Bible Strands
Ezekiel 48:33
On the south side, which will be 4,500 cubits long, there will be three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Ezekiel delivers a topographical vision to exiled Israelites during the Babylonian period, detailing the restored land's layout. God speaks through the prophet to define the sacred city's boundaries and tribal allocations.
The words — The Hebrew פְּאַת (pe'at) means "side" or "corner," and שְׁעָרִים (sha'arim) translates to "gates." These terms ground the verse's architectural description in specific spatial markers rather than abstract concepts.
The thread — This southern boundary repeats the 4,500-cubit measurement and three-gate structure found in Ezekiel 48:32 and 48:34. The tribal gate motif later appears in Revelation 21:12–13, where twelve gates bear the names of Israel's tribes.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to acknowledge a precise, divinely ordered division of land and access. It demands acceptance of the vision as a concrete blueprint for restoration rather than a symbolic abstraction.
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.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.