---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Ezekiel 47"
description: "CHAPTER 47   :-. VISION OF THE
TEMPLE WATERS.
BORDERS AND DIVISION
OF THE LAND. The happy fruit to the earth at
large of God"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/ezekiel/47"
---

CHAPTER 47

. 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" (). Even the desert places of the earth shall be made
fruitful by the healing waters of the Gospel (compare ).

**1. waters**—So , 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 ([Ezekiel 43:7](../../../kjv/ezekiel/43/7)).
Thence it is to flow over the earth ([Joel 3:18](../../../kjv/joel/3/18);
[Zechariah 13:1](../../../kjv/zechariah/13/1); [Zechariah 14:8](../../../kjv/zechariah/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 [Psalms 36:8](../../../kjv/psalms/36/8); [Psalms 36:9](../../../kjv/psalms/36/9);
[Psalms 46:4](../../../kjv/psalms/46/4); [Isaiah 11:9](../../../kjv/isaiah/11/9);
[Habakkuk 2:14](../../../kjv/habakkuk/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 ([Habakkuk 2:14](../../../kjv/habakkuk/2/14)). The *healing* of the waters of the Dead Sea here
answers to "there shall be no more curse" ([Habakkuk 2:14](../../../kjv/habakkuk/2/14); compare [Zechariah 14:11](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/11)).

**7. trees**—not merely *one*
tree of life as in Paradise (), but many: to supply immortal food and medicine to the
people of God, who themselves also become "trees of
righteousness" ([Isaiah 61:3](../../../kjv/isaiah/61/3))
planted by the waters and ([Psalms 1:3](../../../kjv/psalms/1/3))
bearing fruit unto holiness.

**8. the desert**—or "plain,"
*Hebrew, Arabah* ([Deuteronomy 3:17](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/3/17);
[Deuteronomy 4:49](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/4/49); [Joshua 3:16](../../../kjv/joshua/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, [Joshua 3:16](../../../kjv/joshua/3/16).

**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 . However, though this probably is covertly implied in the
*Hebrew dual,* the flowing of the waters into the *Dead Sea
only* is expressed. Compare , "waters . . . healed," which can apply only to
it, not to the Mediterranean: also , "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 ([Isaiah 15:8](../../../kjv/isaiah/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 ([Isaiah 15:8](../../../kjv/isaiah/15/8)), 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 [Isaiah 15:8](../../../kjv/isaiah/15/8), the gospel net; the apostles being fishermen, at first
literally, afterwards spiritually ([Isaiah 15:8](../../../kjv/isaiah/15/8)).

**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 () to their own bitterness and barrenness (as "saltness"
is often employed to express, [Deuteronomy 29:23](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/29/23);
[Psalms 107:34](../../../kjv/psalms/107/34); [Zephaniah 2:9](../../../kjv/zephaniah/2/9));
an awful example to others in the punishment they suffer ([Zephaniah 2:9](../../../kjv/zephaniah/2/9)).

**12.** Instead of the "vine of
Sodom and grapes of Gomorrah" (), 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 ([Revelation 2:7](../../../kjv/revelation/2/7);
[Revelation 22:2](../../../kjv/revelation/22/2); [Revelation 22:14](../../../kjv/revelation/22/14)).
**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 ([Psalms 1:3](../../../kjv/psalms/1/3); [Jeremiah 17:8](../../../kjv/jeremiah/17/8);
[Matthew 10:42](../../../kjv/matthew/10/42); [1 Corinthians 15:58](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/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](../../../kjv/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 ; they here begin with the north, but in Numbers they
begin with the south ([Numbers 34:3](../../../kjv/numbers/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 ([Genesis 48:5](../../../kjv/genesis/48/5);
[Genesis 48:22](../../../kjv/genesis/48/22)). Joseph's sons were
given the birthright forfeited by Reuben, the first-born ([Genesis 48:22](../../../kjv/genesis/48/22)). 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 ([2 Samuel 8:8](../../../kjv/2-samuel/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
[Numbers 34:11](../../../kjv/numbers/34/11); [Numbers 34:12](../../../kjv/numbers/34/12).

**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
([Romans 10:12](../../../kjv/romans/10/12); [Galatians 3:28](../../../kjv/galatians/3/28);
[Ephesians 3:6](../../../kjv/ephesians/3/6); [Colossians 3:11](../../../kjv/colossians/3/11);
[Revelation 7:9](../../../kjv/revelation/7/9); [Revelation 7:10](../../../kjv/revelation/7/10)).
Still, "sojourneth," in [Revelation 7:10](../../../kjv/revelation/7/10), implies that in Canaan, the covenant people are regarded
as *at home,* the strangers as *settlers.*

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/ezekiel/47#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","width":640,"height":370,"caption":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Ezekiel 47"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/ezekiel/47#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/ezekiel/47","name":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Ezekiel 47","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/ezekiel/47#primaryimage"},"datePublished":null,"dateModified":null,"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"CHAPTER 47   :-. VISION OF THE\nTEMPLE WATERS.\nBORDERS AND DIVISION\nOF THE LAND. The happy fruit to the earth at\nlarge of God's dwelling with Israel in hol","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/ezekiel/47#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/ezekiel/47"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/ezekiel/47#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","name":"Commentaries"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible","name":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/ezekiel","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/ezekiel","name":"Ezekiel"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/ezekiel/47","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/ezekiel/47","name":"47"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]}
```