given up to salt. Eze 47:12. And by the river will all kinds of trees of edible fruit grow on its bank, on this side and on that; their leaves will not wither, and their fruits will not fail; every moon they will bear ripe fruit, for its water flows out of its sanctuary. And their fruits will serve as food, and their leaves as medicine.

From the outer court, where Ezekiel had been shown the sacrificial kitchens for the people (Eze 46:21.), he is taken back to the front of the door of the temple house, to be shown a spring of water, flowing out from under the threshold of the temple, which has swollen in the short course of four thousand cubits from its source into a deep river in which men can swim, and which flows down to the Jordan valley, to empty itself into the Dead Sea. In Eze 47:1 and Eze 47:2, the origin and course of this water are described; in Eze 47:3 and Eze 47:5, its marvellous increase; in Eze 47:6, the growth of trees on its banks; in Eze 47:7-12, its emptying itself into the Arabah and into the Dead Sea, with the life-giving power of its water. - Eze 47:1. The door of the house is the entrance into the holy place of the temple, and מפתּן הבּית the threshold of this door. קדימה, not “in the east” (Hitzig), for the following sentence explaining the reason does not require this meaning; but “toward the east” of the threshold, which lay toward the east, for the front of the temple was in the east. מתּחת is not to be connected with מכּתף, but to be taken by itself, only not in the sense of downwards (Hitzig), but from beneath, namely, down from the right shoulder of the house. ירד, to flow down, because the temple stood on higher ground than the inner court. The right shoulder is the part of the eastern wall of the holy place between the door and the pillars, the breadth of which was five cubits (Eze 41:1). The water therefore issued from the corner formed by the southern wall of the porch and the eastern wall of the holy place (see the sketch on Plate I), and flowed past the altar of burnt-offering on the south side, and crossed the court in an easterly direction, passing under its surrounding wall. It then flowed across the outer court and under the pavement and the eastern wall into the open country, where the prophet, on the outside in front of the gate, saw it rippling forth from the right shoulder of that gate. That he might do this, he was led out through the north gate, because the east gate was shut (Eze 44:1), and round by the outside wall to the eastern outer gate. דּרך חוּץ is more minutely defined by אל־שׁער החוּץ, and this, again, by דּרך הפּונה קדים, “by the way to the (gate) looking eastwards.” The ἁπ. λεγ. ּרך̓̀ינבל;, Piel of פּכה, related to בּכה, most probably signifies to ripple, not to trickle. מים has no article, because it is evident from the context that the water was the same as that which Ezekiel had seen in the inner court, issuing from the threshold of the temple. The right shoulder is that portion of the eastern wall which joined the south side of the gate. - Eze 47:3-5. The miraculous increase in the depth of the water. A thousand cubits from the wall, as one walked through, it reached to the ankles; a thousand cubits further, to the knees; a thousand cubits further, to the hips; and after going another thousand cubits it was impossible to wade through, one could only swim therein. The words מי אפסים are a brief expression for “there was water which reached to the ankles.” אפס is equivalent to פּס, an ankle, not the sole of the foot. In 1Ch 11:13, on the other hand, we have פּס דּמּים for אפס דּמּים . The striking expression מים בּרכים for מי ברכים may possibly have been chosen because מי ברכים had the same meaning as מימי רגלים in Isa 36:12 (Keri). The measuring man directed the prophet’s attention (Eze 47:6) to this extraordinary increase in the stream of water, because the miraculous nature of the stream was exhibited therein. A natural river could not increase to such an extent within such short distances, unless, indeed, other streams emptied themselves into it on all sides, which was not he case here. He then directed him to go back again על שׂפת, along the bank, not “to the bank,” as he had never left it. The purpose for which he had been led along the bank was accomplished after he had gone four thousand cubits. From the increase in the water, as measured up to this point, he could infer what depth it would reach in its further course. He is therefore now to return along the bank to see how it is covered with trees. בּשׁוּבני cannot be explained in any other way than as an incorrect form for בּשׁוּבי, though there are no corresponding analogies to be found.

In Eze 47:8-12 he gives him a still further explanation of the course of the river and the effect of its waters. The river flows out into הגּלילה הקּדמונה, the eastern circle, which is identical with גּלילות היּרדּן htiw lacitne, the circle of the Jordan (Jos 22:10-11), the region above the Dead Sea, where the Jordan valley (Ghor) widens out into a broad, deep basin. הערבה is the deep valley of the Jordan, now called the Ghor (see the comm. on Deu 1:1), of which Robinson says that the greater part remains a desolate wilderness. It was so described in ancient times (see Joseph. Bell. Jud. iii. 10. 7, iv. 8. 2), and we find it so to-day (compare v. Raumer, Pal. p. 58). היּמּה is the Dead Sea, called היּם הקּדמוני in Eze 47:18, and the sea of the Arabah in Deu 3:17; Deu 4:49. We agree with Hengstenberg in taking the words אל־היּמּה המּוּצאים as an emphatic summing up of the previous statement concerning the outflow of the water, to which the explanation concerning its effect upon the Dead Sea is attached, and supply בּאוּ from the clause immediately preceding: “the waters of the river that have been brought out (come) to the sea, and the waters of the Dead Sea are healed.” There is no need, therefore, for the emendation proposed by Hitzig, namely, אל היּם הם מוּצאים. So much, however, is beyond all doubt, that היּמּה is no other than the Dead Sea already mentioned. The supposition that it is the Mediterranean Sea (Chald., Ros., Ewald, and others) cannot be reconciled with the words, and has only been transferred to this passage from Zec 14:8. נרפּא signifies, as in 2Ki 2:22, the healing or rendering wholesome of water that is injurious or destructive to life. The character of the Dead Sea, with which the ancients were also well acquainted, and of which Tacitus writes as follows: Lacus immenso ambitu, specie maris sapore corruptior, gravitate odoris accolis pestifer, neque vento impellitur neque pisces aut suetas aquis volucres patitur (Hist. v. c. 6), - a statement confirmed by all modern travellers (cf. v. Raumer, Pal. pp. 61ff., and Robinson, Physical Geography of the Holy Land), - is regarded as a disease of the water, which is healed or turned into wholesome water in which fishes can live, by the water of the river proceeding from the sanctuary. The healing and life-giving effect of this river upon the Dead Sea is described in Eze 47:9 and Eze 47:10. Whithersoever the waters of the river come, all animated beings will come to life and flourish.

