Ezekiel 48:17 · Bible study
Ezekiel 48:17 Commentary: The 250-Cubit Pasture Lands
Hebrew · 6 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why 250 cubits on each side? The symmetry, purpose, and theology of the city's pasture lands in Ezekiel's temple vision.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The city’s pasture lands (250 cubits per side) provide open space for agriculture and common use, completing the square of the holy offering.
- Key words: “pasture lands” (or “suburbs”) indicates a belt of undeveloped land around the city for practical needs.
- Main debate: Whether the measurements are literal blueprints for a future millennium or symbolic depictions of God’s order and provision.
- Theological theme: God integrates sacred space with everyday life; His restoration includes both the temple and the community’s physical needs.
- Best use: A passage for preaching on hope, divine order, and the goodness of God’s provision in the coming kingdom.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The pastureland of the city will extend 250 cubits to the north, 250 cubits to the south, 250 cubits to the east, and 250 cubits to the west.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The city shall have pasture lands: toward the north two hundred fifty, and toward the south two hundred fifty, and toward the east two hundred fifty, and toward the west two hundred fifty.
KJV King James Version 1769
And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And the city shall have suburbs: toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And the suburb to the city hath been northward, fifty and two hundred, and southward, fifty and two hundred, and eastward, fifty and two hundred, and westward, fifty and two hundred.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty [cubits], and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the suburbs of the city shall be to the north two hundred and fifty, and the south two hundred and fifty, and to the east two hundred and fifty, and to the sea two hundred and fifty.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y el ejido de la ciudad será al norte de doscientas y cincuenta cañas, y al mediodía de doscientas y cincuenta, y al oriente de doscientas y cincuenta, y de doscientas y cincuenta al occidente.
E o arrebaldes da cidade serão ao norte de duzentas e cinquenta canas ,ao sul de duzentas e cinquenta, ao oriente de duzentas e cinquenta, e ao ocidente de duzentas e cinquenta.
La ville aura une banlieue de deux cent cinquante au nord, de deux cent cinquante au midi, de deux cent cinquante à l’ orient, et de deux cent cinquante à l’ occident.
Die Vorstadt aber soll haben zweihundertundfünfzig Ruten gegen Mitternacht und gegen Mittag, desgleichen auch gegen Morgen und gegen Abend zweihundertundfünfzig Ruten.
De voorsteden nu der stad zullen zijn, noordwaarts tweehonderd en vijftig, en zuidwaarts tweehonderd en vijftig, en oostwaarts tweehonderd en vijftig, en westwaarts tweehonderd en vijftig.
La città avrà un contado di duecentocinquanta cubiti a settentrione, di duecentocinquanta a mezzogiorno; di duecentocinquanta a oriente, e di duecentocinquanta a occidente.
A będzie przedmieścia miejskiego na północy dwieście i pięćdziesiąt łokci; a na południe dwieście i pięćdziesiąt, także na wschód słońca dwieście i pięćdziesiąt, a na zachód słońca dwieście i pięćdziesiąt;
А предместья города к северу двести пятьдесят, и к востоку двести пятьдесят, и к югу двести пятьдесят, и к западу двести пятьдесят тростей.
城 必有 郊野，向北 二百 五十肘，向南 二百 五十肘，向東 二百 五十肘，向西 二百 五十肘。
And the town will have a free space on the north of two hundred and fifty, on the south of two hundred and fifty, on the east of two hundred and fifty, and on the west of two hundred and fifty.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the 250 cubits (or reeds; the unit is unspecified, but the context of surrounding measurements suggests reeds) mark the belt of open space, called “suburbs” or “pasture lands”, around the city. Barnes notes that the city itself is 4,500 reeds square (v. 16), and the 250 reeds are then marked off on each side, making the total holy district a perfect 5,000 reeds square (Gill adds the arithmetic: 250 plus 4,500 equals 5,000). Cambridge Bible calls this “the free place round the city,” and connects it to the earlier reference in Ezekiel 45:2. The land is for common use, grazing, gardens, agriculture, supporting the workers who labor in the city (v. 19, v. 18). The symmetry is not accidental; it echoes the square of the sanctuary and underlines God’s design for order, provision, and the integration of the sacred with daily life.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The pasture lands of 250 cubits on each side provide open space around the city for common use, completing a symmetrical square within the holy offering.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Unit of measurement (cubits vs reeds) | The number 250 is consistent across every standard translation and commentary. | Some commentators (Gill) treat the unit as reeds (about 6 cubits each) based on the broader context of temple measurements; others read it as cubits. The difference affects the actual size but not the significance. |
| Literal vs symbolic interpretation of the vision | All Christians see this passage as part of God’s promise to restore His people after exile. | Interpreters differ on whether the details (including the 250-cubit pasture lands) are a literal blueprint for a future millennial kingdom or a symbolic picture of the church’s final state of order and blessing. |
| Purpose of the pasture lands | The pasture lands are for the city’s practical needs, food, grazing, cultivation. | Some emphasize agricultural use (supporting the city workers), while others stress the ceremonial aspect of keeping the city separate within the holy offering. |
| Connection to Numbers 35’s Levitical suburbs | Ezekiel’s use of “suburbs” echoes the earlier legislation for Levitical cities. | A few commentators see a direct continuation of that law; others see a new, expanded application for the whole city of God. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Ezekiel 40, 48 presents a vision of a restored temple and a reallocated land, a prophetic blueprint for Israel’s future after exile. The city in chapter 48 (traditionally identified as Jerusalem, though named “Yahweh Shammah” in v. 35) sits within a larger “holy offering,” a square of 25,000 cubits. Within that, the city occupies 4,500 cubits of that space (v. 16), and its pasture lands add another 250 cubits on each side. This layout echoes the pattern for Levitical cities in Numbers 35:2, 5, where each city was given “suburbs” for cattle and goods. Here the entire city, not just a Levitical town, receives this green belt, signaling that the restored community will be both sacred and livable. The pasture lands are for the workers who cultivate the city’s food supply (v. 18, 19), showing that worship and ordinary labor coexist. Poole in his annotations notes that the city was designed to be large enough for all the tribes to gather, with twelve gates named after them (v. 31). The precise 250-cubit measure completes the square of the holy offering, making a perfect 5,000-cubit block, a marker of divine order reminiscent of the holy of holies (a cube) and the camp of Israel in the wilderness, which was arranged in a square around the tabernacle.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Ezekiel 48:17. The reading is consistent across Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions.
