22. — and to the strangers &c.] Foreigners before never had the privilege of purchasing or possessing any inheritance among the Jews; so this mystically imports the incorporating of the Gentiles into the same Church with the Jews, making them "fellow-heirs, and of the same body" with them "by the Gospel," Ephes. iii. 6. W. Lowth. There is no reason to believe that this privilege was ever granted under Zerubbabel. Calmet. From ver. 15 to the end of the chapter is prefigured NOW these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan. 22. — the Levites.] Including the priests; see chap. xlv. 15. The sense of the verse is, that the possession belonging to the priests and Levites, (see ver. 11,) and the city, were bounded on the east and west by the prince's portion; that the former lay in the middle, the latter beyond them. W. Lowth. 25. — Issachar.] These appointments are not laid out with any regard to the division of the land made in Joshua's time; for here a platform of a new church and state is set forth. W. Lowth. 28. — from Tamar.] See note on chap. xlvii. 19. 29. — for inheritance.] Since there is no doubt but that other things which are said in these chapters relating to the temple, and the land of Israel, are of a prophetic nature, it seems safer to determine that the abovementioned measures were observed both in building the temple and in assigning the lots to the tribes; though we know not how these things were done, because there is a great chasm in the sacred history, from the time of Ezra to that of the Maccabees. Howbignt. It is the opinion of some learned men, that so parti- cular a description of the several portions allotted to each tribe, relates to the Jewish settlement in their own country after their conversion; several passages in the Prophets looking that way. But without laying too great a stress upon that opinion, we may fairly suppose some mystical sense contained under this description; the twelve tribes denote the true Christian Church in the New Testament; see Luke xxii. 30. So this division of the land among the twelve tribes may imply, that all true Christians shall be equally sharers in the privileges of the Gospel. W. Lowth. 30. — on the north side.] See ver. 16, where the same measures are set forth. There were three gates in the face of each wall, and the whole circuit of the city was eighteen thousand cubits. Calmet.