Bible Verses and Early Church Commentary | Historical Christian Faith

[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 48:1-7

(Chapter 48, verses 1 onwards) And these are the names of the tribes: starting from the northern borders, near the path of Ethalon that goes to Emath, Atrium, Enon, the boundary of Damascus to the north of Emath, and it will have the eastern boundary, the sea. Dan is one tribe. And from the boundary of Dan to the eastern boundary, Asher is one tribe. And beyond the boundary of Asher to the eastern boundary, Nephthali is one tribe. And beyond the boundary of Nephthali to the eastern boundary, Manasseh is one tribe. And over the territory of Manasseh from the eastern border to the sea, Ephraim one. And over the territory of Ephraim from the eastern border to the sea, Reuben one. And over the territory of Reuben from the eastern border to the sea, Judah one. The description of the possession of the Holy Land is given, both according to the present prophecy of Ezekiel and according to the book of Numbers: now the possession of each tribe is described from the eastern border to the western border, that is, the sea. And first, the borders are taken from the north along the route of Ethalon to those going towards Emath, the courtyard or Aser-Enon bordering Damascus to the north near Emath, of which we have already spoken. And so it begins, the first portion goes to the tribe of Dan, the second to Aser, the third to Nephthali, the fourth to Manasseh, the fifth to Ephraim, the sixth to Ruben, the seventh to Judah, which is on the left side, completing the number seven. Then the firstfruits of the priests and the Levites, and the sanctuary of the Lord in the midst, and the holy of holies. The city itself is described on each side in a square, having four thousand and five hundred rods. The suburban areas of the priests and the Levites are also described in order, along with the possession of the prince. And again, on the right side, five tribes succeed from the region similarly to the East, all the way to the region of the West, of which the first is Benjamin; the second is Simeon, having its own possession specifically, and not mixed with Judah as before; the third is Issachar; the fourth is Zebulun; the fifth is Gad; and there are three gates of the city on each side; and the name of this city is contained on the golden plate on the forehead of the high priest. We will discuss all of these in their proper places. And it should be noted that the names of forty-eight cities which are given in the book of Numbers to the Levites for dwelling with their suburbs are omitted here, as well as the cities of refuge: of which three are on the other side of the Jordan, namely Bosor, and Ramoth, and Gaulon, which are given to two and a half tribes; and three are within the Jordan, namely Kadesh, and Sichem, and Kiriatharba. For there was no need in this mystical description and the dwelling of the saints and the perfect conversation to describe the supports of the fugitives, which Israel still needed while in the land and hastening to come to this city through many labors and dangers, and speaking in each of the saints: I am a stranger and a sojourner like all my fathers (Ps. XXXVIII, 13). And in a foreign land: I lived with the inhabitants of Cedar, my soul has traveled far.

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel

[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 48:8-9

(Verse 8, 9.) And over the border of Judah from the east side to the west side shall be the portion which you shall offer, twenty-five thousand cubits in breadth and in length, like one of the portions from the east side to the west side; and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. The portion which you shall offer to the Lord shall be twenty-five thousand cubits in length, and ten thousand in breadth. It is unnecessary to go into detail about what has already been discussed, and to labor again on the same points as if they had not been said. After the boundaries of the seven tribes, the firstfruits are described from east to west; the width of which is twenty-five thousand reeds: but the length, as each tribe holds from east to the sea, has an uncertain number. For the measurement of each tribe's description is not recorded. But if the width is twenty-five thousand reeds, it is given that the number of length is much greater, which is always greater than the width. But in the middle of the sanctuary is placed, next to the firstfruits that are separated for the Lord, a length of twenty-five thousand reeds and a width of ten thousand: reading which I can say nothing other than what the Apostle said: O the depth of the riches of wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are His judgments and how unsearchable His ways! (Rom. XI, 33)! And in another place: That you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length, and height and depth: to know also the surpassing knowledge of the charity of Christ, that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God (Eph. III, 18): But the number twenty-five refers to the senses, of which it is said: You shall possess divine sense, and ten thousand refers to perfect and complete virtue, which reaches from the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament to the sacrament of the Gospel, and we have explained this briefly earlier and will remind you of it in part here. For if you add one to the number, you will reach four, and you will fill the number with a ten; and thus it will happen, that both the old Testament may be contained in the new, and the new may be extended in the old.