In Eze 47:9 the dual נחלים occasions some difficulty. It is not likely that the dual should have been used merely for the sake of its resemblance to מים, as Maurer imagines; and still less probable is it that there is any allusion to a junction of the river proceeding from the temple at some point in its course with the Kedron, which also flows into the Dead Sea (Hävernick), as the Kedron is not mentioned either before or afterwards. According to Kliefoth, the dual is intended to indicate a division which takes place in the waters of the river, that have hitherto flowed on together, as soon as they enter the sea. But this would certainly have been expressed more clearly. Hengstenberg takes the expression “double river” to mean a river with a strong current, and refers to Jer 50:21 in support of this. This is probably the best explanation; for nothing is gained by altering the text into נחלם (Ewald) or נחלים (Hitzig), as נחל does not require definition by means of a suffix, nor doe the plural answer to the context.  is to be taken in connection with אשׁר ישׁרץ: “wherewith it swarms whithersoever the river comes;” though אל does not stand for על after Gen 7:21, as Hitzig supposes, but is to be explained from a species of attraction, as in Gen 20:13. יחיה is a pregnant expression, to revive, to come to life. The words are not to be understood, however, as meaning that there were living creatures in the Dead Sea before the health-giving water flowed into it; the thought is simply, that whithersoever the waters of the river come, there come into existence living creatures in the Dead Sea, so that it swarms with them. In addition to the שׁרץ, the quantity of fish is specially mentioned; and in the second hemistich the reason is assigned for the number of living creatures that come into existence by a second allusion to the health-giving power of the water of the river. The subject to וירפאוּ, viz., the waters of the Dead Sea, is to be supplied from the context. The great abundance of fish in the Dead Sea produced by the river is still further depicted in Eze 47:10. Fishermen will spread their nets along its coast from Engedi to Eneglaim; and as for their kind, there will be as many kinds of fish there as are to be found in the great or Mediterranean Sea. עין גּדי, i.e., Goat’s spring, now Ain-Jidi, a spring in the middle of the west coast of the Dead Sea, with ruins of several ancient buildings (see the comm. on Jos 15:62, and v. Raumer, Pal. p. 188). עין עגלים has not yet been discovered, though, from the statement of Jerome, “Engallim is at the beginning of the Dead Sea, where the Jordan enters it,” it has been conjectured that it is to be found in Ain el-Feshkhah, a spring at the northern end of the west coast, where there are also ruins of a small square tower and other buildings to be seen (vid., Robinson’s Palestine, II pp. 491, 492), as none of the other springs on the west coast, of which there are but few, answer so well as this. למינה is pointed without Mappik, probably because the Masoretes did not regard the ה as a suffix, as the noun to which it alludes does not follow till afterwards. - Eze 47:11 introduces an exception, namely, that notwithstanding this the Dead Sea will still retain marshes or pools and swamps, which will not be made wholesome (בּצּאת for בּצּות, pools). An allusion to the natural character of the Dead Sea underlies the words. “In the rainy season, when the sea is full, its waters overspread many low tracts of marsh land, which remain after the receding of the water in the form of moist pools or basins; and as the water in these pools evaporates rapidly, the ground becomes covered with a thick crust of salt” (Robinson’s Physical Geography, p. 215). למלח נתּנוּ, they are given up to salt, i.e., destined to remain salt, because the waters of the river do not reach them. The light in which the salt is regarded here is not that of its seasoning properties, but, in the words of Hengstenberg, “as the foe to all fruitfulness, all life and prosperity, as Pliny has said (Hist. Nat. xxxi. c. 7: Omnis locus, in quo reperitur sal, sterilis est nihilque gignit”) (cf. Deu 29:22; Jer 17:6; Zep 2:9; Psa 107:34). - In Eze 47:12 the effect of the water of the river upon the vegetation of the ground, already mentioned in Eze 47:7, is still further described. On its coast grow all kinds of trees with edible fruits (עץ מאכל, as in Lev 19:23), whose leaves do not wither, and whose fruits do not fail, but ripen every month (בּכּר, or produce first-fruits, i.e., fresh fruits; and לחדשׁים distributive, as in Isa 47:13), because the waters which moisten the soil proceed from the sanctuary, i.e., “directly and immediately from the dwelling-place of Him who is the author of all vital power and fruitfulness” (Hitzig). The leaves and fruits of these trees therefore possess supernatural powers. The fruits serve as food, i.e., for the maintenance of the life produced by the river of water; the leaves as medicine (תּרוּפה from רוּף = רפא, healing), i.e., for the healing of the sick and corrupt (εἰς θεραπείαν, Rev 22:2).

In the effect of the water proceeding from the sanctuary upon the Dead Sea and the land on its shores, as described in Eze 47:8-12, the significance of this stream of water in relation to the new kingdom of God is implied. If, then, the question be asked, what we are to understand by this water, whether we are to take it in a literal sense as the temple spring, or in a spiritual and symbolical sense, the complete answer can only be given in connection with the interpretation of the whole of the temple vision (Ezekiel 40-48). Even if we assume for the moment, however, that the description of the new temple, with the worship appointed for it, and the fresh division of Canaan, is to be understood literally, and therefore that the building of an earthly temple upon a high mountain in the most holy terumah of the land set apart for Jehovah, and a renewal of the bleeding sacrifices in this temple by the twelve tribes of Israel, when restored to Palestine from the heathen lands, are to be taken for granted, it would be difficult to combine with this a literal interpretation of what is said concerning the effect of the temple spring. It is true that in Volck’s opinion “we are to think of a glorification of nature;” but even this does not remove the difficulties which stand in the way of a literal interpretation of the temple spring. According to Eze 47:12, its waters posses the life-giving and healing power ascribed to them because they issue from the sanctuary. But how does the possession by the water of the power to effect the glorification of nature harmonize with its issuing from a temple in which bullocks, rams, calves, and goats are slaughtered and sacrificed? - Volck is still further of opinion that, with the spiritual interpretation of the temple spring, “nothing at all could be made of the fishermen;” because, for example, he cannot conceive of the spiritual interpretation in any other way than as an allegorical translation of all the separate features of the prophetic picture into spiritual things. But he has failed to consider that the fishermen with their nets on the shore of the sea, once dead, but now swarming with fish, are irreconcilably opposed to the assumption of a glorification of nature in the holy land, just because the inhabitants of the globe or holy land, in its paradisaically glorified state, will no more eat fish or other flesh, according to the teaching of Scripture, than the first men in Paradise. When once the wolf shall feed with the lamb, the leopard with the kid, the cow with the bear, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, under the sceptre of the sprout from the stem of Jesse, then will men also cease their fishing, and no longer slaughter and eat either oxen or goats. To this the Israelites will form no exception in their glorified land of Canaan. - And if even these features in the vision before us decidedly favour the figurative or spiritual view of the temple spring, the necessity for this explanation is placed beyond the reach of doubt by a comparison of our picture with the parallel passages. According to Joel 4:18, at the time when a spring issues from the house of Jehovah and the vale of Shittim is watered, the mountains trickle with new wine, and the hills run with milk. If, then, in this case we understand what is affirmed of the temple spring literally, the trickling of the mountains with new wine and the flowing of the hills with milk must be taken literally as well. But we are unable to attain to the belief that in the glorified land of Israel the mountains will be turned into springs of new wine, and the hills into fountains of milk, and in the words of the whole verse we can discern nothing but a figurative description of the abundant streams of blessing which will then pour over the entire land. And just as in Joel the context points indisputably to a non-literal or figurative explanation, so also does the free manner in which Zechariah uses this prophecy of his predecessors, speaking only of living waters which issue from Jerusalem, and flow half into the eastern (i.e., the Dead) sea, and half into the western (i.e., the Mediterranean) sea (Zec 14:8), show that he was not thinking of an actual spring with earthly water. And here we are still provisionally passing by the application made of this feature in the prophetic descriptions of the glory of the new kingdom of God in the picture of the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 22:1 and Rev 22:2).

