And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward ,.... Of the sanctuary of the Lord, of the portion of the priests and Levites, of the city, and what belonged to that, and of the prince's portion. The description begins at the northern part of the land, and ends in the southern: the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh; and to the river toward the great sea ; See Gill on Ezekiel 47:19 . read more
From Tamar - in Kadesh - The former was on the south of the Dead Sea; and the latter, or Kadesh-Barnea, was still farther south, and at the extremity of the portion of Gad, which was the most southern tribe, as Dan was the most northern. read more
The distribution of the land among the several tribes . First, the portions north of the terumah ( Ezekiel 48:1-7 ); secondly, the terumah ( Ezekiel 48:8-22 ), embracing the portions of the priests and Levites ( Ezekiel 48:8-14 ), with the portions for the city ( Ezekiel 48:15-20 ) and the prince ( Ezekiel 48:21 , Ezekiel 48:22 ); and thirdly, the portions south of the city ( Ezekiel 48:23-30 ). read more
As for the rest of the tribes , these should follow on the south of the city portion, in parallel tracts, from east to west— Benjamin: Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad —till the southern boundary of the land should be reached, which boundary is again defined as in Ezekiel 47:19 . Each tribe should receive, as those north of the terumah, one portion. The exact extent of this equal portion, though not stated, may be calculated— Latitude of entrance to Hamath—34° 20' Latitude of Kadesh... read more
Ezekiel 48:23-28. As for the rest of the tribes, &c. The portion assigned for Judah being situate next to the holy portion on the north side, that assigned to Benjamin lay next to the ground allotted to the city on the south side. All these allotments ran from east to west in length, and from north to south in breadth. In the 24th and the next three verses, the four remaining tribes have their allotments assigned them, lying on the south side of the holy portion. read more
Click image for full-size versionDivisions of the land (48:1-29)Land to the north of the specially allocated central portion (see 45:1-8) was divided into seven equal portions by drawing parallel lines from the Mediterranean Sea to the eastern boundary. Although the terrain of the country would make such a division impossible in practice, the division had meaning. It indicated a measure of equality among the tribes (for their portions were equal in area; see 47:14), though there was a... read more
strife. Bob. Meribah . See note on Ezekiel 47:19 . toward, Septuagint reads as far as". read more
Ezekiel 48:28. Great sea— Mediterranean sea. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 48:1-30
We have here a very short and ready way taken for the dividing of the land among the twelve tribes, not so tedious and so far about as the way that was taken in Joshua's time; for in the distribution of spiritual and heavenly blessings there is not that danger of murmuring and quarrelling that there is in the participation of the temporal blessings. When God gave to the labourers every one his penny those that were uneasy at it were soon put to silence with, May I not do what I will with my... read more