Eze 45:1-6 | NET2full | STEP | “‘When you allot the land as an inheritance , you will offer an allotment to the Lord , a holy portion from the land ; the length will be 8¼ miles and the width 3⅓ miles. This entire area will be holy .

Ezekiel 45:1-6

The Lord’s Portion of the Land

1 “‘When you allot the land as an inheritance, you will offer an allotment ^{▼▼tn Heb “a contribution.”} to the Lord, a holy portion from the land; the length will be 8¼ miles ^{▼▼tn Heb “25,000 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers). The measuring units here are the Hebrew “long” cubit, consisting of a cubit (about 18 inches or 45 cm) and a handbreadth (about 3 inches or 7.5 cm), for a total of 21 inches (52.5 cm). Because modern readers are not familiar with the cubit as a unit of measurement, and due to the additional complication of the “long” cubit as opposed to the regular cubit, all measurements have been converted to American standard miles (one mile = 5,280 feet), with the Hebrew measurements and the metric equivalents given in the notes.} and the width 3⅓ miles. ^{▼▼tc The LXX reads “20,000 cubits.”} ^{▼▼tn Heb “10,000 cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).} This entire area will be holy. ^{▼▼tn Heb “holy it is in all its territory round about.”} 2 Of this area a square 875 feet ^{▼▼tn Heb “500 cubits” (i.e., 262.5 meters); the phrase occurs twice in this verse.} by 875 feet will be designated for the sanctuary, with 87½ feet ^{▼▼tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).} set aside for its open space round about. 3 From this measured area you will measure a length of 8¼ miles ^{▼▼tn Heb “25,000 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).} and a width of 3⅓ miles; ^{▼▼tn Heb “10,000 cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).} in it will be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 4 It will be a holy portion of the land; it will be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary who approach the Lord to minister to him. It will be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. ^{▼▼tc The LXX apparently understood “open land” instead of “sanctuary.”} 5 An area 8¼ miles ^{▼▼tn Heb “25,000 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).} in length and 3⅓ miles ^{▼▼tn Heb “10,000 cubits” (i.e., 5.25 kilometers).} in width will be for the Levites, who minister at the temple, as the place for the cities ^{▼▼tc The translation follows the LXX here. The MT reads “twenty.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:246.} in which they will live.

6 “‘Alongside the portion set apart as the holy allotment, you will allot for the city an area 1⅔ miles ^{▼▼tn Heb “5,000 cubits” (i.e., 2.625 kilometers).} wide and 8¼ miles ^{▼▼tn Heb “25,000 cubits” (i.e., 13.125 kilometers).} long; it will be for the whole house of Israel.