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel

[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 48:10-12

(Verse 10 and following) These will be the firstfruits of the sanctuary for the priests: towards the north, a length of twenty-five thousand [cubits], and towards the sea, a width of ten thousand [cubits]; but also towards the east, a width of ten thousand [cubits], and towards the south, a length of twenty-five thousand [cubits]. And the sanctuary of the Lord will be in the midst of it. It will be a sanctuary for the priests from the descendants of Zadok, who have kept my statutes and have not strayed as the children of Israel strayed, as the Levites strayed. And there will be offerings from the first fruits of the land of the Holy of Holies, according to the boundary of the Levites. The four offerings of the sanctuary are described, which do not pertain to the common people or the lower class Levites, but specifically to the worship of the priests: namely the offerings of the North, West, East, and South. And the order of their arrangement is described in parts, as we leave behind the cold of the North and come to the West: so that our vices may perish and we may then move to the East, where the sun of justice rises for us, and finally come to the South, where the light is most bright and perfect. And both from the North to the sea and from the East to the South, let there be twenty-five thousand in length and ten thousand in width: so that the same measure of length and width is preserved everywhere. However, the sanctuary, that is, the Temple of the Lord, will be in the midst of the firstfruits of the priests, and it will be surrounded on all sides by an equal wall. And what he had said, 'These shall be the firstfruits of the sanctuary of the priests,' was to prevent all the priests from claiming the possession of this place and the special ceremonies to be observed by a common name, specifically stating: 'The sanctuary shall be for the priests of the sons of Zadok,' which means 'righteous.' This is said of him: 'The Lord is righteous, and he loves righteousness; his face beholds the upright' (Psalm 11:7). Regarding this, Sadoc, the Septuagint writes Sadduc. This Sadoc speaks in the Gospel: For the Father judgeth no man, but hath given all judgment unto the Son (John 5:22). And concerning this, under the name of Solomon, the Prophet sings mystically: Give thy judgment to the king, O God, and thy justice to the king's son (Psalm 71:1). But those priests of the Lord shall possess the sanctuary, and shall keep the ceremonies thereof: who have not erred when the children of Israel and the Levites erred, of whom it was discoursed in the foregoing. They do not offer victims, but being content with the privilege of their name and the humility of their error, they always speak from the heart: I acknowledge my wickedness, and my sin is always before me (Psalm 50:4). Let him hear this priestly order, and, overcome by the fury of the Arian persecution, and subsequently submitting his neck to the power of the true faith, so that he may not lack resources, if he is not expelled from the temple, let him hold a certain shadow and image of his former name, and let him not, lying on his back, belch out delights, as if he were immaculate and pure, let him not belch forth the nausea of his ignorance and barbaric babbling from his lofty throne. They shall be, he says, the first fruits from the first fruits of the earth, that is, for the priests: and those who did not go astray, when the sons of Israel and the Levites went astray. But the first crop from the first crops, like the tenth of the tithes, and the holy of holies, according to the boundary of the Levites: for indeed the Levites have the precincts of the priests, but they cannot hold the center, that is, the middle of it, and the actual possession.

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel

[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 48:13-15

(Verse 13 and following) But the Levites shall have a portion like the priests, consisting of twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand cubits in width; the whole length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits and the width ten thousand cubits. They shall not sell any of it or exchange it, nor shall the firstfruits of the land be taken away from it, for they are holy to the Lord. The remaining five thousand cubits in width, along the twenty-five thousand, shall be for common use by the city for dwellings and common land, and the city shall be in the middle of it. What we translate as 'profane', Aquila translated as 'βέβηλον', Symmachus and Theodotion translated as 'λαἳκὸν'; the LXX used 'προτείχισμα' which can also be translated as 'antemurale'. 'Profane' and 'laicum' are both secular, that is, common, and can be used by all people everywhere. However, what the LXX said: 'It will not be measured, nor will it be taken away,' is clear that it does not have the same meaning as what we said: 'It will not be changed, nor will it be transferred.' The possession of the Levites is also described, which is indeed adjacent to the territories of the priests, and it has the same dimensions in length and breadth according to the number of Levites, which has the same number as the priests, but it uses its own boundaries and understands itself to be separate from the priestly rank: to remove the pride of the ministers, who, ignorant of the humility of their position, swell up beyond the priests, that is, the elders, and think of themselves as having dignity not by merit, but by wealth. Certainly, the one who is the first among ministers, because he preaches to the people individually and does not depart from the side of the Pontiff, considers it an injury if he is ordained a presbyter. And he does not remember that he is a minister of the altars and widows, entrusted not only to the service and ministry of the priests, but also to the widows and the poor. And they shall not sell, he says, nor exchange, so that the eternal possession of the Levitical distribution may remain, nor shall the worthiness of dignity be overcome by price, nor shall we transfer from one to another: for what has been sanctified to the Lord belongs not to those to whom it has been given, but to Him in whose name it is possessed. However, the remaining five thousand in width, by twenty-five thousand, is understood to be the length, will be profane of the city: so that it is lawful for all the Israelites and every member of the people to dwell there; not because they are unclean or because anything in the habitation of the holy land is contaminated, putrid, and filthy; but because, apart from the priests, it is permitted for everyone to dwell in them. By this we understand that all the things we refer to as sensations, that is, bodily pleasures that we perceive by sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste, are profane and do not have the sanctity of the temple, nor do they have the privilege of the priesthood, but rather they belong to the realm of the laity and commoners. However, the city will be in the middle, concerning which it is written: The stream of the river makes the city of God glad (Ps. 46:4). And: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14): of which we will speak in the following. Προτείχισμα, which means a fortification, and διάστημα, which means a space, which the LXX translated as suburbs, we do not know the meaning they have in this place.

