The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 453

Ewald and Hitzig propose; (4) ilB charQ,(J• should be four thousand five hundred reeds ter, most holy; and (5) it.a position, by the on the four sides; in other words, it should border of the Levites, i.e. with the Levites' form a square (comp. Lev, :ui. 16). The portion adjoining it, but whether on the elon, left unpUllotuated by the Me.eeoritee north or the south is not stated, and cannot and marked as "written but not to b~ yet be determined (see on ver. 22). read," should be omitted as an error. Vers. IS, H.-The Levites' portion is Vere. 18, 19.-The remaining portions of next described by its situation, as lying tbe terumah should be two strips of land, over against~!a>~\" at or near," answerable each 10,000 x 5000 reeds, one on each side to (Revised Version), parallel with (Keil)- of the city, the increase or produce of which the border of the priests ; by its dimensions, should be for food unto them that serve 11s twenty-five thousand reeds in length, the oity. By '' them that serve the city" from east to west, and ten thousand reeds Hitzig and Bmend understand its ordionry in breadth, or from north to south, i. e, it inhabitants, since e. district may be said should be as large as the priest.a' portion- to be cultivated through simple residence in point of fact larger, since the space upon it (compare colere locum). Hiivemick, necessary for the sanctuary required to be after Geseuius, thinks of the workmen who deducted from the former; by its tenure, should be employed in building the city, which was such that the Levites could against which may be urged that the city neither aell, exchange, nor alienate it, any is supposed to be already built. Hengsten- more than under the Law the Levites could berg, with whom Plumptre seems disposed sell the field of the suburbs or pasture-lands to agree, can only see in the city servers of their cities (Lev. xxv. 34) ; and by its "a mi~itia who take the city in the midst." character, which, as consisting of the :flrst- Keil and Kliefoth find them in the labour• truits of the land, i.e. of the first portion of ing classes, who should not in this future the land heaved up or presented in offering state, as so often in ordinary states among (see eh. xlv. 1), was holy unto the Lord (cf. men, be destitute of e. possession in le.ad, eh. xliv. SO). The changes in the text but should receive au allotment for their made by the LXX. and favoured by Hitzig maintenance. But an obvious objection to and Smend-" to the Levites" instead of this view is thnt it hands over the city "the Levites" (ver. IS), and "twenty" land exclusively to the labouring classes, instead of " ten thonsand" (ver. 13)---sre forgetting that the "other" classes require unnecessary. support as well as they. Probably the beet interpretation is to regard i•v.o •:i~il, "them Vera. 15-19.-ln the same way the that serve the city," as standing in anti• portion for the city receives detailed ex- thesis to the other two classes already position. mentioned-the Levites, whose office should be to serve the tabernacle (see Numb. iv, Ver. 15 gives four particulars. (1) The 24, 26; xviiL 6, in which ,~:v. is employed city portion should consist of the five to denote the service of the Levites); and thousand reeds' breadth of the entire tern- the priests, whose special function should mah remaining after the deduction of the be to serve the altar (see Numb. xviii. 7, prieeta' and Levites' portions. (2) It should in which, agnin, the ea.me verb is used). lie over against (').i?-½); in front of, and Thus regarded, "they that serve the city" therefore parallel with, the five and twenty will mean ell engaged in secular pursuits thousa.nd cubit-lengths of which these were in the city, which approximates to the composed. (3) In character it should be view of Hitzig; and the prophet's language a profane place, i.e. a place devoted to will signify that nll such should derive common use as opposed to consecrated their sustenance from the city lauds, i.e. ground (comp. Lev. L 10), and designed should either have direct access to these for the city, i.e. for dwelling, and for lands to cultivate them for themselves, or 111burbs, i.e. for the erection of houses, and should obtain a share in the produce of for an open space or precinct (el~~r;>) around these lands for other services rendered to the city, similar to that around the sanc- the city. With this accords the further tuary (see eh. xlv. 2). Among the Romans statement that those who served the city "a space of ground was left free from should servo it out of all the tribes of buildings, both within and without the Israel; i.e. its inhabitnnts should not, os WBlle, which was called _pomaJrium, and formerly, be drawn chiefly from the tribes ll'as likewise held sacred" (see Adam's of Judah and Benjamin, but contBin repre- 'Roman Antiquities,' p. 62). (4) The city sentlltivee from all the tribes of Isr110l should stand in the midst thereof, as the (comp. eh. xiv. 6). BBnctuary in the midst of the priests' por- Ver. 20.-All the obla.tion, the whole tjon (ver. 10). terumBh, must in this verso include the Ver, 16.-'l'he dimensioii., of th~ city three portions alrenqy markcil out for tho llH. XLVIII. 1-35.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 469