American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Ezekiel 48
1
Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goes to Hamath, Hazarenan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan.
2
And by the border of Dan, from the east side to the west side, a portion for Asher.
3
And by the border of Asher, from the east side even to the west side, a portion for Naphtali.
4
And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west side, a portion for Manasseh.
5
And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west side, a portion for Ephraim.
6
And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side even to the west side, a portion for Reuben.
7
And by the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west side, a portion for Judah.
Reference
Parallel theme
Joshua 19:9
8
And by the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, shall be the offering which you shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side to the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the middle of it.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 12:6
9
The oblation that you shall offer to the LORD shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth.
10
And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation; toward the north five and twenty thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the middle thereof.
Reference
11
It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.
Reference
12
And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be to them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites.
13
And over against the border of the priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand.
14
And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the first fruits of the land: for it is holy to the LORD.
Reference
Holy
Leviticus 27:28
15
And the five thousand, that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for dwelling, and for suburbs: and the city shall be in the middle thereof.
Reference
16
And these shall be the measures thereof; the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred.
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 21:16
17
And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty.
18
And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward: and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion; and the increase thereof shall be for food to them that serve the city.
19
And they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel.
20
All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: you shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city.
21
And the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border, over against the portions for the prince: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the middle thereof.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 48:22
22
Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the middle of that which is the prince's, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince.
23
As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side to the west side, Benjamin shall have a portion.
24
And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Simeon shall have a portion.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 29:33
25
And by the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar a portion.
26
And by the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun a portion.
27
And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad a portion.
28
And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar to the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea.
Reference
29
This is the land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, said the Lord GOD.
30
And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 48:16
31
And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.
32
And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.
33
And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.
34
At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.
35
It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.
Reference
📍 The Lord Is There
Parallel theme
Revelation 21:3
Revelation 22:3
Isaiah 12:6
Psalm 132:14
References Lord
Zechariah 2:10
Jeremiah 33:16
Jeremiah 3:17
Isaiah 24:23
Isaiah 14:32
Joel 3:21
Summary of Ezekiel 48
Ezekiel 48 concludes the entire temple vision by arranging the restored land, sacred district, priestly inheritance, Levitical territory, city, prince's land, and tribal territories into one carefully ordered community, with all twelve tribes receiving designated portions and the restored city receiving twelve gates named after the tribes, while the final declaration that the city will be called “The Lord Is There” brings the vision to its central conclusion that the ultimate blessing of restoration is not simply recovered land or rebuilt institutions but the permanent presence of God among His people.
The chapter begins with the distribution of land among the tribes, moving systematically from north to south and giving each tribe a defined inheritance.
Dan receives the northernmost territory, followed by Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah, after which the special sacred district is placed near the center of the arrangement.
The location of this sacred district is significant because the restored community is organized around the sanctuary rather than treating the temple as a peripheral structure.
At the center of the land arrangement is a large holy portion dedicated to God, within which the sanctuary is located.
The priests receive land immediately associated with the sanctuary, while the Levites receive their own designated portion nearby.
The descendants of Zadok are specifically identified as the faithful priestly family who receive the priestly inheritance, continuing the distinction made in the previous chapters between those who remained faithful to God and those who had previously participated in Israel's unfaithfulness.
The sacred land assigned to the priests cannot be sold or transferred because it is dedicated to God.
The chapter then provides space for the city, including surrounding open land and agricultural areas.
This demonstrates that the restored community requires more than a temple and priesthood because people must also live, cultivate food, work, and maintain a functioning civic society.
The land around the city is cultivated by people from all the tribes, reinforcing the idea that the restored city serves the entire nation rather than becoming the possession of a single tribe.
The prince also receives land, but his territory remains clearly separated from the central sacred district.
This continues the principle established earlier that political authority must have defined limits and that the ruler must not control or seize sacred or ordinary tribal property for personal advantage.
The remaining tribes are then listed south of the central district, with Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad completing the territorial arrangement.
The chapter therefore creates a carefully structured picture in which every tribe has a place, the priests have their sacred inheritance, the Levites have their service territory, the city has its own land, and the prince has a defined area of authority.
The final section turns from the land surrounding the city to the city itself.
The city has twelve gates, with three gates on each side, and each gate is associated with one of the tribes.
The northern gates represent Reuben, Judah, and Levi; the eastern gates represent Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan; the southern gates represent Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun; and the western gates represent Gad, Asher, and Naphtali.
The twelve gates therefore provide a powerful symbol of national unity because every tribe is represented within the restored city.
The detailed measurements, temple buildings, priestly regulations, land boundaries, tribal inheritances, gates, offerings, and administrative structures all lead toward one central reality: God is present among His people.
The restoration is therefore complete not merely because Israel possesses land again, not merely because a temple has been established, and not merely because worship has been reorganized, but because God's presence has returned and remains at the center of the restored community.
The central message is that Ezekiel 48 brings the entire restoration vision to its climax by arranging the twelve tribes, the holy district, the priestly and Levitical territories, the city, the prince's inheritance, and the surrounding agricultural land into a carefully ordered community centered on God's sanctuary, with every tribe receiving its designated inheritance and every tribe represented by a gate into the restored city, while the protected sacred district demonstrates that God's holiness remains at the heart of the nation and the carefully limited territory of the prince demonstrates that political authority must remain subordinate to God's order, until the entire vision reaches its final and most meaningful declaration in the city's new name, “The Lord Is There,” revealing that the ultimate goal of Israel's restoration is not simply the recovery of land, the rebuilding of worship, or the reestablishment of national identity, but the permanent return and presence of God among His people, transforming the restored land and city into a community whose deepest identity is defined by living under God's presence and blessing.
The chapter begins with the distribution of land among the tribes, moving systematically from north to south and giving each tribe a defined inheritance.
Dan receives the northernmost territory, followed by Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah, after which the special sacred district is placed near the center of the arrangement.
The location of this sacred district is significant because the restored community is organized around the sanctuary rather than treating the temple as a peripheral structure.
At the center of the land arrangement is a large holy portion dedicated to God, within which the sanctuary is located.
The priests receive land immediately associated with the sanctuary, while the Levites receive their own designated portion nearby.
The descendants of Zadok are specifically identified as the faithful priestly family who receive the priestly inheritance, continuing the distinction made in the previous chapters between those who remained faithful to God and those who had previously participated in Israel's unfaithfulness.
The sacred land assigned to the priests cannot be sold or transferred because it is dedicated to God.
The chapter then provides space for the city, including surrounding open land and agricultural areas.
This demonstrates that the restored community requires more than a temple and priesthood because people must also live, cultivate food, work, and maintain a functioning civic society.
The land around the city is cultivated by people from all the tribes, reinforcing the idea that the restored city serves the entire nation rather than becoming the possession of a single tribe.
The prince also receives land, but his territory remains clearly separated from the central sacred district.
This continues the principle established earlier that political authority must have defined limits and that the ruler must not control or seize sacred or ordinary tribal property for personal advantage.
The remaining tribes are then listed south of the central district, with Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad completing the territorial arrangement.
The chapter therefore creates a carefully structured picture in which every tribe has a place, the priests have their sacred inheritance, the Levites have their service territory, the city has its own land, and the prince has a defined area of authority.
The final section turns from the land surrounding the city to the city itself.
The city has twelve gates, with three gates on each side, and each gate is associated with one of the tribes.
The northern gates represent Reuben, Judah, and Levi; the eastern gates represent Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan; the southern gates represent Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun; and the western gates represent Gad, Asher, and Naphtali.
The twelve gates therefore provide a powerful symbol of national unity because every tribe is represented within the restored city.
The detailed measurements, temple buildings, priestly regulations, land boundaries, tribal inheritances, gates, offerings, and administrative structures all lead toward one central reality: God is present among His people.
The restoration is therefore complete not merely because Israel possesses land again, not merely because a temple has been established, and not merely because worship has been reorganized, but because God's presence has returned and remains at the center of the restored community.
The central message is that Ezekiel 48 brings the entire restoration vision to its climax by arranging the twelve tribes, the holy district, the priestly and Levitical territories, the city, the prince's inheritance, and the surrounding agricultural land into a carefully ordered community centered on God's sanctuary, with every tribe receiving its designated inheritance and every tribe represented by a gate into the restored city, while the protected sacred district demonstrates that God's holiness remains at the heart of the nation and the carefully limited territory of the prince demonstrates that political authority must remain subordinate to God's order, until the entire vision reaches its final and most meaningful declaration in the city's new name, “The Lord Is There,” revealing that the ultimate goal of Israel's restoration is not simply the recovery of land, the rebuilding of worship, or the reestablishment of national identity, but the permanent return and presence of God among His people, transforming the restored land and city into a community whose deepest identity is defined by living under God's presence and blessing.