Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
After the description and division of the Holy Land toward the four quarters of the world, he now distributes the same among the twelve tribes, giving to each its own portion and lot, just as Moses and Joshua formerly distributed it to them. First, therefore, to seven tribes toward the North, he assigns to each its own lot. Then, in verse 8, he attributes to the priests, Levites, the city, and the prince their portion in the midst of the twelve tribes, and repeats it from chapter XLV, verse 4. Third, in verse 23, he returns to the tribes and measures out individual portions to the remaining five toward the South.
Vulgate Text: Ezekiel 48:1-35
1. And these are the names of the tribes from the borders of the North along the way of Hethlon as one goes to Hamath, the court of Enan, the border of Damascus toward the North along the way of Hamath. And its eastern side shall be the sea — Dan, one portion. 2. And above the border of Dan, from the eastern side to the western side, Asher, one portion. 3. And above the border of Asher, from the eastern side to the western side, Naphtali, one portion. 4. And above the border of Naphtali, from the eastern side to the western side, Manasseh, one portion. 5. And above the border of Manasseh, from the eastern side to the western side, Ephraim, one portion. 6. And above the border of Ephraim, from the eastern side to the western side, Reuben, one portion. 7. And above the border of Reuben, from the eastern side to the western side, Judah, one portion. 8. And above the border of Judah, from the eastern side to the western side, shall be the first-fruits which you shall set apart, twenty-five thousand in breadth and in length, just as each of the portions from the eastern side to the western side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. 9. The first-fruits which you shall set apart for the Lord: the length twenty-five thousand, and the breadth ten thousand. 10. And these shall be the first-fruits of the sanctuary for the priests: toward the North, twenty-five thousand in length, and toward the sea, ten thousand in breadth, and also toward the East, ten thousand in breadth, and toward the South, twenty-five thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the midst of it. 11. The sanctuary shall be for the priests of the sons of Zadok, who kept My ceremonies and did not go astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites also went astray. 12. And for them shall be the first-fruits of the first-fruits of the land, the Holy of Holies, beside the border of the Levites. 13. And for the Levites likewise, beside the borders of the priests, twenty-five thousand in length and ten thousand in breadth. The whole length shall be twenty-five thousand, and the breadth ten thousand. 14. And they shall not sell any of it, nor exchange it, nor shall the first-fruits of the land be transferred, because they are sanctified to the Lord. 15. But the five thousand that remain in breadth along the twenty-five thousand shall be profane, belonging to the city for habitation and for suburbs: and the city shall be in the midst of it. 16. And these shall be its measurements: on the northern side, four thousand five hundred: and on the southern side, four thousand five hundred: and on the eastern side, four thousand five hundred: and on the western side, four thousand five hundred. 17. And the suburbs of the city shall be: toward the North two hundred fifty, and toward the South two hundred fifty, and toward the East two hundred fifty, and toward the sea two hundred fifty. 18. And what remains in length alongside the first-fruits of the sanctuary, ten thousand toward the East and ten thousand toward the West, shall be like the first-fruits of the sanctuary: and its produce shall be bread for those who serve the city. 19. And those who serve the city shall work from all the tribes of Israel. 20. All the first-fruits of twenty-five thousand by twenty-five thousand square shall be set apart for the first-fruits of the sanctuary and for the possession of the city. 21. And what remains shall belong to the prince on every side of the first-fruits of the sanctuary and of the possession of the city, over against the twenty-five thousand of the first-fruits to the eastern border: and also toward the sea, over against the twenty-five thousand to the border of the sea, likewise in the portions of the prince it shall be: and the first-fruits of the sanctuary, and
the sanctuary of the temple in the midst of it. 22. And from the possession of the Levites and from the possession of the city, in the midst of the portions of the prince: it shall be between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, and it shall pertain to the prince. 23. And for the remaining tribes: from the eastern side to the western side, Benjamin, one portion. 24. And beside the border of Benjamin, from the eastern side to the western side, Simeon, one portion. 25. And above the border of Simeon, from the eastern side to the western side, Issachar, one portion. 26. And above the border of Issachar, from the eastern side to the western side, Zebulun, one portion. 27. And above the border of Zebulun, from the eastern side to the western side, Gad, one portion. 28. And above the border of Gad, toward the southern side in the south: and the border shall be from Thamar to the waters of contradiction at Kadesh, the inheritance toward the great sea. 29. This is the land which you shall distribute by lot to the tribes of Israel: and these are their portions, says the Lord God. 30. And these are the exits of the city: from the northern side you shall measure four thousand five hundred. 31. And the gates of the city: named after the tribes of Israel, three gates: to the North, the gate of Reuben one, the gate of Judah one, the gate of Levi one. 32. And on the eastern side, four thousand five hundred: and three gates, the gate of Joseph one, the gate of Benjamin one, the gate of Dan one. 33. And on the southern side, you shall measure four thousand five hundred: and three gates, the gate of Simeon one, the gate of Issachar one, the gate of Zebulun one. 34. And on the western side, four thousand five hundred: and their gates three, the gate of Gad one, the gate of Asher one, the gate of Naphtali one. 35. Round about, eighteen thousand: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord Is There.
Note: God here gives the idea of a perfect Israelite republic — not the one that existed after the Babylonian captivity, but the one that ought to have existed, just as Plato gives the idea of a perfect republic that ought to exist, even if it does not exist in the nature of things. For only two tribes returned from captivity; the remaining ten stayed behind, except for a few who returned mixed in with the two tribes. Wherefore these things pertain more to the Apostles and Christians than to the Jews, as I shall say at the end of the chapter.
