The vision of the holy waters, 1-5. The virtue of them, 6-12. The borders of the land, 13-21. The division of it by lot, 22, 23.
1 Afterward, he brought me back to the door of the house, and behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the front of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. 2 Then he brought me out of the way of the gate northward and led me around by the way outside to the outer gate that looks eastward, and behold, waters ran out on the right side.
3 And when the man who had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured one thousand cubits and brought me through the waters. The waters were to the ankles. 4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters. The waters were to the knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through. The waters were to the loins. 5 Afterward, he measured one thousand and it was a river that I could not pass over, for the waters had risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. 6 And he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he brought me and caused me to return to the brink of the river. 7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on one side and on the other. 8 Then he said to me, "These waters issue out toward the east country, go down into the desert, and go into the sea. When [the waters] are brought forth into the sea, the waters become fresh. 9 And it shall come to pass, that wherever the rivers come, every living creature that swarms shall live. And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come there, for they shall be healed, and everything shall live where the river comes. 10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishermen shall stand upon it from En-gedi even to En-eglaim. They shall be a place to spread forth nets. Their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the Great Sea, very numerous. 11 But its miry places and its marshes shall not be healed. They shall be given to salt. 12 And by the river upon its bank, on this side and on that side, all trees for food shall grow, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall their fruit be consumed. They shall bring forth new fruit according to their months, because their waters issued out of the sanctuary. And their fruit shall be for food and their leaf for medicine."
13 Thus says the Lord GOD: "This shall be the border by which you shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. 14 And you shall inherit it, one as well as another, for I lifted up my hand to give it to your fathers. And this land shall fall to you for inheritance.
15 "And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side: from the Great Sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad; 16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazar-hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran. 17 And the border from the sea shall be Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.
18 "And the east side you shall measure from Hauran, from Damascus, from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by the Jordan, from the border to the east sea. And this is the east side.
19 "And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the Great Sea. And this is the south side southward.
20 "The west side shall also be the Great Sea from the border until one comes over against Hamath. This is the west side.
21 "Thus you shall divide this land to yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 And it shall come to pass, that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance to yourselves and to the strangers who sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you. And they shall be to you as natives in the country among the children of Israel. They shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourns, there you shall give him his inheritance," says the Lord GOD.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Ezekiel, Chapter 47[➚]
John Gill's Chapter Summary:
This chapter gives an account of the vision of the holy waters, and of the borders of the holy land, and the division of it to Israelites and strangers. The waters are described by the origin and spring of them (Ezekiel 47:1-2); by the progress and increase of them (Ezekiel 47:3-5); by the healing and quickening nature of them, and the places where they were so, and were not (Ezekiel 47:8-11); and by the trees which grew upon the banks of them (Ezekiel 47:6-7, 12). The borders of the holy land are fixed (Ezekiel 47:13-14); the northern border (Ezekiel 47:15-17); the eastern border (Ezekiel 47:18); the southern (Ezekiel 47:19); and the western (Ezekiel 47:20); which is to be divided by lot to the tribes of Israel and the strangers that sojourn among them (Ezekiel 47:21-23).
[v.8] - Text in square brackets added for implied meaning. Implied from the beginning of the quote, as the waters are the subject of this verse.