Old Testament Commentary - Ezekiel 47

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
           CHAPTER 47            

Waters issue from the house of the Lord and heal the Dead Sea—The Lord shows the borders of the land.

 1 AFTERWARD he brought me again unto the adoor of the house; and, behold, bwaters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the chouse, at the south side of the altar.
 2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter agate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
 3 And when the man that had the aline in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.
 4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.
 5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.
 6 ¶ And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou 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 the one side and on the other.
 8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east countrya, and go down into the desert, and go into the asea: which being brought forth into the sea, the bwaters shall be healed.
  8a These waters issue out toward the country Now for such 'waters' to issue to the east from 'under' the temple the Mount of Olives need be split and allow a course to the Jordan river and down into the Dead Sea. Joseph Smith and scripture as well as other considerations of those days would so indicate such that besides Judah returning and rebuilting Jerusalem, the temple must be also so rebuilt according to Ezekiel's plan and water come out from under the temple and those waters heal the Dead Sea (Teachings p. 286), and this when the Lord Himself sets foot upon the Mount of Olives, causing the mount to divide and create a just such a valley path (Zechariah 14:4; D&C 133:20-24; Enrichment I detailing events in CES Manual of Ezekiel 47:1-12).
 9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.
 10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand aupon it from En-gedi even unto 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, exceeding many.
 11 But the miry places thereof and the amarishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.
 12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the aleaf thereof for bmedicine.
 13 ¶ Thus saith the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve atribes of Israel: bJoseph shall have two portions.
 14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I alifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for binheritance.
 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 acoast 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 ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the aeast sea. And this is the east side.
 19 And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of astrife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward.
 20 The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side.
 21 So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.
 22 ¶ And it shall come to pass, that ye shall adivide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as aborn 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 sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.