Receive here the idea of all the portions of the land and its orderly division among the tribes, priests, temple, city, and prince.
[Diagram showing the division of the land among the twelve tribes, with the following layout from North to South:
TO THE NORTH 1st Lot: Dan 2nd Lot: Asher 3rd Lot: Naphtali 4th Lot: Manasseh 5th Lot: Ephraim 6th Lot: Reuben 7th Lot: Judah
Portion of the Priests — Temple Portion of the Levites Portion of the Prince — City — Portion of the Prince Portion of those serving the city
1st Lot: Benjamin 2nd Lot: Simeon 3rd Lot: Issachar 4th Lot: Zebulun 5th Lot: Gad TO THE SOUTH]
Behold, this is the perfect idea of the republic of Israel, as it was instituted by God under Moses and Joshua, but having collapsed through its own fault, it is here more fully, perfectly, and beautifully restored by God than it was originally instituted — restored, I say, not in reality, but in idea, which was a type of the Church and the Christian republic, in which militant Church this idea begins to be fulfilled, but will be fully completed in the triumphant Church. For this reason, therefore, he names the twelve tribes as they originally were and assigns to each its lot.
For the number twelve is a symbol of a perfect republic and of universality. For the number twelve, as Petrus Bongus notes in his book On the Mysteries of Numbers, page 386 and following, is a perfect number: hence it is the natural number of the months of the year. Whence it is the number of a complete city and republic, both in Ezekiel and in Plato.
Again, in the number twelve all musical tones and the harmony of music are contained: namely, the first sesquialtera ratio arises between three and two, whence the number five is called the first root of this proportion. The first sesquitertia ratio likewise arises between four and three, wherefore seven is the root of the sesquitertia. The sesquialtera consonance generates the diapente (fifth), the sesquitertia generates the diatessaron (fourth). From these two — the fifth and the seventh — is formed the consonance consisting in a double proportion, the diapason (octave), whose root is twelve. Second, twelve is the first number that is unevenly even. For it arises from the multiplication of the first odd number, namely three, by four, which is the first evenly even number: for three times four make twelve. Again, twelve is composed of six doubled. And six is the first perfect number, because it is the first that from all its own
aliquot parts is composed: for one, two, and three, which are the first aliquot parts of six, make six. Third, Plato in the Phaedo describes the world by the number of twelve forms. In the Phaedrus, he arranges the armies of gods and daemons under the leadership of Jupiter into twelve orders. In the Laws, he divides the guards, magistrates, fields, villages, and the city into twelve parts. He also commends his city to twelve gods: whence also in the twelve signs of the Zodiac, the same number of particular gods were posited by the Pythagoreans. Moreover, Plato in book VIII of the Republic celebrates the number twelve as divine. Wherefore the Platonists say that twelve is the governor of the universal form, both worldly and human, and of civil affairs, and is most suited to the propagation and change of things. Indeed, the world is formed by Plato in the Timaeus with the number of twelve faces, and there are twelve primary parts of the world, namely the four elements and the eight heavens up to the sidereal or firmament. Finally, day and night are described by twelve hours. Fourth, the number twelve shows its fecundity in lower things. The peacock, according to Aristotle in book VI of On Animals, chapter 9, lays twelve eggs; the goldfinch, the smallest bird, produces twelve chicks, according to Pliny; the hare and rabbit, most prolific, generate and give birth twelve times a year; doves also give birth every single month; the camel carries its young for twelve months, and despite being of such great size, endures without water up to the twelfth day; the cynocephalus (baboon) at each equinox twelve times — that is, at each hour — pours forth the liquid waste of its drink, and then cries out with a sharper howl, as if indicating each hour by its voice: whence it is engraved by the Egyptians on water-clocks, as a symbol of the division of the day into twelve hours. Fifth, in Scripture this number is frequent and sacred. For at the twelfth encampment of the Hebrews in the desert, God descended on Sinai and there gave the law; He chose twelve Patriarchs, tribes, and princes, and commanded the same number of offerings to be made, Numbers I, II and following. There were twelve springs at Elim, from which the thirsty Israelites were satisfied, Exodus XV, 27. There were twelve stones in the breastplate of the high priest. Joshua sent twelve spies into Canaan, Numbers XIII. Twelve stones were chosen from the Jordan and set up as a memorial of the Hebrews' crossing, Joshua IV. There were twelve small lions on the throne of Solomon, II Chronicles IX. Twelve cubits was the Ariel, Ezekiel XLIII, 15. Twelve foundations of the heavenly Jerusalem, and twelve fruits of the tree of life, Revelation XXII. From each tribe twelve thousand are sealed, Revelation VII. Twelve Apostles were chosen by Christ; because the number three of the Most Holy Trinity, which they preached, multiplied by the four quarters of the world to which they were sent, makes twelve. That heavenly woman is clothed with twelve stars, Revelation XII, 1. Twelve loaves of proposition were continually set before God on the table, Leviticus XXIV. The Apostles and Apostolic men shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. For the number twelve is a symbol of universality, both of all people and of the elect. Finally, in IV Esdras XIV, the age is said to be divided into twelve parts, since the just shall go into eternal life, and the wicked into eternal fire.
Verse 1: AND THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE TRIBES
1. AND THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE TRIBES — that is to say, these are the names of the portions, or possessions, of each tribe. For by metonymy he calls the names of the possessors the possessors themselves, and through the possessors he leaves it to be understood as the possessions themselves. So in Revelation III, 4, it says: "You have a few names in Sardis" — "names," that is, people. So in Seneca, book V of On Benefits, onomata (names) are called anthropoi (people).
FROM THE BORDERS OF THE NORTH — that is, from the extreme boundary and limit of Canaan toward the North.
