“Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.”
Waters. These waters are not to be understood literally, (for there were none such that flowed from the temple) but mystically of the baptism of Christ, and of his doctrine and his grace; the trees that grow on the banks are Christian virtues; the fishes are Christians, that spiritually live in and by these holy waters; the fishermen are the apostles, and apostolic preachers; the fenny places, where there is no health, are such as by being out of the Church are separated from these waters of life. (Challoner) — It is not probable that real water or fishes were found, ver. 9. But this must be explained of the Church and of baptism, in a higher and more proper sense. (Worthington) — Joel, (iii. 18.) before the captivity, and Zacharias, (xiv. 8.) after that event, speak of fountains as still to appear, and of course not in either temple, though Pilate made aqueducts for the purpose, (Josephus, Jewish Wars ii. 13.) which Tacitus, (An. v.) Maundrel, (p. 148.) and others mention. But the prophets allude not to them, but to Christ, the fountain of water springing up unto life eternal, John iv. 14., and vii. 38. (Calmet) — Villalpand understands it of waters brought into the temple to wash the victims; but it seems to refer more to the grace and doctrine of Christ. (Menochius)
“Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.”
East. This gate was shut, and therefore he went out at the north gate. (Calmet)
“Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. desert: or, plain”
The. Hebrew, “the east country,” (Protestants; Haydock) or “the frontiers (Gelilah) eastward,” by which some improperly suppose that one rivulet went to the sea of Galilee. — And shall. Hebrew, “the sea of the going out,” where the Jordan River empties itself into the Dead Sea; or, the second rivulet ran into the Mediterranean, Zacharias xiv. 8. But this passage relates to the Dead Sea alone, (ver. 18.) and Gelilah is a place near it, where the Israelites erected an altar of union, Josue xxii. 10. (Calmet) — Healed. No fish can live in the sea of Sodom. (Solin xxxviii.) — Yet, let the place be ever so noxious, this water shall cure it; (see 4 Kings ii. 19.; Calmet) which must be taken in a mystical sense. (Haydock)
“And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.”
Engallim, or “the fountain of Gallim,” in the tribe of Benjamin, Isaias xxv. 44.
“But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. shall not: or, and that which shall not be healed”
Salt, or bitumen pits. Schismatics and bad Christians, who do not live by the spirit of Christ, are meant. (Calmet)
“And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. shall grow: Heb. shall come up new: or, principal for medicine: or, for bruises and sores”
First-fruits, or most excellent. (Haydock) — St. John saw such (Worthington) a tree of life, Apocalypse xxii. (Haydock) — The doctrine of the gospel, and the study of the sacred books, have the most salutary effects; while the very leaves, or the example of the saints, heal the soul. No more shall the deceitful fruits near Sodom be seen (Calmet) beautiful, but full of nothing but ashes. (Tacitus, An. v.) — Where Christ instructs, a torrent of grace and glory is presently formed. Like the mustard seed growing into a large tree, in which the birds rest, its origin is mean; yet its progress is grand and astonishing.
“Thus saith the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.”
Double portion. Literally, “cord.” (Haydock) — His two sons would each have a share, as Levi was better provided for. (Worthington) — He had no portion of the land assigned to him by Josue, but here one part is appointed (Calmet) for the sacred ministers and the prince, chap. xlv. 1.
“And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance. lifted: or, swore”
Brother. The seven tribes to the north have each an equal share, as the five who lay to the south of the Levites had with respect to each other, though their portion must have been only about half of what the former possessed, according to the map, chap. xlv. 1. (Haydock) — Under Josue, the numbers of each tribe were considered. The present mysterious equality shews, perhaps, that there is no distinction of Jew or Gentile in the Church, and that Christ would come to redeem all. (Calmet) — Lifted. People taking an oath acted in this manner. (Menochius)
“And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;”
Sedada. These places are not well known. They seem to be near the highest mountain specified, (Numbers xxxiv. 7.) west of Emesa.
“Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazarhatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran. Hazarhatticon: or, the middle village”
Berotha, conquered by David, 2 Kings viii. 8.
“And the border from the sea shall be Hazarenan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.”
Emath was about the middle of the northern limits, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Euphrates River.
“And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side. from (Hauran, Damascus, Gilead, the land): Heb. from between”
Auran. Hence a line must be drawn through Damascus over Mount Galaad to the eastern or Dead Sea, to form the eastern borders. (Calmet) — The Jordan River flowing from Genesareth to Sodom marked out this side, (Menochius) or rather was in this division; though the land as far as Galaad was to belong to Israel, as it had been before the captivity. Protestants, “by Jordan from the border unto,” &c. (Haydock)
“And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward. strife: or, Meribah river: or, valley is the south side southward: or, is the south side toward Teman”
Thamar. Engaddi is sometimes understood: but it lay near Jericho, as this (Calmet) Thamar was to the south of the Dead Sea. (Ptolemy) — Torrent Besor. (Haydock)
“The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side.”
Emath, not that it was on the sea: but a line was to be drawn over against this city, eastward from the Mediterranean Sea. Septuagint, “to opposite the entrance of Emath, as far as its entrance.” But the territory extended farther, Numbers xxxiv.
“And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.”
Strangers. This was never done by the Jews. It signifies that Christ would give an inheritance, in the true land of promise [in heaven], (Calmet) to all nations which should practice his religion, Romans x. 12. (Haydock)