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47:13-48:35 Dividing the Land: Allotment and Access. The final element in the vision, and in the book, demarcates the territory for the whole of Israel (47:13-23), allots territories to the 12 tribes (48:1-7, 23-29), and allocates access to the new city (48:30-35). It includes a detailed version of the central area assigned to the sanctuary and city (48:8-22; cf. 45:1-8). These are clearly idealized boundaries, as strips are simply drawn east to west in equal chunks (see map). And yet the overall boundaries correspond to those of Num. 34:1-12 (cf. 1 Kings 8:65). Given the power of the river in Ezek. 47:1-12 to make things fruitful, it can be assumed that the whole of the land is envisaged as equally fertile.

Ezekiel's Vision of Israel's New Boundaries

47:13-23 The Outer Boundaries. The principles governing division of the land (vv. 13-14) introduce the description of Israel's borders (vv. 15-20). Verse 21 links with vv. 13-14, then makes provision for the settlement of resident aliens (vv. 22-23).

47:13 As seen in 37:16, Joseph is remembered among the patriarchs. His tribes (the two portions) are Ephraim and Manasseh.

47:15-20 The borders themselves are described beginning on the north, which happens to be the most difficult of the boundaries to describe. The starting point (by way of Hethlon, v. 15) is somewhere between modern-day Beirut and Lebanese Tripoli on the Mediterranean (the Great Sea) coast. The line circles north of Damascus (v. 16), and somewhere to the east of Damascus it turns south--many of the place names cannot be identified. The eastern border then follows the line of the Jordan to Tamar, a fort south of the Dead Sea (v. 18). From this point the southern border goes toward to the Mediterranean coast by way of Meribah-kadesh, emerging near modern Arish in Egypt (v. 19). The western boundary is naturally formed by the Mediterranean coast itself (v. 20).

47:21-23 Finally, provision is made for resident aliens, or sojourners, as permanent settlers among the people of Israel. The notion that they shall be to you as native-born recalls the qualification of legislation in Leviticus (e.g., Lev. 19:34) and Numbers (e.g., Num. 9:14).

48:1-7 Territories of the Northern Tribes. The equal distribution of this territory among the 12 tribes begins, as expected, in the north working south toward the central sacred district. Each tribe is allocated a strip running east-west (v. 1). There seems to be some rank order relating to proximity to the temple area. Judah (v. 7), the leading tribe of the old southern kingdom, borders the temple area to the north, and next north of Judah is Reuben (v. 6), the firstborn of the patriarchs.

48:8-22 The Central Territories. Much of this material has already been seen in 45:1-8 (see notes there). The important addition is the location of the city and its surrounding region in the southernmost east-west strip adjoining the Levites' territory (48:15-19). At 4,500 cubits square, the city itself is about 1.4 miles (2.3 km) square. Work goes on in the city, although what kind is not stated; perhaps the work is to farm the adjacent land. See map. Verse 19 indicates the national character of the city, as its citizens come from each of the 12 tribes.

48:23-29 Territories of the Southern Tribes. The tribal distribution continues to the south of the city, beginning with Benjamin (v. 23; it had been to the immediate north of Judah in the old tribal land holdings), probably due to the proximity of the new city, since Jerusalem was in Benjaminite territory. The tribal territories seem to have some rank ordering. Judah borders the central sacred area to the north, Benjamin to the south, both adjacent to the new Jerusalem. At the extreme north, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali are all sons of "concubines" (Asher of Zilpah, Dan and Naphtali of Bilhah), while at the extreme south, Gad is Bilhah's other son. The pattern of distribution, then, seems to combine aspects of political rank (Judah leading), territorial connections (Benjamin), birth order (Reuben and Simeon next "out" from Judah and Benjamin), the Joseph tribes (Ephraim to the south of Manasseh), and "birth mother," with the concubines' sons at the extremities.

48:30-35 Access to the City. Finally, the city gates are assigned to the 12 tribes--not now corresponding to the patriarchs of the territorial divisions but to the original 12 brothers, since the sons of Levi (the priests who have no property; see 44:28) require access to the city as well. Thus, Ephraim and Manasseh are here represented by Joseph. The round of the gates begins again in the north and proceeds clockwise. A rationale for the assignments is difficult to discern.

48:35 The city's new name is to be The Lord Is There, for its name indicates its true character. This name recalls the observation in the introduction to this vision complex: this vision, and by extension the book, is about the actualization of God's presence among his people (cf. Rev. 22:3).