AND ITS EASTERN SIDE SHALL BE THE SEA — that is to say, this lot and division of land to be given to Dan and the other tribes shall go from the eastern side toward the sea, that is, toward the West. That is, it shall go along a line drawn from East to West: for by that line the length of the land and of each tribe's lot was measured. So Vatablus and the Hebrews.
DAN, ONE PORTION — that is to say, the first lot toward the North shall be assigned to the tribe of Dan. Thus he gives the first portion to Dan, the second to Asher, the third to Naphtali, the fourth to Manasseh, the fifth to Ephraim, the sixth to Reuben, the seventh to Judah. To the remaining five tribes, below in verse 23, he assigns portions toward the South.
These things, as I showed at the beginning of chapter XL, are to be understood mystically, not literally as they sound: for the ten tribes did not return from captivity, but were dispersed and vanished. Through them, therefore, must be understood the tribes, families, and churches of Christians. Moreover, which Christians in particular are mystically understood by Dan, which by Asher, Naphtali, Judah, etc., I discussed in Genesis XXX, XLII; Numbers II, at the end, and Revelation VII, 5. For there St. John, reciting the twelve tribes and those sealed from each at 12 thousand, plainly alludes to these divisions and lots of Ezekiel's twelve tribes. But how this division of lots by Ezekiel is to be understood literally and how it was accomplished, no one explains, nor do I dare to conjecture.
2. AND ABOVE THE BORDER OF DAN — that is to say, immediately after the border and lot of Dan, Asher shall receive the second portion.
3. AND ABOVE THE BORDER OF ASHER — "Above," that is, beside. So it is said of Christ, Luke IV, 39: "Standing above (that is, beside) her, He rebuked the fever;" for this is what the Hebrew word על (al) signifies.
8. THE FIRST-FRUITS — that is, the first offering, or the first lot and part of the land to be given to God and to the priests. He repeats the portion of the priests' possession which he described in chapter XLV, 1.
He asserts therefore that the portion of the priests in length, from East to West, has 25 thousand reeds, and in breadth ten thousand. Then likewise he says the portion of the Levites occupies another 25 thousand reeds in length, and another ten thousand in breadth. Third, he assigns to the city equally 25 thousand reeds in length, and five
thousand in breadth. Wherefore these three portions joined together formed a perfect square, which had 25 thousand reeds in length and the same in breadth. For the ten thousand of breadth of the priests' lot, and the ten thousand of the Levites' lot, plus the five thousand of the city, make 25 thousand.
Alluding to this anagogically, St. John, Revelation XXI, 16: "The city, he says, is laid out in a square," to signify the firmness as well as the beauty of the heavenly Jerusalem: for square cities, like square buildings, are the most solid, as Vitruvius attests. Moreover, these three lots and portions have on each side the portion of the prince, namely from the East and from the West. Thus it happens that these four portions, joined together, form one portion, which from South to North occupies 25 thousand reeds, but from East to West, with the lots of the twelve tribes added, many more — namely as many as any portion of any single tribe has.
Mystically, St. Jerome teaches that "the number twenty-five refers to the senses (for there are five of them, and five times five is contained in twenty-five), about which it was said, 'You shall possess divine sense'; and the ten thousand refers to perfect and consummate virtue, which through the Decalogue of the Old Testament may arrive at the Evangelical sacrament."
AND IN LENGTH, LIKE EACH OF THE PORTIONS — that is, the length of these three portions joined together will be 25 thousand reeds, just as the length of each taken individually, namely from East to West, is equally 25 thousand.
9. THE FIRST-FRUITS WHICH YOU SHALL SET APART FOR THE LORD — The first portion which you will assign to the priests: for it is to these that he here properly assigns the lot. For the lot which in the preceding verse he attributed in general to the priests, Levites, and the city, here he assigns to each individually.
10. TOWARD THE NORTH, TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND IN LENGTH — He measures out the four sides of the priests' portion according to the four directions: namely, two sides of length from East to West, of which one was to the North, the other to the South; and each had 25 thousand reeds, as he said in chapter XLV, 3. Then he measures the other two sides of breadth, of which one was to the East, the other to the West; and each had ten thousand reeds. So Maldonatus.
11. THE SANCTUARY SHALL BE FOR THE PRIESTS OF THE SONS OF ZADOK — For "sanctuary," the Hebrew is מקדש mecuddash, that is, "sanctified," meaning: This entire space has been divided, separated, and sanctified by Me, so that it may be given to the priests, the sons of Zadok, about whom I spoke in chapter XLIV, 15.
Note: That Ezekiel saw the temple removed from the city by 15 thousand reeds, whereas Solomon's temple was in the city itself, allegorically signifies that the Church of Christ is far more sublime than the Synagogue of Moses. For to approach the latter and its carnal sacrifices and rites, it was not necessary for anyone to withdraw far or go out: but in order that the spiritual sacrifice of the Evangelical law may be offered to God, the Christian must deny himself, go out from himself, leave himself behind, and proceed to seek God — which is done above all by those who withdraw from the commerce of their families and of the whole world and take refuge in the asylum of Religious life: for this is what this new temple of Ezekiel signifies. Moreover, 15 thousand reeds make about 27 (and if they are sacred reeds, thirty) Italian miles, which is a day's journey: by which is signified that it is necessary to begin this road in the morning, that is, in good time, so that before the evening of life, and the setting of the sun and of light, we may arrive where we offer this full and perfect spiritual sacrifice to God. So Alcazar notes on Revelation XXI, 22, note 38.
