20. — bake the meat offering;] Levit. ii. 4, 5. 7. W. Lowth. — that they bear them not out] That they bear them not into the outer court, where the people are allowed to assemble, since this privilege of these holy services rests in their own persons. Bp. Hall. See chap. xlv. 19, and Lev. vi. 26. Before CHRIST 574. of his year. morning by morning. 31. — dead of itself.] A command given to all the Jews, Exod. xxii. 31; and more particularly to the priests, Lev. xxii. 8. W. Lowth. Chap. XLV. ver. 1. — by lot] The land was so divided by Joshua in the first partition. W. Lowth. — an oblation unto the Lord.] The portion of the Lord is here called an oblation, because it was a sort of first-fruits of the land or soil itself. W. Lowth, Abp. Newcome. — five and twenty thousand reeds.] The Hebrew doth not express either reeds or cubits: but many interpreters expound the place of cubits, considering this to be the more probable measure, and concluding cubits to be here meant from the circumstance of their being used in the measurement of the temple in the next verse. Bp. Lowth, Calmet, Michaelis. 23. — a row of building] On the inside of these courts. W. Lowth. 24. — the ministers of the house] Probably the Levites, or inferiour ministers. The former sacrifices were boiled by the priests in the court properly belonging to them; see chap. xl. 45, and note. W. Lowth. Chap. XLVII. ver. 1. — the door of the house;] The door of the temple, which is described, chap. xli. 2. W. Lowth. — waters issued out from under the threshold— eastward:] There was a great quantity of water necessary for the uses of the temple, for washing the bodies of those that officiated, as well as the sacrifices which they offered; this was conveyed in pipes under ground from the fountain Etam. These waters gave occasion to the vision here related. Dr. Lightfoot, W. Lowth. The progressive establishment of the Messiah's kingdom is declared by some of the later Prophets under the most striking and lively representations. In Nebuchadnezzar's dream, related by the Prophet Daniel, and by him expounded of successive kingdoms, that last kingdom set up by the God of heaven was at first no more than "a stone," but "it became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth," Dan. ii. 34, 35. In 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. — from En-gedi] See the note on 1 Sam. xxiii. 29. — unto En-eglaim;] This city is placed by some at the north of the Dead sea, where the Jordan runs into it. Eglaim is mentioned, Isa. xv. 8, as a place on the borders of Meah, which country ran on the east of the Dead sea. Abp. Newcome. — as the fish of the great sea.] Of the great Mediterranean sea; see Josh. xxiii. 4, and chap. xlviii. 28. The fish on the coasts of Judea and Phenicia are very abundant. Harmer. — Joseph shall have two portions.] See Gen. xlviii. 5; 1 Chron. v. 1. Chap. XLVIII. ver. 1. — From the north end &c.] Having given a general description of the boundaries of the Holy Land, the Prophet now proceeds to state the limits of each tribe, beginning as before from the north. Calmet. — for these are his sides. These are his limits from the east point near mount Libanus and Gilead, to the west point, which is bounded by the Mediterranean sea; see chap. xlvii. 15. W. Lowth. 8. — the waters shall be healed.] This finely repre- 8. And by the border of Judah, &c.] Between the portions of Judah and Benjamin, and immediately south of that of Judah, shall be the offering set apart for the service of God, chap. xlv. 1. W. Lowth. — five and twenty thousand reeds] The word "reeds" is not in the original either here or in chap. xlv. 1; and many prefer to understand the measure in both places of cubits; see note there. W. Lowth. — as one of the other parts.] As one of the portions given to the adjoining tribes. Abp. Newcome, Calmet. 9. The oblation that ye shall offer unto the Lord] For his sanctuary and priests; see chap. xlv. 1. 3, 4. Abp. Newcome. Before CHRIST 574. The portions of the sanctuary, of the city and suburbs. Before CHRIST 574. [ Or, The sanctified portion shall be for the priests. [ Or, ward, or ordinance. twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth. 10. — toward the north five and twenty thousand in length, &c.] See the plan, chap. xlv. 11. — the sons of Zadok. See chap. xlv. 10—15. — as the Levites went astray. Or, as the other Levites went astray: many of these had defiled themselves with idolatry, for which crime they were to be degraded; see chap. xlv. 10, 11, and note. W. Lowth. 12. — by the border of the Levites. It shall be next to the portion of the Levites, which lay southward between the priests and the cities' portion; see the plan. W. Lowth. 11. — the miry places] The Dead sea shall preserve its salt and bitter qualities on its shores and in its marshes, where the waters become stagnant. Calmet. The allegorical sense is, that some shall reject the Gospel, and some receive it without obeying it. Abp. Newcome. Saltness is equivalent to barrenness in the Hebrew language; see Ps. cvii. 34; Deut. xxix. 23; Judges ix. 45. W. Lowth. 