Ezekiel 47:14 - Exposition

Ye shall inherit it, one as well as another ; literally, a man as his brother— the customary Hebrew phrase for "equally" (see, however, 2 Samuel 11:25 ). The equal participants were to be tribes, not the families, as in the Mosaic distribution ( Numbers 33:54 ). Had the earlier principle of allotment been indicated as that to be followed in the future, it would not have been possible to give the tribes equal portions, as some tribes would certainly have a larger number of families than others. Nevertheless, the division was to be equal among the tribes, which shows it was rather of an ideal than of an actual distribution the prophet was speaking. Then what they should divide amongst themselves was to be the land concerning which Jehovah had lifted up his hand —a peculiarly Ezekelian phrase (see Ezekiel 20:5 , Ezekiel 20:6 , Ezekiel 20:15 , Ezekiel 20:23 , Ezekiel 20:28 , Ezekiel 20:42 ), signifying "to swear" (comp. Genesis 14:22 ; Deuteronomy 33:1-29 :40)—to give it unto their fathers (see Genesis 12:7 ; Genesis 18:8 ; Genesis 26:3 ; Genesis 28:13 ). That the land was not divided after this fashion among the tribes that returned from exile is one more attestation that the prophet's directions were not intended to be literally carried out.