Verse 12: AND FOR THEM SHALL BE THE FIRST-FRUITS
12. AND FOR THEM SHALL BE THE FIRST-FRUITS — "First-fruits" here must be understood not of crops but of land, as I said in verse 9. Whence in Hebrew it is: There shall be for them an offering (a portion of land) from the offering of the land, a holiness of holinesses, that is, most holy; because in it a temple will be erected to God.
BESIDE (namely before) THE BORDER OF THE LEVITES — For the portion of land of the priests came first, and then the portion of the Levites followed, as is evident from chapter XLV, 5.
13. THE WHOLE LENGTH — The word "whole" distributes across the four sides of the Levites' lot, meaning: Each length, both of the northern side and of the southern side, shall be 25 thousand reeds; and each breadth of the side, both eastern and western, shall be ten thousand reeds.
15. BUT THE FIVE THOUSAND THAT REMAIN IN BREADTH ALONG THE TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND SHALL BE PROFANE, BELONGING TO THE CITY — Note: The priests' lot in breadth had ten thousand, the Levites' lot the same, the city's lot five thousand, so that the entire breadth of these three lots was 25 thousand. Now of these, 20 thousand went to the lot of the priests and Levites. Therefore five thousand remained for the city, which he accordingly calls "profane," because they were destined for lay citizens "for habitation and for suburbs;" whence Symmachus and Theodotion translate "profane" as laikon (belonging to laypeople).
Hence he also adds: "And the city in the midst of it," meaning: In the midst of this third space, which has 25 thousand reeds in length and ten in breadth, the city of Jerusalem shall be erected. Moreover, he calls "suburbs" the space before the city, empty of buildings and trees, which Vatablus and Livy call the pomerium, others call it the circuit, others the open area.
Mystically, the five thousand that were profane outside the temple designate, according to St. Jerome, those who are devoted to the five senses. Whence also that tower of flesh, namely Goliath, had a breastplate weighing five thousand shekels of bronze, I Samuel XVII. Hence the Pythagoreans held the number five sacred to Minerva, because it produces sterility. Whence Servius says Minerva was born on the fifth day of the moon, as were all who were sterile. Hence the sons of the Titans, sterile on the fifth moon,
are said to have been born: for it was believed by the ancients that whatever was born on the fifth day of the moon would be barren and harmful. Hence the proverb was born that they call a man of no account one born on the fifth moon, as Cicero attests in Academics, book II. Hesiod agrees in his book On Days, who condemns the fifth days, on which he says the daughters of Strife, the Erinyes, were born, whom he signifies as wandering by Pluto's command, punishing desires for excess, and summoning perjurers to retribution. Following him, Virgil in Georgics I sings thus:
"Flee the fifth: pale Orcus and the Eumenides were born then."
Therefore the five denote those addicted to the flesh and the five senses. And so the five daughters of Zelophehad, who died in his sin, Numbers XXVII, represent the works of the five senses, says St. Augustine on Psalm XL, or the senses themselves, which are daughters born from forgetfulness, not from memory. The five golden tumors, I Samuel VI, according to St. Gregory, represent the memory of sins committed through the five senses. The five in one house, Luke XII, (according to St. Ambrose) means that in a person there are the soul, the flesh, carnal appetite, the concupiscible faculty, and the irascible faculty; and they are divided, which previously consented together to evil. The five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan are a figure of the five senses, when they decline by falling away to the pleasures of the flesh and of Egypt, as I discussed from St. Jerome on Isaiah XIX. But because this city was holy, therefore others take these five thousand of the same space in a good sense, namely for the good use of the five senses. For thus also the songs of Solomon, five thousand in number, III Kings IV, are understood as representing the five senses: he who governs these well in various virtues is blessed, for the right use and moderation of them is like a manner of singing praises to the Lord. Wherefore also through them, as it were five thousand songs, Solomon sings to the Lord. Thus also the five thousand men satisfied by Christ, Matthew XIV, designate those who are perfect in the five senses — namely, those who strive to act manfully and be strengthened by living soberly, justly, and piously, that they may deserve to be refreshed by the sweetness of heavenly wisdom. Likewise among the Romans there stood a law concerning the right to triumph, that no one should triumph unless he had slain five thousand of the enemy in a single battle. This number of five thousand was therefore august, sacred, and triumphal.
Moreover, Plato in book V of the Laws especially commends the number five thousand and forty in the partition of magistracies, dwellings, and fields, as being the most useful of all, because it contains within itself many integral distributions of parts. Whence he commends it to the legislator as the most convenient for a city. For if you divide this number into two parts, each half will contain 2,520. If into three parts, the third will be 1,680. If into four, the fourth part will be 1,260. If into five, the fifth part will contain 1,008. If into six, each will be 840. If into seven, the seventh part will be 720. If into eight, the eighth 630. If
into nine, the ninth 560. If into ten, the tenth 504. Up to this point all the parts are whole numbers. But if we divide into eleven, the eleventh will be 458, and in addition two eleventh fractions. If into twelve, the twelfth will be 420.
16. ON THE NORTHERN SIDE — that is, the northern boundary of this city shall have 4,500 reeds; the southern boundary shall have the same, and likewise the eastern and the western. And so the whole city shall occupy in its circumference 18 thousand reeds, that is, 108 thousand cubits, and in addition 48 thousand palms. For the sacred reed (which is discussed here) contained six cubits and one palm, as I said in chapter XL, 3. This city was square, having all four sides equal. For each side contained 4,500 reeds. Now since the entire portion in which the city was situated contained 5,000 reeds, it is clear that the city itself did not fill this entire portion. For 500 reeds remained — namely 250 on one side of the city, which was toward the North, and the same on the other side toward the South. And these two spaces are here called suburbs, about which he immediately adds: "And the suburbs were," etc. After these suburbs came the fields of the ministers who served the city. From this it is evident how much the suburb of the city exceeded the suburb of the temple: for the city's suburb contained 250 reeds, but the temple's only 50 cubits, as he said in chapter XL.
