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Ezekiel 47:5

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 47:5 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Afterward he measured a thousand; [and it was] a river that I could not pass through; for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Afterward he measured a thousand; [and it was] a river that I could not pass through; for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.
Ezekiel 47:5 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 47

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
2Then he brought me out by the way of the gate northward, and led me round by the way without unto the outer gate, by the way of [the gate] that looketh toward the east; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
3When the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles.
4Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through [the waters], waters that were to the loins.
5Afterward he measured a thousand; [and it was] a river that I could not pass through; for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.
6And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen [this]? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river.
7Now when I had returned, behold, upon the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
8Then said he unto me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the Arabah; and they shall go toward the sea; into the sea [shall the waters go] which were made to issue forth; and the waters shall be healed.
← Ezekiel 47:4Ezekiel 47:6 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Afterward he measured a thousand, &c.] A fourth time a thousand cubits. Some think these four measurings respect the preaching of the Gospel in the four parts of the world; but rather they refer to four remarkable seasons of the ministry of it; as in the times of John the Baptist, and the disciples of Christ before his death; in the primitive churches of the three first centuries; at the time of the Reformation; and in the latter day glory, which is the fourth and last measuring: and it was a river that I could not pass over; the prophet could not set his foot on the bottom, and wade through it, and cross over it, as he had done before: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in; not to…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The rivers in Palestine were for the most part mere watercourses, dry in summer, in winter carrying the water along the wadys to the sea. The river of the vision is to have a continuous flow. Waters to swim in - When under Constantine the Roman empire had become Christian, the Church may be contemplated as the full river, to flow on through time until the final completion of Isaiah’s prophecy Isaiah 11:9. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“waters to swim in: Heb. waters of swimming, Isa 11:9; Dan 2:34, Dan 2:35; Hab 2:14; Mat 13:31, Mat 13:32; Rev 7:9, Rev 11:15, Rev 20:2-4 Ezekiel 47:6”
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Related study paths

Read Ezekiel 47 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification