The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 430

EXPOSITION. observe.nee by them of the holy ordinances CHAPTER XLVII. of Jehovnh's religion. Viewed as a prefaoe As the first part of Ezekiel's V1Blon to what follows, it exhibits the transforma- (eh. xl.-xliii.) dee.It with the temple, or tion which the iuetitution of such o. cultus "house," and the second (oh. xliv.-xlvii.) would effect upon the land before proceeding with the ritual, or "worship," so the third, to speak of its partition IUilong the tribes, which begins with the present chapter The prophet's imagery in this pe.wgmph (oh. xlvii., xlviii.), treats of the land, or may h11ve taken as its point of departure "inheritance," setting forth first its rela- the well-known fact that the wo.ters of tion to the temple (vers. 1-12) and to out- Shiloo.h (Isa. viii. 6; Ps. xlvi. 4) appeared lying countries (vere. 13-21), and secondly to flow from under the temple bill, the Pool its division 11mong the tribes, inclusive of of Siloo.m having been fed from a spring the priests, Levites, so.notuary, prinoe, and welling up with intermittent notion from oity (oh. xlviii. 1-23), with e. statement of beneath Ophel (see Conder, 'Handbook to the dimeusions and gates of the last (vers. the Bible,' p. 334; King, 'Recent Dis- 24-85). The opening seotion of the pre- coveries ou Temple Hill,' p. 173). To sent chapter (vers. 1-12) is by Kliefoth Isaiah " the waters of Shiloo.h that go e.nd others conneoted with the second part softly," ho.d already been e.n emblem of the e.s e. conclusion, rather than with the third blessings to be enjoyed under Jehove.h's pa.rt as e.u introduction ; bnt, to.ken either rule (Isa. viii. 6); to Joel (iii. 18) "11 foun- wny, the passnge he.a the same significance tain," coming forth from the house of the or nearly so. If read in continuation of the Lord and watering the valley of Bhittim, foregoing, it depicts the blessed conse- or the Acacia valley, on the borders of quences, in the shape of life and healing, Moab, on the other side of Jordan, where whioh should flow to the land of Israel and the Israelites halted and sinned (Numb, its inhabitants from the erection in their xxv. 1; x:uiii. 49}, had symbolized th11 arldat of the sanctuary of Jehovah, and the benefits that should be experienced by 446 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [oH, XLVII, 1-23,