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New Defender's Study Bible Notes
45:1 oblation unto the LORD. This oblation (that is, “offering”) will consist of a very large portion of land, approximately fifty miles by twenty miles in area. Because of the large size, many translations assume that “reeds” in this verse should have been “cubits,” thus reducing the size to 8.3 miles by 3.3 miles. The original Hebrew simply reads 25,000 by 10,000 without giving the units (the same in Ezekiel 45:3).
45:2 fifty cubits. Out of all the dimensions given in Ezekiel 45:1-6 (eleven numbers altogether), this is the only one where the units are specified in the Hebrew. The King James translators inferred that this meant “reeds” were understood otherwise, and so used “reeds” (in italics) in Ezekiel 45:1 and Ezekiel 48:8. Other translators have assumed that “cubits” were implied throughout. Note a similar uncertainty of dimensional units in Ezekiel 48:16-21 (fourteen numbers without units).
45:4 for the priests. The tract of land set aside “unto the LORD” (Ezekiel 45:1) will contain the temple area (see note on Ezekiel 42:16) and also housing for the Zadokian priests, “the ministers of the sanctuary” (note Ezekiel 48:9-12).
45:5 also the Levites. A similar portion of land as that set aside “unto the LORD” (Ezekiel 45:1) shall be used specifically to house the other Levites (besides the sons of Zadok), who are “the ministry [that is ‘servants’] of the house” (see also Ezekiel 48:13).
45:6 possession of the city. A tract of land half the size of that “unto the LORD” (Ezekiel 45:1) will be provided for the inhabitants of the city other than the priests and Levites.
45:7 portion shall be for the prince. See Ezekiel 44:3. This “prince” is mentioned sixteen times in Ezekiel 44–48. As the millennial human ruler of Israel (and, by inference, of the whole world), he has a very large portion of land for his use, evidently extending due west to the Mediterranean Sea and due east to the eastern border of Israel, presumably the Euphrates River (Genesis 15:18), outside of the 25,000 x 25,000 area set aside for the priests, Levites and Jerusalem. One might speculate that this large area of land may also house “the camp of the saints” mentioned in Revelation 20:9, the resurrected saints of the ages prior to the millennium who will “be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).
45:10 just balances. The balances measure by weight, the ephah by dry volume, and the bath by liquid volume.
45:15 burnt-offering. On the reason for all these different offerings being reinstituted in the millennial temple, see footnote on Ezekiel 42:13.