Albert Barnes Commentary Ezekiel 45

By lot - Not by casting lots, but by “allotment,” the several portions being assigned by rule (Joshua 13:6).

Oblation - The oblation (properly “heaveoffering”) was regarded as the Lord’s portion (Leviticus 27:30). This “oblation” is given here as part of the provision made for the priests, and was probably instead of tithes (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:21), just as the prince had his definite portion of land instead of being supported by the contributions of the people.

The priests and Levites had, in addition, the sacrifices (Ezekiel 44:28, note). This provision for them, out of proportion in any actual arrangement, is no doubt intended to symbolize the reverence and honor due to God, and expressed by liberality to His services and His ministers.

The Septuagint read “the breadth twenty thousand;” and those who adopt this, read (Ezekiel 45:3) “and from this” whole measure is to be deducted the priests’ special portion 25,000 from east to west, and 10,000 from north to south.

Others, retaining the reading of the text, suppose the term oblation here to denote the portion assigned to the priests alone , and “of this measure” (Ezekiel 45:3) to mean not “deducted from this measure,” but “computed by this measure.”

The King James Version rightly supplies “reeds,” since the precincts (Ezekiel 42:20) were 500 “reeds” square. 25,000 reeds is about 42 1/2 statute miles, or 36 1/2 geographic miles.

The “sanctuary” here probably means the whole temple precincts.

Suburbs—literally, as noted in the margin. To mark out more distinctly the sacred precincts, a vacant space of fifty cubits was left on all sides.

For a possession for twenty chambers - literally, For a possession twenty chambers, possibly twenty out of the thirty chambers in the outer court (Ezekiel 40:17), and assigned for their use during residence in the sanctuary. The Septuagint reads for cities to dwell in which some adopt here.

This portion is to belong to the whole people, not to be subject to the encroachments made by the later kings of Judah (Jeremiah 22:13). The Levites’ portion 10,000 reeds, the priests’ portion 10,000 reeds, and the city portion 5,000 reeds, make in all 25,000 reeds from north to south. The measure of each of these portions from east to west has been defined to be 25,000 reeds (Ezekiel 45:1, note), and thus we have a square of 25,000 reeds in all.

On either side of the 25,000 reeds, a strip of land running westward to the sea and eastward to the Jordan formed the possession of the prince (see Ezekiel 46:18 note). For the other tribes, the limits from west to east are the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan (Ezekiel 48:8).

(Ezekiel 45:7) And the length shall be over against—Or, “and” in length “over against.”

The definition of the prince’s territory was to prevent the oppressions foretold (1 Samuel 8:14 and following), described (2 Kings 23:35), and reproved (Jeremiah 22:0).