Ezekiel 47:3

Ezekiel 47:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.
• New International Version (NIV)As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles.

Context of Ezekiel 47:3

1The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple. There I saw water that was pouring out from under the entrance. It was pouring towards the east. (The front entrance of the temple opened towards the east.) The river of water came from under the south side of the temple. It went past the south side of the altar. 2The man took me out through the north gate of the temple. We went around the outside to the gate that opens towards the east. There I saw a small stream of water. It was coming out from the south side of the gate. The man went towards the east. He measured 500 metres in that direction. He took me through the water there. The water was as high as my ankles. 4Then he measured another 500 metres along the stream. He took me through the water again. Here, the water was as high as my knees. He measured another 500 metres. He took me through the water and it was now as high as my belt. 5Then he measured another 500 metres. Here the water had become a deep river. It was too deep for me to go across. Nobody could walk through it. They would need to swim.

Ezekiel 47:3 word by word

בְּצֵאת־הָאִ֥ישׁ קָדִ֖ים וְקָ֣ו בְּיָד֑וֹ וַיָּ֤מָד אֶ֙לֶף֙ בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה וַיַּעֲבִרֵ֥נִי בַמַּ֖יִם מֵ֥י אָפְסָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And when the manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• that had the lineקַוqav qâv · lineH6957
• in his handיָדyâd · handH3027
• went forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• eastwardקָדִיםqâdîym qâdim · eastH6921
• he measuredמָדַדmâdad · to measureH4058
• a thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• cubitsאַמָּה'ammâh · cubitH520
• and he brought me throughעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
• to the anklesאֹ֫פֶס'ephes · solesH657

Cross-references for Ezekiel 47:3

• Ezekiel 40:3The Lord took me there. Then I saw a man who shone brightly like bronze. He was standing at the entrance of a building. He held a linen rope and a stick in his hand. He used them to measure things.
• Zechariah 2:1Then I looked up and I saw a man in front of me. He had a line in his hand. The line was to measure something.
• Revelation 11:1Someone gave me a stick, like the sticks that people use to measure things. He told me, ‘Go and measure the size of the temple and the altar. Also count the number of people who worship God there.
• Revelation 21:15The angel who talked to me had a long gold stick. He used it to measure things. So he could measure the city and its gates and its walls.
• Luke 24:49Now listen! I will send to you the gift that God my Father has promised to give to you. You must stay here in the city until this happens. Then the power of God will come from heaven and it will cover you.’
• Acts 2:4All the believers became full with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in languages that they had not learned. They spoke whatever language the Holy Spirit helped them to speak.
• Acts 10:45The Jewish believers who had come from Joppa with Peter were very surprised. They saw that God had now freely given his Holy Spirit to Gentiles.
• Acts 11:16Then I remembered what the Lord Jesus had said to us: “John baptized people with water, but God will baptize you with his Holy Spirit.”

Commentaries on Ezekiel 47:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3He measured a thousand cubits - the waters were to the Ankles; a thousand more, - the waters were to the Knees; a thousand more, - they became a River that could not be forded. The waters were risen, and they were waters to Swim in. I. This may be applied to the gradual discoveries of the plan of salvation, - 1. In the patriarchal ages. 2. In the giving of the law. 3. In the ministry of John the Baptist. And, 4. In the full manifestation of Christ by the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The ancles - This may coincide with the step gained in the baptism of Cornelius Acts 11:19, had carried believers into various countries, and so paved the way for the foundation of Gentile Churches.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-5At first, the stream was only a small trickle flowing from the temple gate. As it moved farther away, it grew deeper and deeper. Soon it became too deep to walk through. The exiles needed this reminder. God often begins his work in small and quiet ways. Over time, what seems small can grow into something full and powerful by God’s action.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-23The happy fruit to the earth at large of God's dwelling with Israel in holy fellowship is that the blessing is no longer restricted to the one people and locality, but is to be diffused with comprehensive catholicity through the whole world. So the plant from the cedar of Lebanon is represented as gathering under its shelter "all fowl of every wing" (Eze 17:23). Even the desert places of the earth shall be made fruitful by the healing waters of the Gospel…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 47:3

• Church
• Ezekiel
• Gentiles
• Gospel
• River
• Vision
• Water

In the dictionaries

• Ezekiel, Book of
• Ankle
• Architecture
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Dead Sea, the
• Desire of All Nations
• Ezekiel
• Leviticus
• Line

Commentaries on Ezekiel 47

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings