Ezekiel 47:12 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Ezekiel 47:12
And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.
a stream · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
bank
שְׂפָת֣וֹse.fa.To
H8193
the lip (as a natural boundary) · noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
grow
יַעֲלֶ֣הya.'a.Leh
H5927
to ascend · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
trees
עֵֽץ'etz-
H6086
a tree (from its firmness) · noun, common masculine singular construct
meat
מַ֠אֲכָלMa.'a.khol
H3978
an eatable (includ. provender · noun, common masculine singular absolute
leaf
עָלֵ֜הוּ'a.Le.hu
H5929
a leaf (as coming up on a tree) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Revelation 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yield…
Psalms 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and…
Jeremiah 17:8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her…
Ezekiel 47:7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the mi…
Psalms 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Job 8:16 He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.
Isaiah 60:21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Ezekiel 47:1-12
This part of Ezekiel's vision must so necessarily have a mystical and spiritual meaning that thence we conclude the other parts of his vision have a mystical and spiritual meaning also; for it cannot be applied to the waters brought by pipes into the temple for the washing of the sacrifices, the keeping of the temple clean, and the carrying off of those waters, for that would be to turn this pleasant river into a sink or common sewer. That prophecy, Zac 14:8, may explain it, of living waters that shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them towards the former sea and half of them towards the hinder sea. And there is plainly a reference to this in St. John's vision of a pure river of water of li…
Instead of the "vine of Sodom and grapes of Gomorrah" (Deu 32:32), nauseous and unwholesome, trees of life-giving and life-restoring virtue shall bloom similar in properties to, and exceeding in number, the tree of life in Eden (Rev 2:7; Rev 22:2, Rev 22:14).
leaf . . . not fade--expressing not only the unfailing character of the heavenly medicine of the tree of life, but also that the graces of the believer (as a tree of righteousness), which are the leaves, and his deeds, which are the fruits that flow from those graces, are immortal (Psa 1:3; Jer 17:8; Mat 10:42; Co1 15:58).
new fruit--literally, "firstlings," or first fruit. They are still, each month afresh, as it were, yielding the…
Shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade - A description that suits the righteous, who are still producing -
1. The fruits of faith.
2. The fruits of the Spirit.
3. The fruits of love to God, obedience to his holy will, and love to all men. Benevolence, mercy, charity, kindness, etc.
The leaf thereof for medicine - See Rev 22:1-5. Even the leaves, the holy profession of the righteous, is a spiritual medicine. Righteousness is thus encouraged in the world. The profession points out the salvation, as it shows the nature and sufficiency of that salvation; for a just creed contains all the articles of the Christian faith.
The Church Fathers
(Verse 12) And over the torrent (or river) there shall spring up on its banks on both sides every fruit-bearing tree, its leaf shall not wither (or it shall not grow old): and its fruit shall not fail. Every month they shall bring forth first fruits (or all things shall be renewed); because its waters shall go forth from the sanctuary, and its fruit shall be for food, and its leaves for medicine (or its ascent for health). But above the torrent or river, on its banks, every fruitful tree, or as they all agree, βρῶσιμον (Al. βρῶμα) which gives food and nourishment and can be eaten, is called in the Hebrew language, Machal, and nothing will decay in it according to the Septuagint, but its fruits will be renewed daily, and its leaves will not wither, and its fruit will not fail; according to what is written in the first psalm. And he shall be like a tree, which is planted near the running waters, that shall bring forth its fruit in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off (Psalm 1:3). Each month, he says, it shall bring forth its firstfruits, or as it is written in the Septuagint: Its fruit shall be its firstfruits in its renewal; so that all the fruits of the believers may be firstfruits, and each month may be assigned to each apostle. And this shall happen, because its