18. AND WHAT REMAINS — The profane space in which the city was to be placed occupied 25 thousand reeds in length, as he said in chapter XLV, 6; but the city itself had only five thousand reeds, as I just said: therefore 20 thousand reeds remained, 10 on one side toward the East, 10 on the other toward the West. For, as he said in chapter XLV, 7, the length was measured from East to West.
ACCORDING TO THE FIRST-FRUITS OF THE SANCTUARY — In Hebrew, "alongside the holy offering," that is, alongside the Levites' portion, which was holy on the city's side. The same thing is signified by what follows: "Like the first-fruits of the sanctuary." For in Hebrew it is the same, namely, alongside the holy offering.
ITS PRODUCE SHALL BE BREAD — meaning, the ministers of the city shall be fed from it — those whom he here calls "servants," such as the attendants of consuls, praetors, and the senate; likewise those who care for the streets, the maintenance of walls, those who oversee the grain supply and the marketplace, notaries, procurators, and others who serve the city in other necessary public offices. He does not, therefore, call vine-dressers and farmers the servants or ministers of the city, as R. David would have it.
20. ALL THE FIRST-FRUITS — This is a recapitulation: for he recapitulates in general the measurements of all the lots which he previously measured out in detail; namely, these three lots of the priests, Levites, and city, joined together, had 25 thousand reeds in length and the same in breadth. They therefore formed a geometric square. Moreover, he calls this entire space the first-fruits, or, as in Hebrew,
terumah, that is, the holy offering; because although the space of the city was profane, as he just said, in comparison to the space of the priests and Levites, it was nevertheless holy in comparison to other cities. For the city of Jerusalem was a holy city, in which God dwelt, namely in its temple.
21. AND WHAT REMAINS — The length of the triple lot — namely, of the priests, Levites, and the city — did not extend all the way to the Jordan, which was the eastern boundary of the Holy Land on one side, nor to the Mediterranean Sea, which was the western limit on the other side. And so the remaining space is here given to the prince, so that he by his lot may surround the lot of the priests, Levites, and people: because the prince ought to encircle, fortify, and defend the Church and the republic like a rampart; whence it follows:
22. AND FROM THE POSSESSION OF THE LEVITES — In Hebrew, meachuzat, that is, from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city (which is in the midst of it); what remains shall belong to the prince; what is between the border of Judah and Benjamin shall belong to the prince — meaning, that possession of the prince, in the midst of which shall be the possession of the Levites, and consequently of the priests and the city, shall be between the tribe of Judah and Benjamin; whence Vatablus clearly translates: The possession also of the Levites and the possession of the city shall be within that space which belongs to the prince; finally, the prince shall have his possession between the borders of Judah and Benjamin. This is virtually a repetition and confirmation of the preceding verse, with one clause or addition about the location of the prince's lot between the lot of Judah and Benjamin. For the lot of Benjamin was to the South, Judah to the North. Now whatever was in the middle between both lots belonged to the prince. Maldonatus explains this somewhat differently from R. Solomon.
St. Jerome and Alcazar (Revelation III, at the end, page 309) note that here the lots of Judah and Benjamin are exchanged. For Joshua, chapter XVIII, 5, gave the tribe of Judah a lot to the South, but Benjamin to the North, verse 12; here however, conversely, Judah is placed to the North, and Benjamin to the South. Benjamin, says Alcazar, is placed to the South, that is, to the right of the temple (for the temple faced the rising sun, so that the south was its right side, the north its left); but Judah to the North, that is, to the left, to signify that saying of Christ: "He who humbles himself shall be exalted; for he is truly worthy to be Benjamin," that is, "son of the right hand," who through this deserves the right hand — namely, that he is the least in his own eyes and yields the better and more worthy place to his brother, that is, to Judah.
23. AND FOR THE REMAINING TRIBES — This is the third part of the chapter. For after the lots of the seven tribes, and after the lots of the priests, Levites, the city, and the prince, here he assigns a lot to each of the remaining five tribes.
FROM THE EASTERN SIDE — Supply: the length shall be; understand the same in the rest up to verse 28. But he does not describe the breadth; by which the Jews consider it is signified that their kingdom under the Messiah shall be bounded by no limits. This is true of the kingdom of the Messiah, whom they vainly expect to come;
but we believe He has come: for Christ propagated His Church through the Apostles throughout the whole world. Whence the Psalmist sang of Him beforehand, Psalm LXXI: "He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth."
24. AND BESIDE THE BORDER — "Beside," that is, next to: for in Hebrew this is על (al). As above, that is, beside the border, as I said in verses 3, 4, 5, and following.
28. AND THE BORDER SHALL BE FROM THAMAR — meaning, the southern boundary shall be from the city of Thamar — that is, not from Jericho, but from Palmyra, to the waters of contradiction, namely to Kadesh, as was said in the preceding chapter, verse 19. In which region the tribe of Gad occupied the last place to the South.
29. THIS IS THE LAND — these are the measurements and portions of the Holy Land to be distributed among the twelve tribes. This is a recapitulation of the preceding.
30. AND THESE ARE THE EXITS OF THE CITY — The Rabbis understand "exits" as gates; St. Jerome more correctly understands them as the sides, or the perimeter of the city, from its four sides. For each of these sides, not the gates, had "four thousand five hundred" reeds, as I said in verse 16. To which if you add twice 250 reeds of the suburb, which were on each side, you will have the measure of five thousand, about which I spoke above.
