Ezekiel 48:12 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 48:12 mean?

Ezekiel 48:12 describes a portion of land set apart for the priests and treated as especially holy. The land is part of an offering, and its location beside the Levites’ land helps define its place within the allotment.

The verse follows the description of the priests in verse 11. “Unto them” refers to those priests. The land is described both by its special status and by the boundary it shares with the Levites’ portion.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 48:12

• “oblation” — תְּרוּמָה (terumah): This word means a contribution or offering set aside. Here the offering is a portion of land, rather than something placed on an altar.
• “most holy” — קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh): This word carries the sense of holiness, or being set apart. In the Hebrew phrase, the word is repeated to express the exceptional holiness of the land.

Why Ezekiel 48:12 matters

• The priests’ portion has a distinct place within a larger offering of land. Verse 12 calls it an offering from the land that has been offered.
• The priests and Levites have neighboring portions, not an undefined shared area. The phrase “by the border of the Levites” gives a physical boundary to the priests’ land.