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel

[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 48:16

(Verse 16) And the measurements of it, towards the North side, five hundred and four thousand: and towards the South side, five hundred and four thousand: and towards the East side, five hundred and four thousand: and towards the West side, five hundred and four thousand. What it says: And the measurements of it, it must be understood, of the city. For at the end of the previous chapter it is stated: And the city shall be in the midst of it, that is, the land. And first it begins from the North and extends towards the South. And again it matches like with like: so that it places the Western side opposite the Eastern side, that is, the sea: and each side of the city has four thousand and five hundred paces; which in total, approximately eleven thousand and eighty-five paces, so that the entire city, as it is written at the end of this volume, has a circumference of eighteen thousand paces, which is equivalent to forty-four thousand three hundred and forty. Also, the forty-fourth Psalm, which is titled 'For those who will be changed' and belongs to Idithun, that is, to the beloved of the Lord, or as Aquila has interpreted it, ‘For the lilies,’ and Symmachus, ‘For the flowers,’ contains the sacraments of the Church, which is the city of the Lord, about which it is written in the same psalm: At Your right hand stood the queen in a garment adorned with gold, surrounded with variety (Psalm 44:10). And again: All the glory of the daughter of the king is within (Ibid., 14): so that it may not be like the whitened sepulchers outside, but both inside and outside it may wash away all things with the perfume of myrrh (Matthew 23). And when we have moved away from the North, with a very cold wind, we pass to the South, and after the rising of the light of knowledge in us, we fear the setting of fortitudes, considering not the past but the future, neither possessing a certain possession of virtue, but daily saying in prayer: Lead us not into temptation, which we cannot endure (Matthew 86:13).

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel

[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 48:17

(Verse 17.) The suburbs of the city on the north side shall be two hundred and fifty cubits in length, on the south side two hundred and fifty cubits in length, on the east side two hundred and fifty cubits in length, and on the west side two hundred and fifty cubits in length. As for the suburbs, which are called "Magras" in Hebrew, they have again transferred the distance of seventy times seventy cubits, that is, a space. And what is said, two hundred and fifty on each side, is understood to refer to reeds, which are six cubits and one palm in length, and on each side they make six hundred and seventeen and a little less steps, and in total one thousand reeds, making two thousand four hundred and sixty-eight steps: these spaces surround the walls of the city in a circle, so as to divide the city from the rest. From this it is shown that none of these spaces have the right to engage in the work of the city and to gather its fruits, but rather to be free from the use and work of men, so that the areas around the city walls, with their naturally growing shrubs and herbs, and other things that the land produces, may have beauty.