The figurative interpretation, or spiritual explanation, is moreover favoured by the analogy of the Scriptures. “Water,” which renders the unfruitful land fertile, and supplies refreshing drink to the thirsty, is used in Scripture as a figure denoting blessing and salvation, which had been represented even in Paradise in the form of watering (cf. Gen 13:10). In Isa 12:3, “and with joy ye draw water from the wells of salvation,” the figure is expressly interpreted. And so also in Isa 44:3, “I will pour water upon the thirsty one, and streams upon the desert; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:” where the blessing answers to the water, the Spirit is named as the principal form in which the blessing is manifested, “the foundation of all other salvation for the people of God” (Hengstenberg). This salvation, which Joel had already described as a spring issuing from the house of Jehovah and watering the dry acacia valley, Ezekiel saw in a visionary embodiment as water, which sprang from under the threshold of the temple into which the glory of the Lord entered, and had swollen at a short distance off into so mighty a river that it was no longer possible to wade through. In this way the thought is symbolized, that the salvation which the Lord causes to flow down to His people from His throne will pour down from small beginnings in marvellously increasing fulness. The river flows on into the barren, desolate waste of the Ghor, and finally into the Dead Sea, and makes the waters thereof sound, so that it swarms with fishes. The waste is a figure denoting the spiritual drought and desolation, and the Dead Sea a symbol of the death caused by sin. The healing and quickening of the salt waters of that sea, so fatal to all life, set forth the power of that divine salvation which conquers death, and the calling to life of the world sunk in spiritual death. From this comes life in its creative fulness and manifold variety, as shown both by the figure of the fishermen who spread their nets along the shore, and by the reference to the kinds of fish, which are as manifold in their variety as those in the great sea. But life extends no further than the water of salvation flows. Wherever it cannot reach, the world continues to life in death. The pools and swamps of the Dead Sea are still given up to salt. And lastly, the water of salvation also possesses the power to produce trees with leaves and fruits, by which the life called forth from death can be sustained and cured of all diseases. This is the meaning, according to the express statement of the text, of the trees with their never withering leaves, upon the banks of the river, and their fruits ripening every month.

Eze 47:13-23

Boundaries of the Land to be Divided among the Tribes of Israel.

Eze 47:13. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, This is the boundary according to which ye shall divide the land among you for an inheritance, for Joseph portions. Eze 47:14. And ye shall receive it for an inheritance, one as well as another, because I lifted up my hand to give it to your fathers; and thus shall this land fall to you for an inheritance. Eze 47:15. And this is the boundary of the land: toward the north side, from the great sea onwards by the way to Chetlon, in the direction of Zedad; Eze 47:16. Hamath, Berotah, Sibraim, which is between the boundary of Damascus and the boundary of Hamath, the central Hazer, which is on the boundary of Haruan. Eze 47:17. And the boundary from the sea shall be Hazar-Enon, the boundary town of Damascus; and as for the north northwards, Hamath is the boundary. This, the north side. Eze 47:18. And the east side between Hauran and Damascus and Gilead and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the boundary to the eastern sea ye shall measure. This, the east side. Eze 47:19. And the south side toward the south; from Tamar to the water of strife, Kadesh, along the brook to the great sea. This, the south side toward the south. Eze 47:20. And the west side; the great sea from the boundary to Hamath. This, the west side. Eze 47:21. This land shall ye divide among you according to the tribes of Israel. Eze 47:22. And it shall come to pass, ye shall divide it by lot among yourselves for an inheritance, and among the foreigners who dwell in the midst of you, who have begotten sons in the midst of you; they shall be to you like natives born among the sons of Israel; they shall cast lots with you for an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. Eze 47:23. And it shall come to pass, in the tribe in which the foreigner dwells, there shall ye give him his inheritance, is the saying of the Lord Jehovah.

The fixing of the boundary of the land which Israel was to divide in future according to its twelve tribes is commenced (Eze 47:13 and Eze 47:14) and concluded (Eze 47:22 and Eze 47:23) with certain general statements concerning the distribution. The introductory statements are attached to the heading “this is the boundary,” which is therefore repeated in Eze 47:15. גּה is evidently a copyist’s error for זה, which is adopted by all the older translators, contained in some Codd., and demanded by וזה in Eze 47:15. גּבוּל stands here for the whole of the boundary of the land to be distributed; and אשׁר which follows is an accusative, “according to which.” - ”According to the twelve tribes,” - for all Israel is to return and dwell as one people of God under one prince in its own land (Eze 36:24., Eze 37:21.). But the division among the twelve tribes is more precisely defined immediately afterwards by the clause abruptly appended, “Joseph portions,” i.e., two portions for Joseph. There can be no doubt that this is the meaning of the words in accordance with Gen 48:22 and Jos 17:14, Jos 17:17. Hence the notice-like form of the expression, which should not be obliterated by pointing חבלים as a dual, חבלים. If the land was to be divided by lot according to twelve tribes, and the tribe of Levi was to receive its portion from the terumah which was set apart, Joseph must necessarily receive two hereditary portions for his sons Ephraim and Manasseh, in accordance with the appointment of the patriarch in Gen 48:22. The commencement of Eze 47:14 is not at variance with this, as Hitzig imagines; for the words, “ye shall receive it for an inheritance, one as another,” simply affirm, that of the twelve tribes reckoned by Israel in relation to the נחלה, all were to receive equal shares, the one as much as the other. As the reason for this command to divide the land, allusion is made to the oath with which God promised to give this land to the fathers (cf. Eze 20:28).

The definition of the boundaries commences with Eze 47:15. In form it differs in many points from Num 34:1-5, but in actual fact it is in harmony with the Mosaic definition. In Num 34 the description commences with the southern boundary, then proceeds to the western and northern boundaries, and closes with the eastern. In Ezekiel it commences with the northern boundary and proceeds to the east, the south, and the west. This difference may be explained in a very simple manner, from the fact that the Israelites in the time of Moses came from Egypt i.e., marching from the south, and stood by the south-eastern boundary of the land, whereas at this time they were carried away into the northern lands Assyria and Babylon, and were regarded as returning thence. Again, in Ezekiel the boundaries are described much more briefly than in Num 34, the northern boundary alone being somewhat more circumstantially described. The course which it takes is represented in a general manner in Eze 47:15 as running from the great sea, i.e., the Mediterranean, by the way to Chetlon, in the direction toward Zedad. In Eze 47:16 and Eze 47:17 there follow the places which formed the boundary. The starting-point on the Mediterranean Sea can only be approximately determined, as the places mentioned, Chetlon and Zedad, are still unknown. Not only Chetlon, but Zedad also, has not yet been discovered. The city of Sadad (Sudud), to the east of the road leading from Damascus to Hums (Emesa), which Robinson and Wetzstein suppose to be the same, lies much too far toward the east to be used in defining the boundary either here or in Num 34:8 (see the comm. on Num 34:8). Among the names enumerated in Eze 47:16, חמת is not the city of Hamah on the Orontes, which lay much too far to the north, but the kingdom of Hamath, the southern boundary of which formed the northern boundary of Canaan, though it cannot be given with exactness. Berothah is probably identical with Berothai in 2Sa 8:8, a city of the king of Zobah; but the situation of it is still unknown. Sibraim may perhaps be identical with Ziphron in Num 34:9, which has also not yet been discovered, and is not to be sought for in the ruins of Zifran, to the north-east of Damascus, near the road to Palmyra; for that place could not form the boundary of Damascus and Hamath. The situation of the “central Hazer” has also not yet been determined. Hauran, on the boundary of which it stood, is used here in a more comprehensive sense that  ̓Αυρανῖτις in Josephus and other Greek authors, and includes the later Auranitis, together with Gaulanitis (Golan) and Batanaea (Bashan), and probably also Ituraea, as only Damascus and Gilead are named in Eze 47:18 in addition to Hauran, on the east side of the Jordan; so that the whole tract of land between the territory of Damascus and the country of Gilead is embraced by the name Hauran. חורן, Arab. Hawrân, is derived from the number of caves (חור, חוּר) in that district, to which Wetzstein (Reiseber. p. 92) indeed raises the objection that with the exception of the eastern and south-eastern Hauran, where no doubt most of the volcanic hills have been perforated by troglodytes, the dwellings in caves are by no means common in that region. But the name may have originated in this eastern district, and possibly have included even that portion of Gilead which was situated to the north of the Jabbok, namely, Erbed and Suët, the true cave-country. For further remarks concerning these districts, see the comm. on Deu 3:4 and Deu 3:10. The statement in Eze 47:17, “the boundary from the sea shall be Hazar-Enon, the boundary of Damascus,” cannot have any other meaning than that the northern boundary, which started from the Mediterranean Sea, stretched as far as Hazar-Enon, the frontier city of Damascus, or that Hazar-Enon formed the terminal point on the east, toward the boundary of Damascus, for the northern boundary proceeding from the sea. חצר עינון or חצר עינן (Num 34:9), i.e., spring-court, we have endeavoured to identify in the comm. on Num 34:3 with the spring Lebweh, which lies in the Bekâa at the watershed between the Orontes and the Leontes; and the designation “the boundary of Damascus” suits the situation very well. Eze 47:17 has been aptly explained by Hitzig thus, in accordance with the literal meaning of the words, “and as for the north north-wards, Hamath is the boundary,” which he further elucidates by observing that צפונה is intended as a supplementary note to the boundary line from west to east, which is indicated just before. ואת פּאת צפון is a concluding formula: “this, the north side.” But ואת (here and Eze 47:18 and Eze 47:19) is not to be altered into זאת after Eze 47:20 and the Syriac version, as Hitzig supposes, but to be explained, as Eze 47:18 clearly shows, on the supposition that Ezekiel had תּמודּוּ, “ye shall measure,” floating before his mind, to which 'ואת פ, “and that the northern boundary,” would form a correct logical sequel.

