Ezekiel 47:10

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 47:10 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And it shall come to pass, that fishers shall stand by it: from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets; their fish shall be after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And it shall come to pass, that fishers shall stand by it: from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets; their fish shall be after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
Ezekiel 47:10 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 47

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
10And it shall come to pass, that fishers shall stand by it: from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets; their fish shall be after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And it shall come to pass, &c.] In Gospel times: what follows had a fulfilment in the first times of the Gospel, and will have a greater in the latter times of it: that the fishers shall stand upon it; upon the brink of the river, or the shore of the sea, whose waters will be healed by this river running into them. These “fishers” are the apostles of Christ, who, of fishermen, were made fishers of men by him; to whom he gave a call, and a commission, and gifts qualifying them to preach the Gospel; whereby they caught men, and brought them to Christ; and so were the instruments of saving them, even of great numbers, both in Judea, and in the Gentile world; of which some instances of their…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“En-gedi . . . En-eglaim--En-gedi (meaning "fountain of the kid"), anciently, Hazazon-Tamar, now Ain-Jidy; west of the Dead Sea; David's place of refuge from Saul. En-eglaim means "fountain of two calves," on the confines of Moab, over against En-gedi, and near where Jordan enters the Dead Sea (Isa 15:8). These two limits are fixed on, to comprise between them the whole Dead Sea. fish . . . according to their kinds--JEROME quotes an ancient theory that "there are a hundred fifty-three kinds of fishes," all of which were taken by the apostles (Joh 21:11), and not one remained uncaptured; signifying that both the noble and baseborn, the rich and the poor, and every class, are being drawn out of…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
““En-gedi” (see 1 Samuel 23:29) was about the middle of the western shore of the Dead Sea. En-eglaim does not occur elsewhere. Its form indicates that it was one of the double cities of Moab (see Ezekiel 25:9 note). It has been identified with “Ain-el-Feshkah” to the north on the western bank of the Dead Sea. On this supposition, “from En-eglaim to En-gedi” would be the line of coast from the most northern fountain to the principal fountain southward. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“En - gedi - Which lay on the south - west of the lake of Sodom. En - eglaim - A city on the north - east of the Dead - sea. To spread forth nets - All along on the west - side of this sea to dry them. Ezekiel 47:12”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“47:10 From En-gedi, a town on the west side of the Dead Sea, to En-eglaim, a town on the east side, the Dead Sea would be brought from death to life. This water, so full of salt and other minerals that it is devoid of life, would teem with enough fish to support a major fishing industry.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“fishers: Apostles and preachers of the gospel. Mat 4:19, Mat 13:47-50; Mar 1:17; Luk 5:4-10; Joh 21:3-11 Engedi: Ch2 20:2 the fish: Great quantities of all kinds of fish usually caught in the Mediterranean, genuine converts of all nations, kindreds, and people. the great sea: Eze 47:15, Eze 48:28; Num 34:6; Jos 23:4; Psa 104:25 exceeding: Isa 49:12, Isa 49:20 Ezekiel 47:11”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification