The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 452

Damasous. (4) In that the portions were one." "The presupposition thai one tribe eoo.roely ever parallel: in this they always should receive exactly as much a.s another o.re. (5) In that the portions of ,Judah led to the individual tribe's portion being und Reuben lay south, and thot of De.n considered e.s a monaa" (Kliefoth). In the first division of the land, Dan's portion west of J orusolem : in this all three are was small, and sHuated west of the terri- situated north of the city. tories of Ephraim and Benjamin. Vera. 3-7.-After Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Vere. I, 2.-The names of the tribes. The Mana,ilKlh (the whole tribe),Ephraim, Reuben, tribe of Levi being excepted., the number and Judah should receive portions, each the twelve should in the future e.s in the past size of De,u's, and, like his, stretching from division of the holy soil bo preserved by the east side to the west, each joining on assigning to Joseph portions (oh. :x.lvii. 13), to the border of ite predecessor, and the one for Ephraim and one for Manasseh, seven portions together occupying the whole J!'rom the north end. On the former occa- space between the north boundary of the sion the allotment had begun in the south land and the portion of the Levites. Among of the laud and proceeded northwards: on the differences distinguishing this from the this it should commence in the north and division made by Joshua, these ma.y be move regularly southward.. The alteration noticed: (1) Reuben and Manasseh are is sufficiently explained by remembering brought from the east of Jordo.11 to the west, that after the conquest, the people were and Reuben inserted between Judah and vio;ed as having come from the south, Ephraim. (2) In order to make room for whereas at the restoration they should these, Zebulun, Ephraim, and Benjamin ?-re appear e.s entering in from the north. To dis placed and located south of the 01 ty. the ooast of (better, beside) the way of (3) Dan heads the list, instead of fetchillg Hethlon, as one goeth to (literally, to the up the rear as on the last occasion. (4) entering in of) Hamath, Hazar-enan, the Ephraim loses her former position next to border of Damascus. This was the north Judah. boundary of the laud from west to east, as already defiued (eh. xlvii. 16, 17); and with Vera. 8--22.-The terumah, or priests' this line the portion of Dan should begin. portion (vers. 8--12), with the portions for The portion should then, as to situation, bo the Levites (vers. 13, 14), for the city (vers. one lying northwards, to the oo!Lst of (or 15-20), and for the prillce (vers. 21, 22). rather, beside) Hamath. That 1e to saf, boginuing with the border of Hamath, it Ver. 8.-The terumah, al.ready referred should extend southwnrds. J'or these a.re to (oh. xiv. 1-5), is here more minutely his sides, east and west should be, And dcsoribed. (1) In Bituation, it should be there shall be to bim sides east, west, mean- by the border of Judah, i.e. coutiguons to ing " the tract between both ea.stern and Jndah's territory on th_e south. Henoe it western boundaries," rather than ae Hitzig should emwace all the above speoi:fied por- translates, " A.nd there shall be to him the tions. (2) In breadth, from north to south, enst eido of the son," signifying that his it should be twenty-five thousand reeds, this territory should embraoe the land east of being undoubtedly the word lo be supplied. tho Meditorro.nean : " or na Hengatenberg (8) In bingth, it should bo as one of tha renders, " And they shall he to him the other parts, extending from tho cast to the co.at side the son," equal to "the troot in west side of the land. (4) In relation to question should have the sea for its east the sanctuaTfl, this should bo in the midst of border." Then, ILB this applies eqnnlly to it, not necessarily in the e:1Bot googro.phiool all tho tribe-portions, Hengstenberg regards oontre of the wholo tornlllah in tho farger "to hirn" (,',) as pointiug to "the whole sense, but generally in o. central position. of the tribes combined into an ideal unity," Vere. 9-12 refer to the priests' portion but expositors genernlly agree that "to propor, sotting forth (1) its dim611Biorur, hilll" should bo referred to Dan, whom 25,000 reeds along the north and south tho prophet had in mind and was about to boundaries from oast to west, and 10,000 mention. A portion for Dan should be reed.a from north to south along the ea.et Dan one "portion," '~O (oh. xlvii. 18), and west sides, so that it should form an rather than "tribe," t:l~~. ns Bmend proposes. oblong or reotanglo of 25,000 X l0,000 reeds To take intt as alluding to the enumerntion = 548 square (geographical) miles; (2) its relation to the aanctuary, whioh should stand of the tribes is indeed oountenanced by in its midst, in this 011&0 should ocoupy the Ezekiel's mode of numbering tho gates ouot geographical contro; (3) its d6dina- (vors. 30-35); but Ezekiel's style in vers. tion, ,iz. for the pri81ts that are eanotiAed 30-35 will be preserved here al.so if ',~~ of the sons of Zadok-bottor than "that precedo "J udab," thus; "the porlioa or DaD whioh ill sanotillc<l ie for lho priests," as  THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [011. XLVIII, 1--25.