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Ezekiel 47

23 verses

TL;DR

Ezekiel receives a prophetic vision of flowing water that brings renewal and abundant life, followed by a detailed description of how the land will be divided among Israel’s tribes and included foreigners.

Summary

The chapter begins with Ezekiel being led outside a house where water pours from beneath the threshold and flows eastward. The water’s depth increases as he moves, eventually becoming a river that he cannot cross. The Lord points out the abundance that will arise where the river flows—trees on both sides, plentiful fish, and everlasting fruit. He explains that the waters will heal and irrigate the land, extending from the desert to the sea. Subsequently, the passage outlines the borders of the land to be inherited by the twelve tribes, giving special mention to the allotment for the stranger. The division is to be conducted by lot, ensuring that even those who dwell among Israel receive a share as if they were native sons. This section closes with a reaffirmation that each tribe’s inheritance is ordained by God.

Outline
  1. Vision of flowing water and its transformative effect on land
  2. Description of fertility and healing from the river
  3. Specification of tribal inheritance and inclusion of foreigners
Themes
Water as symbol of renewal and lifeCovenantal land distributionInclusion and inheritance of strangers
Keywords
waterfertilityinheritancetribeshealingcovenant
People
EzekielLord Godstrangers
Places
HouseAltarEast countryDesertSeaEngediEneglaimHauranDamascusHamathGileadJordanKadesh
Things
WaterRiverTreesFishNetsFruitLeafMedicine
Key Verses
  • Ezekiel 47:1: Introduces the dramatic vision of water flowing from the threshold.
  • Ezekiel 47:12: Highlights the miraculous fertility—everlasting fruit and medicine.
  • Ezekiel 47:15: Specifies the geographic borders of the land to be inherited by Israel.
Questions
  • What does the increasing depth of the water symbolize in the vision of renewal?
  • How does the inclusion of strangers reflect God’s covenantal attitude toward outsiders?
  • In what ways does the detailed border description demonstrate the orderliness of divine provision?
  • How might the vision of abundant trees and fish inspire contemporary stewardship of natural resources?
  • What parallels can be drawn between the water’s healing in the text and spiritual restoration today?
Sentiment

neutral
The passage is descriptive and covenantal, neither overtly positive nor negative.