But the remaining length, according to the holy area, shall be ten thousand cubits toward the east and ten thousand toward the west: and it shall be over against the holy sanctuary. And the fruits thereof shall be for food, and the leaf thereof for medicine. And the workers of the city, that work therein, shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel. All the fruits thereof shall be for the service of the holy city, and the priests of the sanctuary, who shall go in and out of the house of the Lord, shall eat it. And it shall be a place for a habitation unto them. And the separated cities shall be in the midst of that which shall be for the possession of the prince: and the possession of the holy place shall be in the midst of the portion of the Levites. He wants to designate the remaining part of the firstfruits of the sanctuary, ten thousand baskets extending towards the East, and another ten thousand baskets extending towards the West, to be allocated to those who work for the city for various purposes, whatever the city needs: so that the workers who build or restore the city walls, when necessary, may be nourished from the crops that grow on this land, and so that the city may have its adornment and the repaired roofs be restored. And this, not only in Israel or in the possession of the Holy Land, is contained spiritually in the mystery of the Church, but we also approve that it happens under Roman authority, so that certain villas belong to the rights of cities, either through royal generosity or through the inheritance and donation of many, so that buildings are not gradually ruined and public buildings, which are an ornament to the city, are not long neglected. But the workers, he said, or those who serve in the works of the city, will be from all the tribes of Israel: so that no one may consider themselves exempt from the work of the city, but all may eagerly build up the Church. This is also what we read was done in the tabernacle, that for the diversity of strengths, one offers gold and silver, scarlet, fine linen, and purple, and various and diverse coverings: others offer skins and the hair of goats: and although there were different gifts according to the quality of the substance, the reward of those who gave was one: indeed, greater than those who offered little, but more according to their abilities, as an example of the poor widow, who sent two small coins as gifts to the treasury; she was praised by the judgment of the Lord, saying: Truly I say to you, this widow, poor as she is, has put in more than all the others. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth to the offerings of God, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood. Therefore, as we have said about the works of the city, it must be briefly stated that all the first fruits of the sanctuary, and the possession of the city calculated together in a square, amount to two thousand four hundred and sixty-six, and a third part. For if twenty-five thousand reeds, which have six cubits and one palm, make ours, that is, Roman sixty, and one thousand, and six hundred and sixty-seven paces; there is no doubt that these, when multiplied by four, exceed the previous number. From which we understand that all things are to be understood spiritually, the possession of the Church is much broader than it was in Judea, who did not even receive a part of the holy land: but from each tribe they received forty-eight cities, not the full possession, but habitation and hospitality: so also the laity themselves, although they have not reached the priestly and Levitical degree, if they work in the city of the Lord, they may partake of the holy land, the land of meekness, and the land of believers, of whom one said: I believe to see the good things of the Lord, in the land of the living (Ps. 27:13).

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel

[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 48:21-22

(Verse 21, 22.) But what remains will belong to the prince on all sides, either from here or from there ((The Vulgate is silent whether from here or from there)) as the firstfruits of the sanctuary and the possession of the city, bordering (or facing) twenty-five thousand firstfruits to the eastern boundary, and also from the sea ((The Vulgate says to the sea)) bordering (or facing) twenty-five thousand to the boundary of the sea. Similarly, in the areas belonging to the prince, there will be the firstfruits of the sanctuary and the sanctuary of the temple in its midst. There will also be possession of the Levites, and possession of the city in the middle of the prince's territory, between the boundary of Judah and the boundary of Benjamin, and it will belong to the prince. There has been much discussion about this prince above, and that he would receive only as much as one tribe. But now we learn something else, that whatever is left from all the tribes, only he shall receive it: so that there is no tribe that does not offer gifts to the prince: not from elsewhere, but from the firstfruits which serve the temple and the sanctuary and the delegated parts of the city. For this is what he says: From the east boundary to the western boundary, and from the northern boundary to the southern boundary, the firstfruits will belong to the seven and a half tribes. Within these firstfruits will be the city and its surrounding suburbs, as well as the sanctuary of the temple in the middle of the city. As for the land assigned to the Levites and the rest of the city, it will be considered as belonging to the prince. The area next to the firstfruits and the city, in the tribe of Judah, will be the western portion of the seven tribes. The eastern portion, in the tribe of Benjamin, will also belong to the prince. Since the sacraments of Holy Scripture are wondrous and should be contemplated more than spoken (Dan. XXXII). In the former division of the land beyond the Jordan by Moses, the land was divided among the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh (Joshua, XIII). But beyond the Jordan, by Joshua the son of Nun and Eleazar the son of Aaron, Judah possessed the south (Joshua, XV); and Ephraim and the half tribe of Manasseh possessed the north (Joshua, XVIII). Afterwards, with the spies sent to each tribe and a description of the land brought to Joshua and Eleazar, Benjamin received possession next to Judah from the south, and next to Ephraim and half the tribe of Manasseh. The second tribe, Simeon, received an inheritance within the tribe of Judah, so that what is written about Levi and Simeon would be fulfilled: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel (Gen. XLIX, 7). The third tribe, Zebulun, received Galilee, which includes Mount Tabor. On the fourth day, Isachar, where Jezreel is located, to the Jordan. On the fifth day, Aser, up to Mount Carmel, which overlooks the Great Sea, and Tyre and Sidon. On the sixth day, Nephthali, in Galilee and up to the Jordan, where Tiberias, which was once called Chenereth, is located. On the seventh day, Dan up to Joppa, where the towers of Ailon, Selebi, and Emmaus are located, which is now called Nicopolis: although we will later read that they took the city of Lesem in the tribe of Dan, which is now called Paneas. When these things are so, and there is such a difference between the previous description of the tribes and the one now held, let us consider how both in the current description and in the past, the tribe of Judah and Benjamin, the city, and the Temple have been located. In the previous description, Judah was to the south, and Benjamin to the north: but now it is the opposite, with Judah to the north and Benjamin to the south: after them, the second is Simeon, the third is Issachar, and the fourth is Zebulun, the fifth is Gad: namely, five tribes, as it is said in the following verses; for it is written:

