Ezekiel 48:31 kjv
And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.
Ezekiel 48:31 nkjv
(the gates of the city shall be named after the tribes of Israel), the three gates northward: one gate for Reuben, one gate for Judah, and one gate for Levi;
Ezekiel 48:31 niv
the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah and the gate of Levi.
Ezekiel 48:31 esv
three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel.
Ezekiel 48:31 nlt
there will be three gates, each one named after a tribe of Israel. The first will be named for Reuben, the second for Judah, and the third for Levi.
Ezekiel 48 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezek 43:5 | ...and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. | God's glory filling a sacred space |
| Ezek 43:7 | And he said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever... | God's eternal dwelling among His people |
| Ezek 44:4 | Then the Lord said to me, "Son of man, mark well, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I shall speak to you, and take to heart all that I show you... | Importance of observing God's commands and presence |
| Zech 2:5 | And I will be a wall of fire all around it, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in its midst. | God's protective presence and glory |
| John 1:14 | And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us... | Jesus dwelling among humanity |
| Rev 21:3 | And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. | God dwelling with His people eternally |
| Rev 21:22 | And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. | The ultimate temple is God Himself |
| Rev 22:3 | No longer will there be any curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him. | God's presence and worship in the new creation |
| Isa 60:19 | The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for the brightness of the night shall they give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. | God as eternal light and glory |
| Ps 16:11 | You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. | God's presence brings joy and fulfillment |
| Jer 31:33 | But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. | God dwelling within His people through a new covenant |
| Ex 29:45-46 | And I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God. | God's promise to dwell among Israel |
| Deut 7:21 | You shall not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God. | God's presence protecting His people |
| Matt 1:23 | “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,” which means God with us. | Jesus as Immanuel, God with us |
| Acts 17:24-28 | The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by hands... for in him we live and move and have our being... | God's omnipresence and life in Him |
| 1 Cor 3:16 | Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? | Believers as temples of the Holy Spirit |
| 2 Cor 6:16 | ...for we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." | God's dwelling within believers |
| Heb 10:19-22 | ...since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus... let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith... | Access to God's presence through Christ |
| Rev 22:14 | Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. | Entrance into the heavenly city |
| Zech 14:20-21 | On that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, "Holy to the Lord." And the pots in the house of the Lord shall be as the sacrificial bowls before the altar. And every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holy to the Lord of hosts... | Sanctification of all things to God |
Ezekiel 48 verses
Ezekiel 48 31 Meaning
This verse describes the gate of the New Jerusalem, specifically the north gate, and states its name will be "The Lord is There" (Hebrew: YHWH-shamah). This signifies God's constant presence within His redeemed people and His holy city. It emphasizes the culmination of God's dwelling with humanity, a promise fulfilled in Christ and ultimately realized in eternity.
Ezekiel 48 31 Context
Ezekiel chapter 48 concludes the visionary account of the restored Jerusalem and its land. Following the detailed descriptions of the temple, the divisions of the land among the tribes, and the measurements of the holy district, this final verse focuses on the gates of the new city. The placement of this declaration about God's presence on the north gate, which faces away from the traditional sanctuary, signifies that God's presence is not confined to a physical location but permeates His entire redeemed community. This vision builds upon earlier prophetic pronouncements concerning God's departure from and eventual return to His people, highlighting the restoration of His relationship with them.
Ezekiel 48 31 Word Analysis
"And the name of the city from that day shall be..." This phrase indicates a new identity and a naming convention based on divine reality rather than human decree or earthly attributes.
- "name" (Hebrew: שֵׁם - shem) - Signifies identity, reputation, authority, and presence.
- "from that day" - Implies a new era or epoch, a commencement of a state previously unrealized.
"...The Lord is there." This is the direct translation of the Hebrew name of the city.
- "The Lord" (Hebrew: יְהוָה - YHWH) - The covenantal name of God, emphasizing His personal relationship with His people.
- "is there" (Hebrew: שָׁמָּה - shammah or commonly implied by the suffix -ah in some interpretations, though here it's a complete word denoting 'there') - Denotes presence, dwelling, habitation. The name is a direct fulfillment of the promise in Ezekiel 43:7 and Ezekiel 44:4.
"...The north side..." This specifies the location of this gate and the name.
- "north" (Hebrew: צָפוֹנָה - tsaphonah) - Traditionally associated with God's throne or a place of His special presence in some ancient Near Eastern thought, though in Scripture, His presence is often linked with Jerusalem itself (Ps 48:2) rather than a specific cardinal direction. Its placement on the north gate, a gate mentioned prominently for its measure and access in the preceding verses (Ezekiel 48:31 explicitly names it), anchors the divine name to a specific entry point, signifying that encountering God is the ultimate destination through this access.
Ezekiel 48 31 Bonus Section
The naming of a gate or city after a divine characteristic or promise is a recurring theme in the Bible. For example, Jacob renamed Bethel ("House of God") after experiencing God's presence there (Gen 28:19). Similarly, Isaiah prophesies a future city where the Lord will be an "everlasting light" and its name will be "The Lord Our Righteousness" (Jer 33:16; Isa 62:2). Ezekiel 48:35's declaration therefore stands as the climax of God's covenant faithfulness, assuring His people of His everlasting and unhindered dwelling among them in the perfected state. This highlights that God's desire for intimate fellowship with His creation is a central theme from Genesis to Revelation.
Ezekiel 48 31 Commentary
The name of the city, "The Lord is There" (YHWH-shamah), is the ultimate theological statement of this entire prophetic vision. It represents the complete fulfillment of God's desire to dwell with His people. This is not merely a symbolic or transient presence, but an eternal reality. This name echoes throughout scripture, from God's promise in Exodus to dwell among Israel, to the promise of Immanuel ("God with us") in Isaiah and Matthew, and culminating in Revelation where the new Jerusalem is described as having no temple because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The emphasis is on the realized intimacy and perpetual fellowship between God and humanity in the New Jerusalem. This signifies the perfection of redemption, where sin and separation are no more, and God's glorious presence is the defining characteristic of existence.