Ezekiel 47:21

Study note

Setting — God speaks through the prophet Ezekiel to the exiled Israelites, outlining the borders and future division of the restored land immediately after the vision of the temple and its life-giving river.

The words — The verb חִלַּקְתֶּם (chi.laktem) means "you will divide" or "allot," taking אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת (et-ha'arez hat-zot) as its object for "this land." The phrase לְשִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (le-shivtei Yisra'el) specifies that the distribution is structured according to the twelve tribes.

The thread — This command to distribute territory by tribal allotment runs through Joshua 13-21, where the initial conquest territory is apportioned, and recurs in Joshua 14:2 and 18:10 regarding the formal division of the land.

Why it lands — The text commands a precise, tribe-based distribution of territory rather than leaving it to chance or individual claim. It requires readers to recognize that divine provision operates through ordered, communal boundaries rather than personal acquisition.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.