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel

[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 48:23-29

(Vers. 23 seqq.) And the rest of the tribes, from the eastern boundary to the western boundary, belong to Benjamin. And against the boundary of Benjamin, from the eastern boundary to the western boundary, belong to Simeon. And along the boundary of Simeon, from the eastern boundary to the western boundary, belong to Issachar. And along the boundary of Issachar, from the eastern boundary to the western boundary, belong to Zebulun. And along the boundary of Zebulun, from the eastern boundary to the sea, belong to Gad. And the border shall go to Gad towards the south side, and the end shall be at Thamar unto the waters of contradiction of Cades: the inheritance shall be against the great sea. This is the land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, says the Lord God. The portion which is always placed at the end in the numbering of the five and seven tribes is understood either as a part, a possession, or an inheritance: although Aquila and Symmachus interpret it as a neutral gender τὸ ὅριον, which means boundary. And it must be noted briefly that in the last five tribes, the tribe of Gad, which was mentioned earlier as being beyond the Jordan, is placed in the same area that Judas previously held, namely the southern region, and its boundary stretches from Thamar to the waters of contradiction at Kadesh, opposite the Great Sea: Thamar itself, which we have already mentioned, is now called Palmyra, and was built long ago by Solomon; for 'palm' in Hebrew is called Thamar, and some believe that it received this name because there are many palm trees there. And what follows: Even to the waters of contradiction of Cades, the inheritance against the great sea; for which seventy transferred from Theman, and the water of Mariboth, ((also Marimoth)) Cades, the inheritance even to the great sea, it is to be observed in the Hebrew language that the same word, Nehela (), is ambiguous, signifying both inheritance and torrent, and here it should be understood more as a torrent than as an inheritance. For this is the torrent that enters the great sea of Rhinocorura, as we have already mentioned. The place called Kadesh, which is also called Kadesh-Barnea in the book of Joshua, is in the desert, extending to the city of Petra. However, Mariboth, which means contradiction, is not a place name as many think, but a name for the waters in which the people contradicted the Lord and Moses offended God, as the Psalm says: They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that Moses suffered for their sins (Psalm 106:32). The entire inheritance of the Holy Land is bordered to the south by the boundaries of Egypt, Rhinocorura, and the River of Egypt. And because Gad is interpreted as temptation, in his possession we pass from the palm groves to the waters of contradiction, even to Kadesh, which is interpreted as holy, so that we may understand that even after the victory of the world we must be solicitous, and always in fear, and remember that verse: The life of man upon earth is a temptation (Job 7:1); and to attain holiness, resisting adversaries, and thus achieve victory, so that we may contemplate the nearby stream full of rain showers.

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel

[AD 220] Tertullian on Ezekiel 48:30-35

But we do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven, only in another state of existence; inasmuch as it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years in the divinely-built city of Jerusalem, "let down from heaven," [Revelation 21:2] which the apostle also calls "our mother from above;" [Galatians 4:26] and, while declaring that our πολίτευμα, or citizenship, is in heaven, he predicates of it that it is really a city in heaven. This both Ezekiel had knowledge of [Ezekiel 48:30-35] and the Apostle John beheld. [Revelation 21:10-23] And the word of the new prophecy which is a part of our belief, attests how it foretold that there would be for a sign a picture of this very city exhibited to view previous to its manifestation. This prophecy, indeed, has been very lately fulfilled in an expedition to the East. For it is evident from the testimony of even heathen witnesses, that in Judæa there was suspended in the sky a city early every morning for forty days. As the day advanced, the entire figure of its walls would wane gradually, and sometimes it would vanish instantly. We say that this city has been provided by God for receiving the saints on their resurrection, and refreshing them with the abundance of all really spiritual blessings, as a recompense for those which in the world we have either despised or lost; since it is both just and God-worthy that His servants should have their joy in the place where they have also suffered affliction for His name's sake. Of the heavenly kingdom this is the process. After its thousand years are over, within which period is completed the resurrection of the saints, who rise sooner or later according to their deserts there will ensue the destruction of the world and the conflagration of all things at the judgment: we shall then be changed in a moment into the substance of angels, even by the investiture of an incorruptible nature, and so be removed to that kingdom in heaven of which we have now been treating, just as if it had not been predicted by the Creator, and as if it were proving Christ to belong to the other god and as if he were the first and sole revealer of it.

