All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city.

EZEKIEL 48:20KJV
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Ezekiel 48:20 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 48:20 mean?

Ezekiel 48:20 describes the total size of the "oblation," or special holy offering of land, as a square measuring twenty-five thousand by twenty-five thousand units, which is to be set apart along with the land assigned to the city. This verse sets out the exact boundaries for the sacred district in Ezekiel’s vision of Israel’s restored land.

In this part of Ezekiel, the prophet is relaying God’s instructions to the people of Israel about how the land should be divided in the future. The focus here is on the central area reserved for religious and civic purposes, showing careful planning for worship, community, and administration in the new arrangement God promises.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 48:20

  • "Oblation" (תְּרוּמָה, terumah) refers to a special offering or portion set apart, here meaning the land dedicated for holy use. This highlights that the area is not just any land, but specifically reserved for God’s purposes.
  • "Foursquare" (רָבוּעַ, rabu'a) means a perfect square, emphasizing symmetry and completeness in the sacred space. This detail underlines the order and intentionality in God’s design for the restored land.
  • "Possession" (אֲחֻזָּה, ahuzzah) points to land that is held or inherited, stressing the idea of a permanent, assigned portion for the city and its people.

Why Ezekiel 48:20 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the holy district is not a vague or symbolic area, but a specifically measured and designated space, showing God’s attention to detail in worship and community life.
  • By connecting the holy oblation with the city’s possession, Ezekiel 48:20 links religious life and daily living, suggesting that both are meant to be integrated in the ideal future.
  • The careful measurements and boundaries in this passage help readers see the order and fairness in God’s plan for the restored Israel, contrasting with the chaos and loss experienced earlier in the book.

Where else these words appear

“foursquare” Hebrew H7243 · used in 54 verses

  • Genesis 1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
  • 2 Samuel 3:4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
  • 1 Chronicles 26:11 Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen.

“possession” Hebrew H272 · used in 58 verses

  • Genesis 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
  • Leviticus 25:41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
  • Joshua 21:41 All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs.

“oblation” Hebrew H8641 · used in 63 verses

  • Exodus 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
  • Numbers 15:19 Then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave offering unto the LORD.
  • Ezra 8:25 And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered: