And on the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundary up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western boundary. And on the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundaryThe "Great Sea" refers to the Mediterranean Sea, a significant geographical landmark in biblical times. It served as a natural boundary for the land of Israel. The Mediterranean Sea was crucial for trade and cultural exchange, influencing the economic and social life of the Israelites. In biblical symbolism, the sea often represents chaos and the unknown, yet here it is a definitive boundary, indicating God's order and provision for His people. This boundary reflects the promise of land given to the Israelites, as seen in Numbers 34:6, where the Mediterranean is also described as the western border. up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath
Lebo-hamath is a location often associated with the northern boundary of the land promised to Israel. It is mentioned in several passages, such as Numbers 13:21 and Joshua 13:5, as a marker of the extent of the land. Historically, Hamath was a significant city-state in ancient Syria, and its mention here underscores the vastness of the territory envisioned for Israel. This phrase highlights the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham regarding the land (Genesis 15:18), extending from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates, which includes the area near Hamath. This will be the western boundary
The repetition of the boundary's definition emphasizes the certainty and clarity of God's promise. It underscores the importance of boundaries in maintaining the identity and purity of the nation of Israel, as they were to be distinct from surrounding nations. This demarcation also serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and faithfulness in establishing Israel's inheritance. The concept of boundaries is significant throughout Scripture, reflecting God's order and the separation of His people for His purposes, as seen in passages like Deuteronomy 32:8 and Acts 17:26. Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet during the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel is the author of the book and the one receiving the vision of the new boundaries of the land. 2. The Great SeaKnown today as the Mediterranean Sea, it serves as the western boundary for the land described in Ezekiel's vision. 3. The Land of IsraelThe territory being described in this vision, which is part of a larger vision of restoration and hope for the people of Israel. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty in BoundariesGod establishes boundaries for nations and peoples, demonstrating His control and order over creation. Restoration and HopeThe vision of the land's boundaries is a promise of restoration for Israel, symbolizing hope and future fulfillment of God's promises. Spiritual BoundariesJust as physical boundaries are set, believers are called to establish spiritual boundaries in their lives to maintain holiness and obedience to God. God's FaithfulnessThe detailed description of the land's boundaries is a reminder of God's faithfulness to His promises, encouraging believers to trust in His word. Community and InheritanceThe allocation of land signifies the importance of community and shared inheritance among God's people, reflecting the unity and fellowship in the body of Christ. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the description of the western boundary in Ezekiel 47:20 reflect God's sovereignty over the land and its people? 2. In what ways does the promise of land restoration in Ezekiel parallel God's promises to Abraham in Genesis 15? 3. How can the concept of setting physical boundaries in Ezekiel be applied to setting spiritual boundaries in our lives today? 4. What does the vision of restored boundaries teach us about God's faithfulness and His plans for His people? 5. How can the idea of community and shared inheritance in the land of Israel inspire us to foster unity and fellowship within our own faith communities? Connections to Other Scriptures Numbers 34This chapter also describes the boundaries of the land of Israel, providing a historical context for Ezekiel's vision. Genesis 15God's covenant with Abraham includes promises about the land, which ties into the restoration themes in Ezekiel. Revelation 21The vision of a new heaven and new earth can be seen as a parallel to the restoration and renewal themes in Ezekiel. People Amos, Enan, Ezekiel, Israelites, Joseph, TamarPlaces Arabah, Berothah, Brook of Egypt, Damascus, Eneglaim, Engedi, Gilead, Great Sea, Hamath, Hauran, Hazar-enan, Hazer-hatticon, Hethlon, Jordan River, Lebo-hamath, Meribah-kadesh, Most Holy Place, Sibraim, Tamar, ZedadTopics Border, Boundary, Entering, Entrance, Hamath, Lebo, Lebo-hamath, Limit, Opposite, Over-against, Point, Quarter, South, Till, WestDictionary of Bible Themes Ezekiel 47:15-20 5235 boundary Library The River of Life
Waters issued out from under the threshold of the house ... EZEKIEL xlvii. 1. Unlike most great cities, Jerusalem was not situated on a great river. True, the inconsiderable waters of Siloam--'which flow softly' because they were so inconsiderable--rose from a crevice in the Temple rock, and beneath that rock stretched the valley of the Kedron, dry and bleached in the summer, and a rainy torrent during the rainy seasons; but that was all. So, many of the prophets, who looked forward to the better …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture"And the Redeemer Shall Come unto Zion, and unto them that Turn,"
Isaiah lix. 20.--"And the Redeemer shall come unto Zion, and unto them that turn," &c. Doctrines, as things, have their seasons and times. Every thing is beautiful in its season. So there is no word of truth, but it hath a season and time in which it is beautiful. And indeed that is a great part of wisdom, to bring forth everything in its season, to discern when and where, and to whom it is pertinent and edifying, to speak such and such truths. But there is one doctrine that is never out of season, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning The Coast of the Asphaltites, the Essenes. En-Gedi.