12. — for meat.] For food. — whose leaf shall not fade.] They shall be like the trees of paradise, never barren or withering; a proper emblem of the flourishing state of the righteous still bringing forth fruit unto holiness, and whose end is everlasting life, Ps. i. 3; Jer. xvii. 8. W. Lowth. — new fruit according to his months, &c.] It shall be constantly fruitful; see Rev. xxii. 1, 2. From ver. 1 to ver. 12, we have one of the most striking allegories in the Hebrew Scriptures. Abp. Newcome. 13. — This shall be the border.] This allotment, and fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof || for b medicine. 13. — over against the border] Or, just by the border of the priests: the words import that the border of the Levites ran parallel to that of the priests. W. Lowth. 14. — one as well as another;] Under Joshua the lots were proportioned to the numbers in each tribe. This mysterious equality shews, perhaps, that in the Church of Christ there should be no distinction betwixt the Jew and the Gentile. Calmet. 14. — the firstfruits] It is styled an oblation, ver. 8 and 12; see note on chap. xlv. 1. W. Lowth. 15. — Hethlon.] Mentioned again chap. xlviii. 1. De L'Isle writes it Hethalon, and places it between Tyre and Damascus. Abp. Newcome, W. Lowth. Zedad is written Sedada in De L'Isle, and placed east of Hethlon, nearly in the same latitude. "The northern border of the land was to begin from the west point, on which side lay the Mediterranean sea, and so on northward towards Hethlon, and so on forward to Zedad;" mentioned Numb. xxxiv. 8. W. Lowth. 15. And the five thousand, that are left] See chap. xlv. 6, and the plan. — and the city shall be in the midst thereof.] A square of four thousand five hundred cubits shall be taken for the city, in the centre of the square of five thousand cubits to the south of the Levites' portion. W. Lowth. According to Josephus, Jerusalem was about seven miles in circuit, which the square here described does not greatly exceed. Abp. Newcome. 16. Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim.] Concerning Hamath, see the note on Isa. x. 9. The other two towns were situate between Hamath and Damascus. W. Lowth. — Hauran.] The city Aurana, and the district Auranitis, are in the north-east border of the Holy Land. Reland, Abp. Newcome. 17. And the border from the sea shall be] The north border eastward is ascertained, ver. 15, 16. Here it is shewn how far it extends itself northward. Abp. Newcome. — Hazar-enan.] The village of Enam; see Numb. The division of the land by lot. CHAP. XLVII, XLVIII. The portions of the twelve tribes. Before CHRIST 574. + Heb. from between. measure + from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side. 17. And the suburbs of the city] These dimensions of the suburbs, added to those of the city, make up the whole square of five thousand cubits; two hundred and fifty cubits on each of the four sides make five hundred cubits in breadth, and five hundred in length. W. Lowth. 18. — from the land of Israel by Jordan.] From the northern limits of the land of Israel, ver. 17, near Cesa-rea or Dan, where the Jordan takes its rise, unto the Dead sea, or the lake of Sodom; see ver. 8. W. Lowth. 18. And the residue in length—shall be ten thousand &c.] These two dimensions of ten thousand in length, both eastward and westward, remain on each side of the area set apart for the site of the city. W. Lowth. — over against] Beside, or parallel to; see the plan. W. Lowth. 19. And the south side southward, from Tamar] The southern frontier shall be from "En-gedi," called "Hazazon-tamar," 2 Chron. xx. 2, to the waters of Meribah, or strife, in Kadesh, Deut. xxxii. 51; and from thence to the river of Egypt. Dr. Lightfoot, W. Lowth. 19. — serve the city] Perform burdensome offices of publick utility, whether of a higher or a lower kind. Abp. Newcome, W. Lowth. 20. — from the border.] The south border mentioned in the foregoing verse. W. Lowth. — till a man come over against Hamath.] Or rather, till a man come to Hamath, the northern point towards the west frontier. W. Lowth. 20. — five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand.] This square is composed of five right-angled parallelograms or rectangles; namely, that for the priests, ver. 9, twenty-five thousand by ten thousand; that for the Levites, ver. 13, twenty-five thousand by ten thousand; that for the city and suburbs, five thousand by five thousand, ver. 16, 17; and two of ten thousand by five thousand, one on each side of the square, ver. 18: see the plan, chap. xlv. Abp. Newcome. — with the possession of the city.] That parcel of the ground for the city being taken into the measure. Bp. Hall. 21. And the residue shall be—toward the east border, &c.] The portion of the prince ran eastward to the Jordan or the Dead sea, and westward to the Great sea; retaining its breadth of twenty-five thousand Before CHRIST 574. The portions of the prince. CHAP. XLVIII. The dimensions and gates of the city. Before CHRIST 574. other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border, over against the portions for the prince: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof. 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.