Reception History
Ezekiel’s temple vision, including the city’s pasture lands, has been read in several ways across church history. Early church fathers such as Jerome treated it as a literal prophecy of a future restoration for Israel. Medieval interpreters like Thomas Aquinas often read it allegorically, seeing the city as the Church and the pasture lands as spiritual nourishment. During the Reformation, Calvin and other Protestants emphasized the symbolic unity of the vision: the specific measurements point to God’s order and the perfect provision for His people. In modern times, dispensationalist traditions take the measurements as a literal blueprint for a future millennial Jerusalem, while covenant theology sees them as typological of the new creation. The square symmetry and the inclusion of pasture lands have also inspired hymns about the “city of God” and its fullness of life.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God gives room for life. The pasture lands are for the practical needs of the city, food, grazing, space to breathe. In the midst of holy measurements, God does not forget that people need to eat and work.
- Order reflects God’s character. The symmetrical 250 cubits on each side show that God values balance and precision. His plans are not chaotic; they are carefully measured.
- The city is for everyone. The pasture lands are described as “for common use” (v. 15), shared by all the tribes. The new community is inclusive and communal.
Five-point outline
- Context of restoration: Ezekiel’s vision comes after judgment; God is rebuilding a home for His people.
- The meaning of “pasture lands”: Not just empty space, but productive land, fruitful and necessary.
- Symmetry and the square: The city and its suburbs form a perfect square, linking to the holy of holies and the ideal of wholeness.
- Work and worship together: The pasture lands are cultivated by those who “labor in the city” (v. 19), daily work is part of the sacred order.
- Hope for a new society: The vision promises a place where God dwells with people, and where their needs are met within a just and beautiful design.
Illustration hooks
- A church planting a community garden on its property: the “pasture land” feeds bodies and builds relationships.
- A city planner setting aside green space in a new neighborhood: the principle that people need room to live, not just buildings.
- A family designing their home with both quiet rooms and shared living space: the balance of holy and common.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Does God care about my practical needs, or only about spiritual things?”
- “Why are there so many specific measurements in the Bible, do they still matter?”
- “What does this vision teach us about how to organize our church and community life?”
Leading a Discussion
In Ezekiel 48:17, a small detail, 250 cubits of pasture land on each side of the city, opens a window into God’s heart for a restored community. As you read, notice how the sacred (the temple) and the ordinary (fields, workers) fit together in one square. These questions will help your group explore what this pattern means for us.
Discussion questions
- What stands out to you about the 250-cubit measurement? Why do you think it is given for all four directions equally?
- Read Ezekiel 48:15, 20. What is the purpose of these pasture lands? Who uses them, and for what?
- Compare this to Numbers 35:2, 3, where Levitical cities had suburbs for their livestock. How does Ezekiel’s vision expand that idea?
- Why do you think the city and its surroundings form a perfect square? What does that shape suggest about God’s design?
- In what ways does this passage show that God cares about both worship and daily work?
- How might the principle of “room for life” apply to your church’s use of its building or land?
- What hope does this vision offer to people who feel that God is distant or only interested in ritual?
Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws attention to the precise measurements given for the city and the surrounding land. He notes that 250 reeds are set apart on each of the four sides, marking the land that belongs to the city itself.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The city's portion, when combined with the holy oblation reserved for the sanctuary, forms a perfect square of 25,000 cubits on each side. The open suburbs around the city create a free space, but the total measured area is a square, not separate rectangles.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that the city's suburbs extend exactly 250 measures on each of the four sides. This equal measurement in every direction presents a perfectly square and symmetrical layout around the city, emphasizing order and completeness in its design.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill observes that the suburbs on each side measure 250 reeds, and when added to the city's 4500, they complete a perfect square of 5000 on every side. For him, this arithmetic shows the whole area forms an equilateral square in length and breadth.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the entire vision as a symbolic prophecy of the Christian Church, not a future earthly restoration of Israel. The division of the land, the temple waters, and the city named Jehovah Shammah all point to Christ and the Spirit poured out at Pentecost, finding ultimate fulfillment in the New Jerusalem of Revelation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes the careful symmetry of the tribal allotments, each a straight strip running east to west, with the sanctuary placed exactly at the center. This arrangement shows that God's presence is to be the heart and crown of the restored land, surrounded equally by all the tribes.