31. THE GATE OF LEVI, ONE — Levi did not have a lot in the land, but did have a gate in the city. So Vatablus. He describes here 12 gates — namely, three on each side, inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes. And so to the North the first gate was Reuben, the second Judah, the third Levi. To the East the first gate was Joseph, the second Benjamin, the third Dan. To the South the first gate was Simeon, the second Issachar, the third Zebulun. To the West the first gate was Gad, the second Asher, the third Naphtali.
Alcazar notes on Revelation XXI, 13, page 934, that these gates of Ezekiel do not in all respects correspond to the gates of the ancient Jerusalem. For the gate of Ephraim, which is the same as the gate of Joseph, is here placed by Ezekiel to the East, whereas in the old Jerusalem it was to the North, as Adrichomius, Vilalpandus, and others teach. Again, these gates are not called Ephraim, Dan, Manasseh, etc. because through them one would go to the lot and land of the tribe of Ephraim, Dan, Manasseh, etc., but because they were inscribed with their names, or were built by them, according to what Nehemiah writes in chapter III. Whence also Ezekiel here in verse 19 seems to call them "servants of the city." For otherwise Ezekiel distributes the lots of the twelve tribes so that he places seven to the North and the remaining five to the South, as I said at the beginning of the chapter.
33. ROUND ABOUT (namely, around the four sides of the city) EIGHTEEN THOUSAND — For four times four thousand five hundred make eighteen thousand — not of leagues, as Lyranus and the Rabbis would have it, but of reeds, as I showed in verse 30. Moreover, eighteen thousand reeds make 32 miles and 466 paces, as is evident from what was said in chapter XLVI, at the end.
AND THE NAME OF THE CITY FROM THAT DAY — on which it was restored or built.
THE LORD IS THERE — This imperfectly applies to Jerusalem, in which God dwelt in the temple for a short time, namely from Ezra to Titus and Vespasian; but it perfectly applies to the Church of Christ — indeed, St. Jerome, Lyranus, Vatablus, Hugo, Dionysius, Maldonatus, Pintus, and others understand it of the Church alone. Whence Jonathan the Chaldean paraphrast translates: And they shall declare the name of the city from the day on which God placed His divinity there; the Syriac translates: And the name of the city from its days (from the time it was founded) the Lord named it; the Arabic of Antioch: The name of the city, from the time they built it, belongs to the Lord, that is, appropriated and dedicated to the Lord; the Arabic of Alexandria: And the name of the city the Lord already named it on the first day of its existence, from when it began to be. This name greatly accords with that which is given to Christ in Isaiah VII, 14: "His name shall be called Emmanuel, that is, God with us." For in the Church God is with His children and faithful, according to that in Matthew XXVIII, 20: "Behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world."
Note here: Lyranus fittingly judges that a twofold kingdom of the Church is described here — namely, a spiritual one in the temple, about which see chapter XL at the end; and a temporal one in this city — that is, the temple signifies the clergy, the city the faithful laity, in which therefore just weights and other laws of justice are prescribed: for this is the pillar and foundation of the republic and the kingdom. For a city is the unity of citizens, which coalesces above all through justice and charity. On each side of the city there are three gates, named after the twelve tribes and looking equally toward the four quarters of the world: to signify that it pertains to the Christian prince to preside over the community of citizens, so that all Christians and subjects, both lesser and greater, from every part of the kingdom may have free access to him as their preserver and defender. And because in this they are ministers of God, as the Apostle teaches in Romans XIII, saying: "For they are the ministers of God, serving in this very thing;" therefore it is said here: "And the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord Is There;" because a city is not named after a vicar but after its principal lord: and thus the community of the Christian people is named after Christ.
Moreover, by the numbers of reeds and cubits it can be said in general that through them is understood a certain quantity of merits according to the conditions and works of persons, which is known to God alone in all its fullness. Thus far Lyranus at the end of the book.
St. Jerome, however, by the city understands rather the Christian Church than a temporal republic of the faithful. Hence Alcazar in Revelation IV, page 326, letter C, by this city understands Rome, whose name, he says, is "The Lord Is There." But hear St. Jerome:
"The twelve tribes, says St. Jerome, encamped around the tabernacle (as is evident from Numbers II, 5) in such a way that to the East were Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, sons of Leah; and to the South, Reuben, Simeon, Gad — two sons of Leah and the third the son of Zilpah, handmaid of Leah; to the West, Ephraim and Manasseh and Benjamin — two sons of Rachel, since Joseph, in place of the tribe of Levi which was deputed for the sacrifices, was divided into two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh. And to the North, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali: of whom the first and third are sons of Bilhah, handmaid of Rachel; the second, the son of Zilpah, handmaid of Leah — ignoble, and placed to the North, since they were born from the stock of handmaids who were at odds with each other." Then, comparing to these tribes the tribes and city of Ezekiel — namely, the 12 Apostles and their posterity and Church — he adds: "But our city, which is the city of the great King, whose maker and founder is God, of which the Psalmist also sings: 'Shall it not be said of Sion: This man and that man was born in her, and the Most High Himself founded her?' — has a different description of the tribes in the holy land, and a different measure of the city, a different order of possessions, and of the quarters of the individual tribes. For first, opposite the northern quarter are set three gates, or exits, of the city: of which there is Reuben the firstborn, and Judah the founder of the royal line, and Levi — about whose names nothing was said in the arrangement of the tabernacle and the sacred description; so that, possessing the birthright as a royal and priestly race, we may despise the cold blasts of the North. Second, to the East are Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan — two sons of Rachel, and one of Bilhah her handmaid. To the South, Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun, who are three sons of Leah. And to the West, Gad, Asher, and Naphtali: of whom the first two are sons of Zilpah, handmaid of Leah; the third, the son of Bilhah, handmaid of Rachel. Who is wise, and shall understand these things? Who is prudent, and shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall in them. These twelve gates, or exits, I believe were assigned to the individual tribes according to the quality of their merits and virtues, under the apostolic and patriarchal names — about which things are written more clearly in the Apocalypse of John, and the mysteries of many divine Scriptures attest. And it is necessary that such a city should measure eighteen thousand reeds in circuit: under which number, in the eighteenth psalm, the natural law is written and the grace of the Gospel is described, by which the Church, that is, the city of the Savior, was built. The name also of the city itself shall by no means be, as before, Jerusalem (which is interpreted 'vision of peace'), but Adonai Shammah, which is translated into Latin as 'The Lord Is There' — who shall never depart from it, as He previously departed from the former people, saying to the disciples: 'Arise, let us go hence'; and to the Jews: 'Your house shall be left to you desolate' — but may have eternal possession, and may He Himself be its possession, promising the same disciples: 'Behold, I am with you even to the consummation of the world.'"
Indeed, the Rabbis themselves after Christ, although they sometimes object to Christians that our Christ is not the Messiah because He did not build for them the temple and city here described by Ezekiel, nevertheless in the end they confess that this city with its temple will be spiritual and mystical, not corporeal. So R. Solomon here confesses and says: All things that are written in Ezekiel about Jerusalem are without doubt to be understood of the holy supernal city of Jerusalem. The Talmudists teach the same, whom Pintus cites in book II of The Scourge of the Jews, chapter VIII, where he teaches that by Jerusalem is to be understood the congregation of the Gentiles gathered to Christ, that is, the universality of Christians; by the temple, the congregation of priests; by the closed gate, the Blessed Virgin. Otherwise, he says, this city would equal the magnitude of the world, if not surpass it. But this argument is not solid: for these 18 thousand of the city which Ezekiel here enumerates are not leagues, as he along with the Rabbis thinks, but reeds. And so this city with the twelve tribes, priests, and Levites symbolically signified the Church with the twelve Apostles, the faithful people, priests, and deacons. It is set in a square because it is most firm, so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. On each of its sides it has three gates: because from every direction, from the four quarters of the world, the nations have flocked to it and entered, and this through faith in the Most Holy Trinity. The twelve tribes are all the faithful and Christians; for these are the true Israelites, children of the Apostles, fellow citizens of the saints, and members of God's household. The name of the city is "The Lord (Hebrew: Jehovah) Is There," because in the Church is God, who is His own being and the being of all things. There is the Most Holy Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There, really and corporally, in the sacrament and sacrifice of the Eucharist, is Jesus Christ, God and man. How great is this dignity! How great this consolation! How great this protection! For what can be lacking to him who has God!
Anagogically, this city with the twelve tribes and gates signifies the triumphant Church of the elect. For alluding to this passage — indeed, citing the very words of Ezekiel — St. John explains it in Revelation XXI, 10: "He showed me, he says, the holy city, Jerusalem, descending from heaven from God, having the glory of God, etc. And it had a great and high wall, having twelve gates, and names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. From the East three gates, and from the North three gates, and from the South three gates, and from the West three gates. The city is set in a square, and its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured its wall at one hundred forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, which is that of an angel," etc. See what was said there, and also what I said on Numbers II, toward the end. For the camps of the twelve tribes around the tabernacle were like a mobile and military city, signifying the Church Militant, which strives toward the Church Triumphant — and this with armed hand, fighting and breaking through the midst of the enemies of the flesh, the world, and the devil. The city of God is paradise, where there is life and eternal joys; the city of the devil is hell, where there is death and eternal torments. One or the other awaits you. God, who is an incorporeal and immortal spirit, gave you a soul in His image and likeness: a soul incorporeal, immaterial, spiritual, and therefore immortal, so that by worshiping, loving, obeying Him, and by serving Him piously, chastely, and holily, you may attain paradise and His blessed, glorious, and eternal kingdom; but if not, He threatens you with hell and the flaming and never-ending fires of Gehenna. Placed in the middle, choose good or evil; life or death; heaven or hell; happiness or eternal misery. You dwell in the world in the middle between heaven and hell, as in an inn, as in an arena, as in a theater, as in a city of vanity: you see riches, pleasures, and honors immediately vanish — why do you gape after what is vain, what is fleeting, what is momentary? O vain hopes and affairs of men! O vain and miserable condition of mankind! All things are vanity under the sun. You see a young man, you see a young woman, flourishing in age, beauty, wealth, grace, nobility — you see a human being who tomorrow will be dust. All mortal things are condemned by death, so that you may live FOR ETERNAL THINGS. In the heavens there is truth, there is holiness, there is joy, there are delights, there is every good; because the Lord is there. Glory and riches are in His house. That city has no need of the sun or moon: for the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb, and the nations shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it. Nothing defiled shall enter it, except those who are written in the book of life of the Lamb. There is everlasting life eternally blessed; there is certain security, secure tranquility, tranquil joy, happy eternity, eternal happiness; where love is perfect, fear is none, the day is eternal, vigor is perpetual, movement is eager, and there is one spirit of all — because the Lord is there.
LIVE FOR GOD, LIVE FOR HAPPINESS, LIVE FOR ETERNITY — no toil should seem hard, no time should seem long, by which the glory of ETERNITY is acquired. Brief labors of virtue are followed by eternal pleasure.