waters shall come forth from the sanctuary: Let us not think that the abundance of banks, trees, or months, is the cause and source of such great fruitfulness: because its waters shall come forth from the sanctuary. Therefore it is not of the one who wants or of the one who runs, but of God who shows mercy (Rom. 9:16). The principle of all these trees is the tree of life, which is understood as wisdom, of which it is written: The tree of life is to all who believe in it (Prov. 3). And that which is said: And its fruits shall be for food, and its leaves for medicine, demonstrates the sacraments of the divine books: of which one pertains to the letter, the other to the spirit: so that we may understand simple words in the leaves, and the hidden meaning in the fruits. For just as the knowledge of the Scriptures leads to the kingdom of heaven and provides us with the bread that says, 'I am the bread that came down from heaven' (John 6:41), so do its leaves contain moral doctrine and offer healing, so that they may heal the wounds of sinners. Concerning the leaves, which are called 'Ale' in…
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Leaf — Of a tree. The olive-leaf mentioned Gen. 8:11. The barren fig-tree had nothing but leaves (Matt. 21:19; Mark 11:13). The oak-leaf is mentioned Isa. 1:30; 6:13. There are numerous allusions to leaves,…
Ezekiel · Of the river — Of the river
Medicine · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Righteousness · SYMBOLIZE — SYMBOLIZE
River · .Of salvation — .Of salvation
Trees · Different kinds of mentioned: Bearing fruit — Different kinds of mentioned: Bearing fruit
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
fade
יִבּ֨וֹלyi.Bol
H5034
to wilt · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
fruit
פִּרְי֗וֹpir.Yo
H6529
fruit (literally or figuratively) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
consumed
יִתֹּ֣םyi.Tom
H8552
to complete · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
fruit
יְבַכֵּ֔רye.va.Ker
H1069
to give the birthright · verb, piel imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
months
לָֽחֳדָשָׁיו֙lo.cho.da.Shav
H2320
the new moon · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
waters
מֵימָ֔יוmei.Mav
H4325
water · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
out
יֽוֹצְאִ֑יםyotz.'Im
H3318
to go (causatively · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
sanctuary
הַמִּקְדָּ֖שׁha.mik.Dash
H4720
a consecrated thing or place · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
fruit
פִרְיוֹ֙fir.Yo
H6529
fruit (literally or figuratively) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
meat
לְמַֽאֲכָ֔לle.ma.'a.Khal
H3978
an eatable (includ. provender · preposition + noun, common masculine singular absolute
leaf
וְעָלֵ֖הוּve.'a.Le.hu
H5929
a leaf (as coming up on a tree) · conjunction + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
medicine
לִתְרוּפָֽהlit.ru.Fah
H8644
a remedy · preposition + noun, common feminine singular absolute
John Gill on Ezekiel 47:12
And by the river on the banks thereof, on this side and on that side,.... On each side of the river, on the banks of it:
shall grow all trees for meat; such as bear fruit, that may be eaten, and is good for food: by these "trees" are meant truly gracious souls, converted persons, real Christians, true believers in Christ; who like trees have a root, are rooted in the love of God, in the person and grace of Christ, and have the root of the matter in them, the grace of the blessed Spirit; and who also is their sap, of which they are full, and so grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ; grow up in him, and grow upwards and heavenwards in their affections and desires, and in the exercise…
Alongside this river of life, fruit trees of all kinds will grow. Like the righteous of Ps 1, their leaves will not wither, and they will bear their fruit in season. They will be so full of life that they will bear a new crop every month, and the leaves will be medicinal. The river’s fertility brings concrete blessings to all of God’s people. Wherever the waters of this river flow, there will be life.
Rashi on Ezekiel 47:12
month after month its fruits will ripen From month to month its fruits will ripen.
for a cure [Heb. לִתְרוּפָה.] Our Sages of blessed memory explained: to unlock the mouth (לְהָתִיר פֶה) of the dumb and the mouth [of the womb] of the barren (Men. 98a), but its apparent meaning is a word for healing, as in (Jer. 6:14): “And they healed (וַיְרַפְאוּ) the breach of My people easily.” And so did Menahem connect it.
