Ezekiel 47:2

THEN BROUGHT HE ME OUT OF THE WAY OF THE GATE NORTHWARD, AND LED ME ABOUT THE WAY WITHOUT UNTO THE UTTER GATE BY THE WAY THAT LOOKETH EASTWARD; AND, BEHOLD, THERE RAN OUT WATERS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. No JFB commentary on this verse....

Verse Ezekiel 47:2. _THERE RAN OUT WATERS_] מים מפכים _mayim mephaccim_, the waters seem to have been at first _in small quantity_; for the words imply that they _oozed_ or _dropped out_. They were at first so small that they came _guttatim, drop by drop_; but they increased so, that they became a river in which one could swim....

OUT OF THE WAY OF THE GATE NORTHWARD - Rather, by the way of the northward gate....

EXPOSITION As the first part of Ezekiel's vision (Ezekiel 40-43.) dealt with the temple, or "house," and the second (Ezekiel 44-47.) with the ritual, or "worship," so the third, which beans with the present chapter (Ezekiel 47:1; Ezekiel 48:1.), treats of the land, or "inheritance" setting forth first its relation to the temple (verses 1-12) and to outlying countries (verses 13-21), and secondly its division among the tribes, inclusive of the priests, Levites, sanctuary, prince, and city (Ezekiel 48:1), with a statement of the dimensions and gates of the last (verses 24-35). The opening section of the present chapter (verses 1-12) is by Kliefoth and others connected with the second part as a conclusio

THEN BROUGHT HE ME OUT OF THE WAY OF THE GATE NORTHWARD,.... Out of the inward court where he was, by the way of the north gate, the eastern gate being shut: AND LED ME ABOUT THE WAY WITHOUT UNTO THE UTTER GATE, BY THE WAY THAT LOOKETH EASTWARD; and from thence he had him round to the outward eastern gate, where he was at first, Ezekiel 40:6, to meet the flow of waters that came through the inward and outward courts eastward: AND, BEHOLD, THERE RAN OUT WATERS ON THE RIGHT SIDE; that is, on the south side of the gate, in a small quantity, and in a very still and easy way, like water out of the mouth of a vial, as the word b signifies. So Bartenora c, who understands this gate of the water gate, interprets the right side of the south; and observes, that the prophet first saw the waters come out very small, like the horns of a locust; but when they came to

III. THE VISION CONCERNING THE LAND (47-48) CHAPTER 4 7 _ 1. The waters of healing from the temple (Ezekiel 47:1) _ 2. Borders of the land (Ezekiel 47:13) 3. Concerning the stranger in the land (Ezekiel 47:22)...

EZEKIEL 47, 48. THE HOLY LAND, ITS BEAUTY, BOUNDARIES, AND DIVISIONS. Now that the Temple and its worship, which are indispensable to the welfare of the land, have been described, Ezekiel directs his parting glance to the land itself, introducing his description with a beautiful and suggestive picture, particularly refreshing after the long stretch of minute ceremonial detail, of the life-giving stream that flowed from the heart of the sanctuary. The clearness and keenness with which the prophet's imagination is working, comes out in the frequent repetition of the word Behold. EZEKIEL 47:1. THE RIVER OF LIFE. From under the threshold of the Temple the prophet, led by his supernatural guide, is startled to see water trickling out and flowing past the altar eastwards, growing deeper and stronger as it flows, in the direction of the Dead Sea, into which it finally falls.

UTTER. is outer....

The river issuing from the temple. The prophet saw a stream issuing from beneath the threshold of the house, which pursued its way eastward, passing the altar on the south side and emerging into the open on the right hand of the outer east gate. A thousand cubits from the gate the waters were ankle deep, but speedily they became a river so deep that it could be crossed only by swimming (Ezekiel 47:3). A luxuriant nature attended the course of the stream; trees grew on every side, ever green and with unfailing fruit, the leaves of which possessed a healing virtue (Ezekiel 47:7_; Ezekiel 47:12_). The desert place to the east became transformed, and the bitter waters of the Dead Sea into which the river flowed were made sweet,

THEN BROUGHT HE ME OUT OF THE WAY, &C.— _Out by the way,_ &c. Houbigant. _There ran out waters on the right side;_ that is to say, from the south of the temple to the east; therefore the measure of the _thousand cubits,_ which is made afterwards, is made from west to east, and the farther the river recedes from the temple the deeper it becomes. See Houbigant....