The eastern boundary is defined in v. 18 in the same manner as in Num 34:10-12, except that in the latter it is more minutely described above the Lake of Gennesaret by the mention of several localities, whereas Ezekiel only names the Jordan as the boundary. - פּאת , with supplementary remarks, is not to be taken as the predicate to the subject היּרדּן, as Hitzig has correctly observed; for the meaning of פּאה does not allow of this. The explanation is rather this: as for the east side, between Hauran, etc. and the land of Israel, is the Jordan. Hauran, Damascus, and Gilead lie on the east side of the Jordan, the land of Israel on the west side. The striking circumstance that Ezekiel commences with Hauran, which lay in the middle between Damascus and Gilead, - Hauran, Damascus, and Gilead, instead of Damascus, Hauran, and Gilead, - may probably be explained from the fact that the Jordan, which he names as the boundary, for the sake of brevity, did not extend so far upwards as to the territory of Damascus, but simply formed the boundary of the land of Israel between Hauran and Gilead. מגּבוּל points back to the northern boundary already mentioned. From this boundary, the eastern terminal point of which was Hazar-Enon, they are to measure to the eastern sea, i.e., to the Dead Sea.

Eze 47:19. The southern boundary toward the south is to proceed from Tamar to the water of strife, Kadesh, (and thence) along the brook to the great (i.e., Mediterranean) sea. Tamar, a different place from Hazazon-tamar, called Engedi in Eze 47:10 (cf. 2Ch 20:2), is supposed to be the Thamara (Θαμαρά),The statement runs thus: λέγεται δέ τις Θαμαρά κώμη διεστώσα Μάψις ἡμέρας ὁδόν, ἀπιόντων ἀπὸ Χεβρὼν εἰς Αἰλάμ, ἥτις νῦν φρούριόν ἐστι τῶν στρατιωτῶν. In Jerome: est et aliud castellum, unius diei itinere a Mampsis oppido separatum, pergentibus Ailiam de Chebron, ubi nunc romanum praesidium positum est. But on account of the Μάψις (Mampsis), which is evidently a corruption, the passage is obscure. Robinson’s conjecture concerning Thamara is founded upon the assumption that the reading should be Μάλις, and that this is the Malatha mentioned by later writers as the station of a Roman cohort. which was a day’s journey on the road from Hebron to Aelam (Aelath, Deu 2:8; 1Ki 9:26), according to Eusebius in the Onomast. ed. Lars. p. 68, and had a Roman garrison; and Robinson (Pal. III pp. 178 and 186ff.) accordingly conjectures that it is to be found in the ruins of Kurnub, which lie six hours’ journey to the south of Milh, toward the pass of es-Sufâh. But this conjecture is bound up with various assumptions of a very questionable character, and the situation of Hurnub hardly suits the Tamar of our passage, which should be sought, not to the west of the southern point of the Dead Sea, but, according to the southern boundary of Canaan as drawn in Num 34:3-5, to the south of the Dead Sea. The waters of strife of Kadesh (Num 20:1-13), in the desert of Zin, were near Kadesh-barnea, which was in the neighbourhood of the spring Ain Kades, discovered by Rowland to the south of Bir-Seba and Khalasa by the fore-courts of Jebel Helal, i.e., at the north-west corner of the mountain land of the Azazimeh (see the comm. on Num 10:12; Num 12:16, and Num 20:16). Instead of מריבות we have the singular מריבת in Eze 48:28, as in Num 27:14 and Deu 32:51. נחלה is to be pointed נחלה, from נחל with ה loc.; and the reference is to the brook of Egypt; the great wady el-Arish ( ̔Ρινοκορουρα), along which the southern boundary of Canaan ran from Kadesh to the Mediterranean Sea (see the comm. on Eze 34:5). - Eze 47:20. The Mediterranean Sea formed the western boundary. מגּבוּל, i.e., from the southern boundary mentioned in Eze 47:19 till opposite (עד) to the coming to Hamath, i.e., till opposite to the point at which one enters the territory of Hamath (Hitzig), i.e., the spot mentioned in Eze 47:20 (? 17) as the commencement of the northern boundary in the neighbourhood of the promontory of esh-Shûkah between Byblus (Gebal) and Tripolis. - Eze 47:21. This land they are to divide among them according to their tribes. With this remark, which points back to Eze 47:13, the definition of the boundaries is brought to a close. There is simply added in Eze 47:22 and Eze 47:23 a further regulation concerning the foreigners living in Israel. The law of Moses had already repeatedly urged upon the Israelites affectionate treatment of them, and in Lev 19:34 the command is given to treat them like natives in this respect, and to love them. But the full right of citizenship was not thereby conceded to them, so that they could also acquire property in land. The land was given to the Israelites alone for an hereditary possession. Foreigners could only be incorporated into the congregation of Israel under the limitations laid down in Deu 23:2-9, by the reception of circumcision. But in the future distribution of the land, on the contrary, the גּרים were to receive hereditary property like native-born Israelites; and in this respect no difference was to exist between the members of the people of God born of Abraham’s seed and those born of the heathen. At the same time, this right was not to be conferred upon every foreigner who might be only temporarily living in Israel, but to those alone who should beget sons in the midst of Israel, i.e., settle permanently in the holy land. The Kal יפּלוּ is not to be altered into the Hiphil תּפּילוּ, as Hitzig proposes, but is used in the sense of receiving by lot, derived from the Hiphil signification, “to apportion by lot.”

The Vision of the Holy Waters. (b. c. 574.)