"On the western shore" (of the Asphaltites) "dwell the Essenes; whom persons, guilty of any crimes, fly from on every side. A nation it is that lives alone, and of all other nations in the whole world, most to be admired; they are without any woman; all lust banished, &c. Below these, was the town Engadda, the next to Jerusalem for fruitfulness, and groves of palm-trees, now another burying-place. From thence stands Massada, a castle in a rock, and this castle not far from the Asphaltites." Solinus, …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica Fresh Supplies of Power.
"As the Dew." There is another very important bit needed to complete the circle of truth we are going over together in these quiet talks. Namely, the daily life after the act of surrender and all that comes with that act. The steady pull day by day. After the eagle-flight up into highest air, and the hundred yards dash, or even the mile run, comes the steady, steady walking mile after mile. The real test of life is here. And the highest victories are here, too. I recall the remark made by a friend …
S.D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on Power The Holy City; Or, the New Jerusalem:
WHEREIN ITS GOODLY LIGHT, WALLS, GATES, ANGELS, AND THE MANNER OF THEIR STANDING, ARE EXPOUNDED: ALSO HER LENGTH AND BREADTH, TOGETHER WITH THE GOLDEN MEASURING-REED EXPLAINED: AND THE GLORY OF ALL UNFOLDED. AS ALSO THE NUMEROUSNESS OF ITS INHABITANTS; AND WHAT THE TREE AND WATER OF LIFE ARE, BY WHICH THEY ARE SUSTAINED. 'Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.'-Psalm 87:3 'And the name of the city from that day shall be, THE LORD IS THERE.'-Ezekiel 48:35 London: Printed in the year 1665 …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Iranian Conquest
Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration: …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 The Gospel Feast
"When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come unto Him, He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?"--John vi. 5. After these words the Evangelist adds, "And this He said to prove him, for He Himself knew what He would do." Thus, you see, our Lord had secret meanings when He spoke, and did not bring forth openly all His divine sense at once. He knew what He was about to do from the first, but He wished to lead forward His disciples, and to arrest and …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII Kadesh. Rekam, and that Double. Inquiry is Made, Whether the Doubling it in the Maps is Well Done.
The readers of the eastern interpreters will observe, that Kadesh is rendered by all Rekam, or in a sound very near it. In the Chaldee, it is 'Rekam': in the Syriac, 'Rekem': in the Arabic, 'Rakim'... There are two places noted by the name Rekam in the very bounds of the land,--to wit, the southern and eastern: that is, a double Kadesh. I. Of Kadesh, or Rekam, in the south part, there is no doubt. II. Of it, in the eastern part, there is this mention: "From Rekam to the east, and Rekam is as the …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Prophet Joel.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. The position which has been assigned to Joel in the collection of the Minor Prophets, furnishes an external argument for the determination of the time at which Joel wrote. There cannot be any doubt that the Collectors were guided by a consideration of the chronology. The circumstance, that they placed the prophecies of Joel just between the two prophets who, according to the inscriptions and contents of their prophecies, belonged to the time of Jeroboam and Uzziah, is …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Ezekiel 47:20 NIVEzekiel 47:20 NLTEzekiel 47:20 ESVEzekiel 47:20 NASBEzekiel 47:20 KJV
Ezekiel 47:20 Commentaries
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