Ezekiel 45:5

And the five and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of breadth, shall also the Levites, the ministers of the house, have for themselves, for a possession for twenty chambers. The Levites ... have ... for a possession for twenty chambers - i:e., the Levites shall have it for a possession who are to live in twenty chambers....

Verse Ezekiel 45:5. _AND THE FIVE AND TWENTY THOUSAND_] See the plan, B. Ezekiel 48:35....

FOR A POSSESSION FOR TWENTY CHAMBERS - literally, “For a possession twenty chambers,” possibly twenty out of the thirty chambers in the outer court Ezekiel 40:17, and assigned for their use during residence in the sanctuary. The Septuagint reads “for cities to dwell in” (compare Numbers 35:2) which some adopt here....

EXPOSITION From the sustenance of the priests (Ezekiel 44:29-26), the new Torah naturally passes in the present chapter to the maintenance of the temple service as a whole, setting forth in the first section of the chapter (Ezekiel 45:1) the portions of land that should be allotted respectively to the sanctuary, _i.e._ for the temple buildings, and the priests' and Levites' houses (Ezekiel 45:1), to the city and its inhabitants, that they might be able to discharge their religious and civil obligations on the one hand to the temple, and on the other hand to the state (Ezekiel 45:6), and to the prince to e

AND THE FIVE AND TWENTY THOUSAND, OF LENGTH, AND TEN THOUSAND OF BREADTH,.... This seems to be another portion of the land, distinct from the former, though of the same measure; see Ezekiel 48:13: SHALL ALSO THE LEVITES, THE MINISTERS OF THE HOUSE, HAVE FOR THEMSELVES; separate from the priests, to whom they ministered, and were as numerous; or more numerous, than they; this is still designed to set forth the largeness of the church, and the great numbers of its members, who will all be accommodated and supplied with good things: FOR A POSSESSION FOR TWENTY CHAMBERS; which some understand of twenty rows of chambers; by which may be meant particular congregated churches, as we have seen all along in this vision, erected for the better use and convenience of the saints in all places and parts of the world, where they are called....

CHAPTER 45 _ 1. The portions of the priests, the Levites, of the whole house of Israel, and the prince (Ezekiel 45:1) _ 2. Concerning the prince (Ezekiel 45:9) 3. The feast of Passover and the feast of tabernacles (Ezekiel 45:18)...

FOR. as. FOR TWENTY CHAMBERS: or, of cities to dwell in....

Read: AND FIVE …, AND TEN … SHALL THE LEVITES HAVE. (The Keri is unnecessary). for _twenty chambers_ Probably with LXX.: FOR CITIES TO DWELL IN. Cf. same words Numbers 35:2; Joshua 14:4. In Ezekiel 45:6 Jerusalem, with its suburbs, is assigned a tract of land only half of this given to the Levites....

AND THE FIVE AND TWENTY THOUSAND, &C.— _And there shall be other five and twenty thousand of length, and ten thousand of breadth; and it shall be for the Levites, the ministers of the house, for them for a possession; twenty ranges of building:_ or, as some render the last clause, _for cities to dwell in._ See Archbishop Newcombe on this passage....

_5. THE APPORTIONMENT OF THE SACRED PORTION OF THE LAND_ (_45:1-8_) TRANSLATION (1) Moreover, when you shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, you shall offer an oblation unto the LORD, a holy portion of the land; the length shall be the length of twenty-five thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand: it shall be holy in all the border thereof round about. (2) Of this there shall be for the holy place five hundred in length, square round about; and fifty cubits for the suburbs thereof round about. (3) And of this measure you shall measure a length of twenty-five thousand, and a breadth of ten thousand; and in it shall be the sanctuary, which is most holy. (4) It is a holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, that come near to minister unto the LORD; and it shall be a place for their houses, and a holy place for the sanctuar...