1 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. 2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. 3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. 4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. 5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. 6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. 7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. 9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. 10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. 11 But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. 12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

This part of Ezekiel's vision must so necessarily have a mystical and spiritual meaning that thence we conclude the other parts of his vision have a mystical and spiritual meaning also; for it cannot be applied to the waters brought by pipes into the temple for the washing of the sacrifices, the keeping of the temple clean, and the carrying off of those waters, for that would be to turn this pleasant river into a sink or common sewer. That prophecy, Zech. xiv. 8, may explain it, of living waters that shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them towards the former sea and half of them towards the hinder sea. And there is plainly a reference to this in St. John's vision of a pure river of water of life, Rev. xxii. 1. That seems to represent the glory and joy which are grace perfected. This seems to represent the grace and joy which are glory begun. Most interpreters agree that these waters signify the gospel of Christ, which went forth from Jerusalem, and spread itself into the countries about, and the gifts and powers of the Holy Ghost which accompanied it, and by virtue of which it spread far and produced strange and blessed effects. Ezekiel had walked round the house again and again, and yet did not till now take notice of those waters; for God makes known his mind and will to his people, not all at once, but by degrees. Now observe,

I. The rise of these waters. He is not put to trace the streams to the fountain, but has the fountain-head first discovered to him (v. 1): Waters issued out from the threshold of the house eastward, and from under the right side of the house, that is, the south side of the alter. And again (v. 2), There ran out waters on the right side, signifying that from Zion should go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, Isa. ii. 3. There it was that the Spirit was poured out upon the apostles, and endued them with the gift of tongues, that they might carry these waters to all nations. In the temple first they were to stand and preach the words of this life, Acts v. 20. They must preach the gospel to all nations, but must begin at Jerusalem, Luke xxiv. 47. But that is not all: Christ is the temple; he is the door; from him those living waters flow, out of his pierced side. It is the water that he gives us that is the well of water which springs up, John iv. 14. And it is by believing in him that we receive from him rivers of living water; and this spoke he of the Spirit, John vii. 38, 39. The original of these waters was not above-ground, but they sprang up from under the threshold; for the fountain of a believer's life is a mystery; it is hid with Christ in God, Col. iii. 3. Some observe that they came forth on the right side of the house to intimate that gospel-blessings are right-hand blessings. It is also an encouragement to those who attend at Wisdom's gates, at the posts of her doors, who are willing to lie at the threshold of God's house, as David was, that they lie at the fountainhead of comfort and grace; the very entrance into God's word gives light and life, Ps. cxix. 130. David speaks it to the praise of Zion, All my springs are in thee, Ps. lxxxvii. 7. They came from the side of the altar, for it is in and by Jesus Christ, the great altar (who sanctifies our gifts to God), that God has blessed us with spiritual blessings in holy heavenly places. From God as the fountain, in him as the channel, flows the river which makes glad the city of our God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High, Ps. xlvi. 4. But observe how much the blessedness and joy of glorified saints in heaven exceed those of the best and happiest saints on earth; here the streams of our comfort arise from under the threshold; there they proceed from the throne the throne of God and of the Lamb, Rev. xxii. 1.

II. The progress and increase of these waters: They went forth eastward (v. 3), towards the east country (v. 8), for so they were directed. The prophet and his guide followed the stream as it ran down from the holy mountains, and when they had followed it about a thousand cubits they went over across it, to try the depth of it, and it was to the ankles, v. 3. Then they walked along on the bank of the river on the other side, a thousand cubits more, and then, to try the depth of it, they waded through it the second time, and it was up to their knees, v. 4. They walked along by it a thousand cubits more, and then forded it the third time, and then it was up to their middle—the waters were to the loins. They then walked a thousand cubits further, and attempted to repass it the fourth time, but found it impracticable: The waters had risen, by the addition either of brooks that fell into it above ground or by springs under ground, so that they were waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over, v. 5. Note, 1. The waters of the sanctuary are running waters, as those of a river, not standing waters, as those of a pond. The gospel, when it was first preached, was still spreading further. Grace in the soul is still pressing forward; it is an active principle, plus ultra—onward still, till it comes to perfection. 2. They are increasing waters. This river, as it runs constantly, so the further it goes the fuller it grows. The gospel-church was very small in its beginnings, like a little purling brook; but by degrees it came to be to the ankles, to the knees: many were added to it daily, and the grain of mustard seed grew up to be a great tree. The gifts of the Spirit increase by being exercised, and grace, where it is true, is growing, like the light of the morning, which shines more and more to the perfect day. 3. It is good for us to follow these waters, and go along with them. Observe the progress of the gospel in the world; observe the process of the work of grace in the heart; attend the motions of the blessed Spirit, and walk after them, under a divine guidance, as Ezekiel here did. 4. It is good to be often searching into the things of God, and trying the depth of them, not only to look on the surface of those waters, but to go to the bottom of them as far as we can, to be often digging, often diving, into the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, as those who covet to be intimately acquainted with those things. 5. If we search into the things of God, we shall find some things very plain and easy to be understood, as the waters that were but to the ankles, others more difficult, and which require a deeper search, as the water to the knees or the loins, and some quite beyond our reach, which we cannot penetrate into, or account for, but, despairing to find the bottom, must, as St. Paul, sit down at the brink, and adore the depth, Rom. xi. 33. It has been often said that in the scripture, like these waters of the sanctuary, there are some places so shallow that a lamb may wade through them, and others so deep that an elephant may swim in them. And it is our wisdom, as the prophet here, to begin with that which is most easy, and get our hearts washed with those things before we proceed to that which is dark and hard to be understood; it is good to take our work before us.

III. The extent of this river: It issues towards the east country, but thence it either divide itself into several streams or fetches a compass, so that it goes down into the desert, and so goes into the sea, either into the dead sea, which lay south-east, or the sea of Tiberias, which lay north-east, or the great sea, which lay west, v. 8. This was accomplished when the gospel was preached with success throughout all the regions of Judea and Samaria (Acts viii. 1), and afterwards the nations about, nay, and those that lay most remote, even in the isles of the sea, were enlightened and leavened by it. The sound of it went forth to the end of the world; and the enemies of it could no more prevail to stop the progress of it than that of a mighty river.

IV. The healing virtue of this river. The waters of the sanctuary, wherever they come and have a free course, will be found a wonderful restorative. Being brought forth into the sea, the sulphureous lake of Sodom, that standing monument of divine vengeance, even those waters shall be healed (v. 8), shall become sweet, and pleasant, and healthful. This intimates the wonderful and blessed change that the gospel would make, wheresoever it came in its power, as great change, in respect both of character and condition, as the turning of the dead sea into a fountain of gardens. When children of wrath became children of love, and those that were dead in trespasses and sins were made alive, then this was fulfilled. The gospel was as that salt which Elisha cast into the spring of the waters of Jericho, with which he healed them, 2 Kings ii. 20, 21. Christ, coming into the world to be its physician, sent his gospel as the great medicine, the panpharmacon; there is in it a remedy for every malady. Nay, wherever these rivers come, they make things to live (v. 9), both plants and animals; they are the water of life, Rev. xxii. 1, 17. Christ came, that we might have life and for that end he sends his gospel. Every thing shall live whither the river comes. The grace of God makes dead sinners alive and living saints lively; everything is made fruitful and flourishing by it. But its effect is according as it is received, and as the mind is prepared and disposed to receive it; for (v. 11) with respect to the marshes and miry places thereof, that are settled in the mire of their own sinfulness, and will not be healed, or settled in the moisture of their own righteousness, and think they need no healing, their doom is, They shall not be healed; the same gospel which to others is a savour of life unto life shall to them be a savour of death unto death; they shall be given to salt, to perpetual barrenness, Deut. xxix. 23. Those that will not be watered with the grace of God, and made fruitful, shall be abandoned to their own hearts' lusts, and left for ever unfruitful. He that is filthy, let him be filthy still. Never fruit grow on thee more for ever. They shall be given to salt, that is, to be monuments of divine justice, as Lot's wife that was turned into a pillar of salt, to season others.

