Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 47:14

Charles Ellicott Commentary

Ezekiel 47:14

1819–1905
Anglican
Charles Ellicott
Charles Ellicott

Charles Ellicott Commentary

Ezekiel 47:14

1819–1905
Anglican
SCRIPTURE

"And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I sware to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance." — Ezekiel 47:14 (ASV)

One as well as another. This is the ordinary expression for equality. Unlike the former division of the land, the territory is to be arranged in twelve equal portions. This is generally understood to mean that the strips of territory assigned to each tribe will be of equal width, and this is undoubtedly the prophet’s meaning, since the vision throughout makes little account of the natural features of the country. It may be well to notice in passing, however, that the actual area of the territory given to the tribes is thus made very unequal.

The country was nearly three times as broad at the south as at the north, and the southern tribes would thus have actually nearly three times as much land as the northern, although they were ideally equal. Were the portions to be made actually equal, the map given under Ezekiel 48:0 would be much changed. Such an arrangement would move the “oblation” farther south and give it ample room between east and west. Its north line would be a little north of Jerusalem, and its south within ten or twelve miles of Beersheba, and the Temple would be situated a few miles north-west of Hebron and still on the western watershed.