Ezekiel was a priest-prophet among the Jewish captives by the river Chebar in Babylonia. His opening vision came in the fifth year of Jehoiachin’s captivity. The book is organised around the appearance, departure, concealment, reappearance and return of the Glory of Yahweh.
Ezekiel 48 completes the Temple vision with the tribal portions, holy oblation, city and prince’s possession. Seven tribes lie north of the sacred central district and five to its south. The city has twelve tribal gates, and the book culminates in the name “The LORD is there”—Yahweh Shammah.
Ezekiel 47 describes life-giving water flowing from beneath the Temple, the healing of the sea and the abundance of fish and fruitful trees. It then defines the restored land’s borders and gives resident strangers a share in Israel’s inheritance.
Ezekiel 46 continues the ordinances for the prince and the people. It describes worship on sabbaths and new moons, movement through the sanctuary gates, voluntary and daily offerings, inheritance safeguards, and the designated places where sacrificial food is prepared.
Mansfield introduces Ezekiel as a priest-prophet among the Jewish captives by the river Chebar in Babylonia. His opening vision comes in the fifth year of Jehoiachin’s captivity and begins a book organised around the appearance, departure, concealment, reappearance and return of the Glory of Yahweh.
Ezekiel 48 completes the Temple vision by allocating the tribal portions, holy oblation, city and prince’s possession. Seven tribes lie north of the sacred central district and five south of it. The city has twelve tribal gates. Mansfield gives greatest prominence to the final name, “THE LORD is there” — YAHWEH SHAMMAH — making Yahweh’s abiding presence the climax of the entire book.
Ezekiel 47 presents Mansfield’s prominently headed “THE RIVER OF LIFE.” Water issues from beneath the Temple, deepens extraordinarily as it travels eastward, heals the sea, supports abundant fish and nourishes unfading fruit trees whose leaves are for medicine. The chapter then defines the restored land’s borders and explicitly gives the resident stranger an inheritance among Israel.
Ezekiel 46 continues the ordinances governing the prince and people: sabbath and new-moon worship, movement through the gates, voluntary and daily offerings, inheritance rules that prevent princely oppression, and designated priestly and public preparation places for sacrificial food.
Ezekiel 45 sets out the allocation of the holy portion, sanctuary, priests, Levites, city and prince. It requires just administration and measures, then describes offerings within the Temple vision’s worship calendar.
Ezekiel 44 sets out ordinances for access to the sanctuary and the duties of its priests. The chapter describes the shut east gate and the prince, excludes the uncircumcised from sanctuary service, limits the duties of Levites who went astray, and gives the sons of Zadok a privileged ministry.