V. The great plenty of fish that should be in this river. Every living moving thing shall be found here, shall live here (v. 9), shall come on and prosper, shall be the best of the kind, and shall increase greatly; so that there shall be a very great multitude of fish, according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceedingly many. There shall be as great plenty of the river fish, and as vast shoals of them, as there is of salt-water fish, v. 10. There shall be so great numbers of Christians in the church, and those multiplying like fishes in the rising generations and the dew of their youth. In the creation the waters brought forth the fish abundantly (Gen. i. 20, 21), and they still live in and by the waters that produced them; so believers are begotten by the word of truth (James i. 18), and born by it (1 Pet. i. 23), that river of God; by it they live, from it they have their maintenance and subsistence; in the waters of the sanctuary they are as in their element, out of them they are as fish upon dry ground; so David was when he thirsted and panted for God, for the living God. Where the fish are known to be in abundance, thither will the fishers flock, and there they will cast their nets; and therefore, to intimate the replenishing of these waters and their being made every way useful, it is here foretold that the fishers shall stand upon the banks of this river, from En-gedi, which lies on the border of the dead sea, to En-eglaim, another city, which joins to that sea, and all along shall spread their nets. The dead sea, which before was shunned as noisome and noxious, shall be frequented. Gospel-grace makes those persons and places which were unprofitable and good for nothing to become serviceable to God and man.

VI. The trees that were on the banks of this river—many trees on the one side and on the other (v. 7), which made the prospect very pleasant and agreeable to the eye; the shelter of these trees also would be a convenience to the fishery. But that is not all (v. 12); they are trees for meat, and the fruit of them shall not be consumed, for it shall produce fresh fruit every month. The leaf shall be for medicine, and it shall not fade, This part of the vision is copied out into St. John's vision very exactly (Rev. xxii. 2), where, on either side of the river, is said to grow the tree of life, which yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves were for the healing of the nations. Christians are supposed to be these trees, ministers especially, trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord (Isa. lxi. 3), set by the rivers of water, the waters of the sanctuary (Ps. i. 3), grafted into Christ the tree of life, and by virtue of their union with him made trees of life too, rooted in him, Col. ii. 7. There is a great variety of these trees, through the diversity of gifts with which they are endued by that one Spirit who works all in all. They grow on the bank of the river, or they keep close to holy ordinances, and through them derive from Christ sap and virtue. They are fruit-trees, designed, as the fig tree and the olive, with their fruits to honour God and man, Judg. ix. 9. The fruit thereof shall be for meat, for the lips of the righteous feed many. The fruits of their righteousness are one way or other beneficial. The very leaves of these trees are for medicine, for bruises and sores, margin. Good Christians with their good discourses, which are as their leaves, as well as with their charitable actions, which are as their fruits, do good to those about them; they strengthen the weak, and bind up the broken-hearted. Their cheerfulness does good like a medicine, not only to themselves, but to others also. They shall be enabled by the grace of God to persevere in their goodness and usefulness; their leaf shall not fade, or lose its medicinal virtue, having not only life in their root, but sap in all their branches; their profession shall not wither (Ps. i. 3), neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed; that is, they shall not lose the principle of their fruitfulness, but shall still bring forth fruit in old age, to show that the Lord is upright (Ps. xcii. 14, 15), or the reward of their fruitfulness shall abide for ever; they bring forth fruit that shall abound to their account in the great day, fruit to life eternal; that is indeed fruit which shall not be consumed. They bring new fruit according to their months, some in one month and others in another: so that still there shall be one or other found to serve the glory of God for the purpose he designs. Or each one of them shall bring forth fruit monthly, which denotes an abundant disposition to fruit-bearing (they shall never be weary of well-doing), and a very happy climate, such that there shall be a perpetual spring and summer. And the reason of this extraordinary fruitfulness is because their waters issued out of the sanctuary; it is not to be ascribed to any thing in themselves, but to the continual supplies of divine grace, with which they are watered every moment (Isa. xxvii. 3); for, whoever planted them, it was that which gave the increase.

The Borders of the Land Appointed. (b. c. 574.)

13 Thus saith the Lord God ; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions. 14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance. 15 And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad; 16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazar-hatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran. 17 And the border from the sea shall be Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side. 18 And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side. 19 And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward. 20 The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side. 21 So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel. 22 And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord God .

We are now to pass from the affairs of the sanctuary to those of the state, from the city to the country. 1. The Land of Canaan is here secured to them for an inheritance (v. 14): I lifted up my hand to give it unto your fathers, that is, promised it upon oath to them and their posterity. Though the possession had been a great while discontinued, yet God had not forgotten his oath which he swore to their fathers. Though God's providences may for a time seem to contradict his promises, yet the promise will certainly take place at last, for God will be ever mindful of his covenant. I lifted up my hand to give it, and therefore it shall without fail fall to you for an inheritance. Thus the heavenly Canaan is sure to all the seed, because it is what God, who cannot lie, has promised. 2. It is here circumscribed, and the bounds and limits of it are fixed, which they must not pass over to encroach upon their neighbours and which their neighbours shall not break through to encroach upon them. We had such a draught of the borders of Canaan when Joshua was to put the people in possession of it, Num. xxxiv. 1, &c. That begins with the salt sea in the south, goes round and ends there. This begins with Hamath about Damascus in the north, and so goes round and ends there, v. 20. Note, It is God that appoints the bounds of our habitation; and his Israel shall always have cause to say that the lines have fallen to them in pleasant places. The lake of Sodom is here called the east sea, for it, being healed by the waters of the sanctuary, it is no more to be called a salt sea, as it was in Numbers. 3. It is here ordered to be divided among the tribes of Israel, reckoning Joseph for two tribes, to make up the number of twelve, when Levi was taken out to attend the sanctuary, and had his lot adjoining to that (v. 13, 21): You shall inherit it, one as well as another, v. 14. The tribes shall have an equal share, one as much as another. As the tribes returned out of Babylon, this seems unequal, because some tribes were much more numerous than the other, and indeed the most were of Judah and Benjamin and very few of the other ten tribes; but as the twelve tribes stand, in type and vision, for the gospel-church, the Israel of God, it was very equal, because we find in another vision an equal number of each of the twelve tribes sealed for the living God, just 12,000 of each, Rev. vii. 5, &c. And to those sealed ones these allotments did belong. It intimates likewise that all the subjects of Christ's kingdom have obtained like precious faith. Male and female, Jew and Gentile, bond and free, are all alike welcome to Christ and made partakers of him. 4. The strangers who sojourn among them, who shall beget children and be built up into families, and so help to people their country, shall have inheritance among the tribes, as if they had been native Israelites (v. 22, 23), which was by no means allowed in Joshua's division of the land. This is an act for a general naturalization, which would teach the Jews who was their neighbour, not those only of their own nation and religion, but those, whoever they were, that they had an opportunity of showing kindness to, because from them they would be willing to receive kindness. It would likewise invite strangers to come and settle among them, and put themselves under the wings of the divine Majesty. But it certainly looks at gospel-times, when the partition-wall between Jew and Gentile was taken down, and both one in Christ, in whom there is no difference, Rom. x. 12. This land was a type of the heavenly Canaan, that better country (Heb. xi. 16), in which believing Gentiles shall have a blessed lot, as well as believing Jews, Isa. lvi. 3.

