Verses 1-12

The river of life (47:1-12)

Upon completing his description of the temple and its rituals, Ezekiel moves on to the remarkable climax to his visions. He saw a trickle of water coming from under the door of the temple, then flowing across the court and under the main outer wall (just south of the east gate) (47:1-2). The stream headed east, rapidly growing wider and deeper until, within a very short distance, it became a large river (3-6a).

The first thing that Ezekiel noticed about this remarkable river was the number of trees growing along its banks (6b-7). He then learnt that the river was flowing towards the Dead Sea, and all along its course it brought life into previously stagnant waters (though it left some areas of salt that would be useful to the people of the land). The trees that grew on its banks, besides providing a constant supply of nourishing food, brought healing to the sick. The river pictured the healing, nourishing, life-giving blessings that flow from the presence of God to his people (8-12; cf. Revelation 22:1-2).

Verses 13-23

Boundaries of the land (47:13-23)

In restored Israel the land was to be divided equally among the nation's twelve tribes. Levi had no tribal allotment, but Joseph, who received the firstborn's blessing, had two, Ephraim and Manasseh (13-14; cf. Genesis 48:5; 1 Chronicles 5:1).

The overall boundaries of the land are given. The northern boundary went from a point near Tyre on the coast to the Jordan headwaters. The eastern boundary followed the Jordan to the southern end of the Dead Sea. The southern boundary went from there to the Wadi (or Brook) of Egypt, which it then followed to the coast. The western boundary was the Mediterranean coast (15-20).

In the matter of land allocation, foreigners who lived among the Israelites had equal rights with them. They were to be given land in the territory of the tribe in which they lived (21-23).