Source: Against Marcion, Book III, Chapter 25

[AD 420] Jerome on Ezekiel 48:30-35

(Verse 30 and following) And you shall measure five thousand four hundred cubits outside the city on the northern side. And the gates of the city shall be named after the tribes of Israel: three gates on the north side. The gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one. And on the eastern side, you shall measure five thousand four hundred cubits, and there shall be three gates. The gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one. And on the southern side, you shall measure five thousand four hundred cubits, and there shall be three gates. The Gate of Simeon, one; the Gate of Issachar, one; the Gate of Zebulun, one. And on the west side, five hundred and four thousand, and their gates three. The Gate of Gad, one; the Gate of Asher, one; the Gate of Naphtali, one; in all eighteen thousand cubits round about the city. And the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there. Now it is written that it was measured along each side, which is eleven thousand and eighty-five paces, that there were three gates, which Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion call διεξόδους (exit passages), and the LXX call διεκβολὰς (projections): we interpret them as the entrances and exits of the city. And first, it must be briefly noted that the same three tribes camped around the tabernacle in such a way that Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, the sons of Leah, were to the east; and to the south, Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, the two sons of Leah, and the third son of Leah's handmaid, Zilpah. But towards the west Ephraim and Manasseh, and Benjamin namely, the two sons of Rachel; for Joseph, who was from the tribe of Levi, which was appointed for sacrifices, was divided into two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh. But towards the north, there are Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, of whom the first and third are the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant, and the second is the son of Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, who are of lowly birth and are positioned towards the north, being descendants of maidservants who were in conflict with each other. According to the book of Numbers and the description of the tabernacle, which was dictated by God to Moses (Num. XXXIV). But our city, which is the city of the great king of which God is the artificer and the founder, of which the psalmist sings: Shall it be said of Sion: This man and that man is born in her? and the Highest himself hath founded her (Ps. LXXXVI, 5), has a different description of the tribes in the holy land, and the measurement of the city and the order of possessions, and the boundaries of each tribe. First, three gates or exits of the city are opposed to the blows of the North Wind, of which the firstborn is Reuben, and Judah the founder of the royal line, and Levi, over whose name nothing is said in the description of the tabernacle and the sacred things, so that as possessors of the firstborn, we may despise the cold of the North. Second, towards the East are Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan: both sons of Rachel, and one of her maidservant Bilhah. But towards the South, Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun, who are three sons of Leah. Furthermore, towards the West, Gad, Asher, and Naphtali: the first two of whom are sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, and the third son of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid. Who is wise and understands these things? Understanding, will he know them? For the ways of the Lord are straight, and the just shall walk in them, but transgressors shall stumble upon them (Hosea, 14:10). I think that these twelve gates, or exits, were assigned to each tribe under the names of the Apostles and Patriarchs, according to the quality of their merits and virtues: of which it is written more explicitly in the Apocalypse of John, and many sacraments of the divine Scriptures testify (Apoc. 21). And it is necessary for such a city to hold eighteen thousand revolutions of calamities: under which number, and in the twenty-second Psalm, the natural law is written, and the grace of the Gospel is described: for which the Church, that is, the city of the Savior, is built. The name of this city will by no means be as before Jerusalem, which means vision of peace, but Adonai Sama ((Al. Adonaisan et Adonaisamia)) () which is translated into the Latin language, the Lord is there, who will never depart from it, as He said to the disciples before departing from the previous people: Arise, let us go from here (John XIV, 31). And to the Jews: Let your house be left desolate to you (Matt. 23:38): but let it have eternal possession, and let it be its own possession, promising the same to his disciples: Behold, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (Matt. 28:20).

Source: Commentary on Ezekiel