CHAP. XLVII.

Ver. 1. AFterward he brought] Chriſtus Myſtagogus me duxit. [non-Latin text not transcribed],Chriſto ducente & docente. Follow God whitherſoever he leadeth thee: this was an ancient rule among the Heathens.

And behold waters iſſued out] i. e. The Goſpel of grace, and the gifts of the Holy Ghoſt thereby conveyed into the hearts of believers, and poured out upon the world by the death of Chriſt, The Prophet ſeems to allude to thoſe waters which by conduits were conveyed to the Altar to waſh away the blood of the ſacrifices, and filth of the Temple: which elſe would have been very offenſive and noiſom. See the like, Zach. 14.8. where the Eaſtern and Weſtern Churches alſo are pointed out. See Rev. 22.1.

From under the threſhold] Quod gloria Dei dudum triverat. Chriſt is that door,Oecol. Joh. 10.7. and fountain of living water, Jer. 2.13. Iſa. 12.3. & 55.1. and from the Temple at Jeruſalem flowed forth the waters of ſaving truth to all nations; and firſt Eaſtward, not Rome-ward, though the faith of the Romans was not long after ſpoken of throughout the whole world, Rom. 1.8.

Ver. 2. And behold there ran out waters] As out of a Viall.

On the right ſide] The right ſide is a place of honour and defence: The doctrine of the Goſpel hath the preheminence, and is maintained by the right-hand of God againſt all oppoſites.

Ver. 3. And when the man that had the line in his hand] The Man Chriſt Jeſus, the ſole Architect of his Church, and Meaſurer of his Goſpel, and that by his Goſpel, which is the line in his hand, nec ſolum recta, ſed & regula.

He meaſured a thouſand cubits] It was not for nothing that Plato ſaid, [non-Latin text not transcribed], God is alwaies meaſuring the world.

The waters were to the ancles] Grace is but a ſmal thing at firſt, no more is the Goſpel, Matth. 13.31, 32, 33. The Church were at firſt but a very few, Act. 1. that is 120, of all the great multitudes which had formerly followed Jeſus: Sed vix diligitur Jeſus propter Jeſum: It was more for the loaves then any great love that the moſt followed him.

Ver. 4. Again he meaſured a thouſand] This is a number of perfection. The Goſpel is a perfect doctrine, and is able to make the man of God perfect, thoroughly furniſhed (or perfected) unto all good works, 2 Tim. 3.17.

The waters were to the knees] Grace grows by degrees: and the Scriptures have their ſhallows wherein the Lamb may wade: like as they have their profundities wherein the Elephant himſelf may ſwin.Confeſſ. l. 5. cap. 13. Confeſſ. l. 7. c. 21. Auguſtine contemned the holy Scriptures at firſt, as neither eloquent nor deep enough for the elevation of his wit. But afterwards, when he was both a better and a wiſer man, he ſaw his own ſhallowneſſe, and admired the never-enough adored depth of Gods holy Oracles.

Ver. 5 A river that could not be paſſed over] Repreſenting, as the fathomleſſe depth of the Scriptures (which is ſuch as that we may well do by it, as the Romans did by a lake, the depth whereof they could not found, they dedicated it to Victory) ſo the abundance of Spiritual graces in the Church, the love of Chriſt which paſſeth all knowledge, Epheſ. 3.19. the over-abounding goodneſſe of God, 1 Tim. 1.14. the ſuperpleonaſm of it, as the Apoſtle hath it there. Oh, (ſaith Chryſoſtom ſpeaking of this ſubject) I am like a man digging in a deep ſpring; I ſtand here, and the water riſeth upon me: and I ſtand there, and ſtill the water riſeth upon me. It is indeed a ſea that hath neither bank nor bottom.

Ver. 6. Son of man, hast thou ſeen this?] And art thou ſoundly ſenſible thereof? it is very fit thou ſhouldeſt; that God may have the glory of his great goodneſs and power in propagating the Goſpel, and bringing forward the work of his grace in the hearts of his people, maugre the malice of earth and of hell. The Reformation wrought in Germany from how ſmall beginnings grew it? The eſtabliſhing of that amongſt us (how imperfect ſoever) to be done by ſo weak and ſimple means, yea by caſual and croſs means againſt the force of ſo potent and politick an adverſary: this is to be looked upon as a juſt miracle.

To the brink of the river] Where my work was to ſtand and cry O the depth! O how great things hath God prepared for thoſe that fear him! O the joy! the joy! eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, &c.

Arboretum Chriſti eſt Eccleſia.Ver. 7. Behold at the bank of the river were very many trees] Theſe were trees of righteouſneſſe, fruitful Chriſtians. See Pſal. 1.3. & 92.12. Iſa. 44.3, 4, 5. & 55.11, 12, 13. Jer. 17.8. Rev. 22.2. where and elſewhere it is eaſie to obſerve that John the Divine borroweth the elegancies and flowers of this and other Prophets, in his deſcription of the Church Chriſtian.

Ver. 8. Theſe waters iſſue out toward the East country] In Galilaeam anteriorem. See Acts 9.31.Piſcat. The Churches in Galilee walking in the fear of the Lord and comforts of the holy Ghoſt, were multiplied.

And go down into the deſart] Or, plain, i. e. into the plaines of Moab, Num. 22.1. The Goſpel worketh upon the worſt, even to a tranſmentation.

And go into the ſea] The dead ſea. The law of the Spirit of life which is in Chriſt Jeſus, freeth men from the law of ſin and of death, Rom. 8.2.

The waters ſhall be healed] i. e. Made wholeſome and uſeful: ſo great a cure is done upon corrupt nature by the grace of the Goſpel. He who was before vitiorum vorago, lacus libidinum, mare ſceleribus amarum ac mortuum, a lake of luſts, a guzzle of vices, a dead ſea of wickedneſſe and wretchedneſſe, ſhall by a ſtrange change become a pleaſant river, pure, clear, ſweet, and ſavoury; beſet not with ſuch mock-fruit as the banks of the dead ſea are ſaid to be, but with trees richly laden with the choiceſt fruits; as was to be ſeen in the penitent thief, who as ſoon as Gospellized and converted, beſtirred him and bore abundance of fruit in a very little ſpace.

Plin. l. 5. c. 16.Ver. 9. Whitherſoever the river ſhall come, ſhall live] Not dye immediately, as they uſed to do in the dead ſea; ſo bituminous and ſulphurous were the waters thereof: but live the life of grace here, and of glory in heaven. See Zach. 14.8. Acts 5.20.

[non-Latin text not transcribed], Aug. de C. D. l. 18. c. 13. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Hiſtories tell us of 580. Jews converted to the Chriſtian faith at Axvernum by one Avitus a Biſhop, and baptized. Pappi Eccleſ. hiſt. epit. p. 214. Joſeph de bel. lib. 1. c. 13. And there ſhall be a very great multitude of fiſh] i. e. Of Chriſtians. See Mat. 4.19. with the Note. Chriſt himſelf from the initial Greek letters of his names and title, was by ſome of the ancients called [non-Latin text not transcribed] a fiſh.