"Go now, O brave ones, where the lofty path of a great example leads. Why do you, sluggards, show your backs? The conquered earth bestows the stars."
I shall be blessed if the remnant of my seed survives to see the glory of Jerusalem. The gates of Jerusalem shall be built of sapphire and emerald. All its streets shall be paved with white and clean stone, and through its lanes alleluia shall be sung. Blessed be the Lord, who has exalted it, and may His kingdom be upon it forever and ever, Amen. For with You, O Lord, is the fountain of life, and in Your light we shall see light. O when shall this light dawn? O when shall the shadows of mortality decline, and the day of divine immortality begin to breathe?
For what have I in heaven? And besides You what do I desire upon earth? God of my heart, and God my portion FOREVER.
One or the other abides. God, who is an incorporeal and immortal spirit, gave you a soul in His image and likeness: a soul that is incorporeal, immaterial, spiritual, and therefore immortal, so that by worshiping, loving, obeying, and serving Him piously, chastely, and holily, you may attain His blessed, glorious, and eternal paradise and kingdom; but if not, He threatens you with the underworld, and the flaming and eternal fires of Gehenna. Placed in the middle, choose good or evil; life or death; heaven or hell; eternal happiness or misery. In the world you dwell midway between heaven and hell, as if in an inn, as if in a wrestling arena, as if in a theater, as if in a city of vanity: you see riches, pleasures, and honors vanish at once; why do you gape after vain, fleeting, momentary things? O vain hopes and affairs of men! O vain and miserable condition of mankind! All things are vanity under the sun. You see a young man, you see a young woman, flourishing in age, beauty, wealth, grace, and nobility — you see a person who will be dust tomorrow. All mortal things are condemned by death, so that you may live for ETERNITY. In heaven there is truth, there is holiness, there is joy, there are delights, every good is there; because the Lord is there. Glory and riches are in His house. That city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb, and the nations shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it. Nothing defiled shall enter it, except those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. There is life everlasting and eternally blessed, there is certain security, secure tranquility, tranquil delight, happy eternity, eternal happiness; where love is perfect, fear is nothing, the day is eternal, vigor is perpetual, motion is eager, and all share one spirit; because the Lord is there.
LIVE FOR GOD, LIVE FOR HAPPINESS, LIVE FOR ETERNITY (no labor should seem hard, no time should seem long, by which the glory of ETERNITY is acquired). Brief are the labors of virtue; eternal pleasure follows.
Go now, brave ones, where the lofty path Of great example leads; why do you, sluggards, Turn your backs? The conquered earth Grants the stars.
Blessed shall I be, if the remnant of my seed shall live to see the glory of Jerusalem. The gates of Jerusalem shall be built of sapphire and emerald. All its streets shall be paved with white and clean stone: and through its lanes alleluia shall be sung. Blessed be the Lord, who has exalted it, and may His kingdom be forever and ever upon it, Amen. For with You, O Lord, is the fountain of life, and in Your light we shall see light. O when will this light dawn? O when will the shadows of mortality decline, and the day of divine immortality breathe forth?
For what have I in heaven, and besides You what have I desired upon earth, O God of my heart, and God my portion in ETERNITY?
Anagogically, this city with its twelve tribes and gates signifies the Church of the elect triumphant. For alluding to this passage, indeed citing the words of Ezekiel, St. John explains it in Apocalypse 21:10: He showed me, he says, the holy city, Jerusalem, descending from heaven from God, having the glory of God, etc. And it had a great and high wall, having twelve gates, and names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. On the East three gates, and on the North three gates, and on the South three gates, and on the West three gates. The city was set foursquare, and its length was as great as its breadth. And he measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, which is that of an Angel, etc. See the remarks there, and also what I said on Numbers II, near the end. For the camps of the twelve tribes around the tabernacle were like a mobile and military city, signifying the Church militant, which strives toward the Church triumphant; and this by force of arms, fighting and breaking through the midst of the enemies of the flesh, the world, and the devil. The city of God is paradise, where there is life and eternal joys; the city of the devil is the underworld, where there is death and eternal torments.
The Rabbis of the Jews confess that the Messiah has not yet come, because He did not build for them the temple and city described here by Ezekiel; yet at last they confess that this city with its temple will be spiritual and mystical, not corporeal. So Rabbi Solomon confesses here and says: All things that are written in Ezekiel about Jerusalem are without doubt to be understood of the holy supernal city of Jerusalem. The Talmudists teach the same, whom Finus cites in book II of the Scourge of the Jews, chapter 8, where he teaches that by Jerusalem is to be understood the congregation of the nations gathered to Christ, or the universal body of Christians; by the temple, the congregation of priests; by the closed gate, the Blessed Virgin: Otherwise, he says, this city would equal, if not surpass, the magnitude of the world. This reasoning is not solid: for these 18,000 of the city that Ezekiel counts here are not leagues, as he with the Rabbis supposes, but measuring reeds. And so this city with its 12 tribes, priests, and Levites symbolically signified the Church with its 12 Apostles, faithful people, priests, and deacons. It is set foursquare because it is most firm, so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. On each side it has three gates: because from every quarter, from the four regions of the world, the nations have flocked to it and entered, and this through faith in the Most Holy Trinity. The twelve tribes are all the faithful and Christians; for these are the true Israelites, sons of the Apostles, fellow citizens of the saints, and members of God's household. The name of the city is the Lord (Hebrew: Jehovah) is there, because in the Church is God, who is His own being and the being of all things. There is the Most Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There really and corporally in the sacrament and sacrifice of the Eucharist is Jesus Christ, God and man. How great is this dignity! How great this consolation! How great this protection! For what can be lacking to one who has God!