And every thing ſhall live whither the river cometh] The Goſpel is the true Aqua-vitae, the true aurum potabile, the true Phyſick for the ſoul; as one ſaid once concerning the Library at Alexandria.

Ver. 10. The fiſhers ſhall ſtand upon it] Upon the dead ſea, where formerly they had little enough to do. This ſea is the wide world dead in ſins and treſpaſſes, Eph. 2.1. Theſe fiſhers are Chriſts Apoſtles and Miniſters, who are called fiſhers of men, Mat. 4.19. and their preaching compared to fiſhing, Mat. 13.47. they fiſh with various ſucceſs, as did Peter, Luk. 5.5. but may encloſe a great multitude as he did, Acts 2.3. and as Farellus who gained five Cities to Chriſt; who brought them to hand by whole ſhoales.

From Engedi] Called alſo Hazazon-Tamar, 2 Chron. 20.2. that is the City of Palmes, where grew the beſt balſam in the world, though it were near to the dead ſea.

Even unto Eneglaim] Which is likewiſe a place adjacent to the dead ſea, where Jordan falleth into it, as Hierom teſtifieth.

They ſhall be a place to spread forth nets] Dr. Preſton being asked why he preached ſo plainly, and did ſo much dilate his ſermons, being of ſuch abilities? anſwered, he was a fiſherman. Now ſuch if they ſhould wind up their net, and ſo caſt it into the ſea, they ſhould catch nothing: but when they ſpread the net,Mr. Walls None but Chriſt. p. 400. they catch the fiſh; I ſpread my net, becauſe I would catch ſouls, ſaid he; and indeed he had a very happy hand at it.

The fiſh ſhall be according to their kinds] The ſea, they ſay, hath as many kinds of living creatures as the earth hath. There is that Leviathan, and there are creeping things innumerable, Pſal. 105.

Ver. 11. But the myrie places thereof, and the mariſhes ſhall not be healed] Senſual ſouls are ſeldom wrought upon by the word. Behemoth (the devil) lyeth in thoſe fenns and quagmires, Job 40 21. they are void of the Spirit, Jude 18 19. they ſay unto God Depart from us, we had rather dance to the Timbrel and Harp, Job 21.11. whoredom and wine, and new wine take away their hearts, Hoſ. 4.11. he who had married a wife (or rather was married to her) ſent word flat and plain he could not come: others excuſed themſelves more mannerly, Mat. 22. ſuch perſons chuſe to remain in the ſordes of their ſins, and ſo are miſerable by their own election.

They ſhall be given to ſalt] Delivered up to ſtrong deluſions, 1 Theſ. 2.15, 16. vile affections, Rom. 1.26. juſt damnation, Rev. 22.11.

Ver. 12. Shall grow all trees for meat] Arbores eſibiles: theſe are [non-Latin text not transcribed] uſeful Chriſtians, ſuch as whoſe lips are feeding, and their tongues trees of life, Prov. 11.30, & 15.4. See the Notes there.

Whoſe leaf ſhall not fade] They will not fail to make a bold and wiſe profeſſion of the truth. See on Pſal. 1.3. Jer. 17.8.

Neither ſhall the fruit thereof be conſumed] But as the Lemmon-tree, which ever and anon ſendeth new fruits aſſoon as the former are fallen down with ripeneſs. Or as the Egyptian fig-tree, which yeeldeth fruit ſeven times a year, ſaith Solinus; and if you pull off one fig, another groweth up preſently in the place thereof.

Becauſe their waters they iſſued out of the ſanctuary] Hence their ſo great fruitfulneſs, viz. from the divine influence, Hoſ. 14.8. the Word and Spirit going together, Eſa. 59.21. hence it is that the Saints are neither barren nor unfruitful, 2 Pet. 1.8.

And the leaf thereof for medicine] Gods people, by their holy profeſſion of religion, do much good to many ſouls: as did diverſe of the Martyrs and Confeſſors. Lucianus an ancient Martyr perſwaded many Gentiles to the Chriſtian faith by his grave countenance and modeſt diſpoſition: inſomuch that Maximinus that perſecuting Emperour durſt not look him in the face, for fear he ſhould turn Chriſtian. And ſo Beda telleth us of one Alban, who receiving a poor perſecuted Chriſtian into his houſe, and ſeeing his holy devotion and ſweet carriage,Hiſt. Ang. l. 1. c. 7. was ſo much affected with the ſame, as that he became an earneſt profeſſour of the faith, and in the end a glorious Martyr for the faith. The like is recorded of Bradford, Bucer, and others.

Ver. 13. This ſhall be the border] Here the Prophet returneth again to the dividing of the land, begun chap. 45.1, 2, &c. having hitherto interpoſed many moſt memorable matters, and of great uſe to the Church.

Joſeph ſhall have two portions] He had ſo by his fathers will, and for his two ſons, adopted by his father.

Ver. 14. And ye ſhall inherit one as well as another] Spiritual bleſſings are divided in ſolidum amongſt the community of Gods people: they all partake of one and the ſame ſaving grace of God, righteouſneſſe of Chriſt and eternal life, though there are ſeveral degrees of grace and of glory. See Gal. 3.26, 27, 28, 29. All Gods Sons are heirs, heirs of God, and coheirs with Chriſt, Rom. 8.17.

Ver. 15. And this ſhall be the border of the land] i. e. Of the Chriſtian Church: the borders whereof are here ſet forth as far larger then thoſe of the land of Canaan ever were.

From the great ſea] The Mediterranean ſea.

The way of Hethlon] From one end of the Kingdom of Damaſcus to another.

Ver. 16. Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim] Towns of Arabia deſerta. All this is to ſet forth the amplitude of the Chriſtian Church ſpread far and near upon the face of the whole earth; and therefore rightly called Catholike. Roman-Catholike is contradictio in adjecto; for it is, a particular-univerſal.

Ver. 17. And the border from the ſea ſhoil be Hazar-Enan] Foraſmuch as the borders in this deſcription of the land are ſet to be ſuch as never were in the Iſraelites poſſeſſion, the Jew-doctours are, will they nill they, forced to confeſs that the land of Iſrael in the world to come ſhall be larger then ever it had been. Now Heb. 2.5. Goſpel-times are called the world to come.

Ver. 18. From Hauran] A town of Arabia deſerta (Ptolomy calleth it Aurana) but Felix in this,This was Palmira, afterwards Hadrianople. that it is taken into the Church.

Ver. 19. From Tamar] Hazazon-Tamar which was near the ſea of Sodom, v. 10.

In Kadeſh] Not in Rephidim, Ezod. 17.7.

Ver. 20 Till a man come over againſt Hamath] To that place of the great ſea, from which lyeth a ſtraight way from Hamath Eaſt-ward.

Ver. 21. So ſhall ye divide] Epilogus est. There is one and the ſame inheritance of the Saints in light.

Ver. 22. An inheritance unto you, and to the ſtrangers that ſojourn among you] What can the ſpiteful Jews ſay to this? who ſtick not to ſay that rather then the baſtard Gentiles (ſo they call Chriſtians) ſhould ſhare with them in their Meſſiah, they would crucifie him a hundred times over and over. Under the old Teſtament, though ſtrangers lived with the children of Iſrael, yet they had no inheritance with them at any time, as now they are appointed to have.

Ver. 23. See on ver. 22.