Ezekiel 47:5
Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This isn't just about the waters getting deeper; it's about their unnatural and miraculous rise. In a mere few thousand cubits, the river transforms from ankle-deep to utterly uncrossable, far beyond any natural explanation, signaling a powerful, supernatural growth.
In this vision, Ezekiel is measuring a river flowing from the temple, marking its increasing depth and breadth. Each measurement of a thousand cubits shows the water rising, transforming from a shallow stream where he could walk to a river too deep to cross. This dramatic, miraculous growth, occurring without any visible tributaries, signifies the ever-expanding reach and power of God's kingdom and the profound spiritual truths it reveals.
Imagine a small stream suddenly swelling into an uncrossable river in just a short distance, without any rain or tributaries. That's what Ezekiel sees!
The text emphasizes that this river's growth is miraculous. Unlike the seasonal, often dry 'wadys' or torrents of Palestine, this river miraculously deepens and widens with each thousand-cubit measurement. This isn't about natural hydrology; it points to God's supernatural power at work, expanding His presence and influence in ways that defy ordinary explanation.
The river starts shallow enough to walk through, but quickly becomes too deep to even cross. What does this progression mean for our walk with God?
The escalating depth of the water from ankle-deep (Ezekiel 47:3) to waist-deep (47:4) and finally to an uncrossable, swim-depth river (47:5) symbolizes an increasing and deepening encounter with God's presence and His kingdom. It moves from a manageable, surface-level experience to one that requires complete surrender and immersion. To 'swim' in it means you can no longer control the depth or the current; you must yield to it. This represents the expansive growth of God's reign and the rich, life-giving reality that flows from His presence.
Understand the original words
nahar · Hebrew Noun
A body of flowing water. In biblical imagery, a river often represents the source of life, spiritual refreshment, divine provision, and the transformative power of God's grace flowing out from His sanctuary to restore creation.
Ezekiel's vision of the life-giving river flowing from the Temple was given during the despair of the Babylonian exile, offering a radical contrast to the desolation and a profound message of God's future renewal and expansive kingdom.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiachin and many of Judah's elite, including Ezekiel, were exiled to Babylon following Nebuchadnezzar's conquest of Jerusalem.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, exiling a further significant portion of the population to Babylon.
c. 585-570 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Ministry in Exile
Ezekiel delivered prophetic messages to the exiles in Babylon, addressing their sin, God's judgment, and offering visions of future restoration.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
The Babylonian Empire was conquered by the Persians under Cyrus the Great, paving the way for the exiles' return.
Jesus promised that rivers of living water would flow from the one who believes in him, directly echoing the imagery of life-giving waters originating from a divine source.
Isaiah 11:9This prophecy speaks of the earth being filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea, connecting the idea of abundant, overflowing waters with the spread of God's presence and truth.
Revelation 22:1-2The book of Revelation describes a river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb, and on either side of the river, the tree of life, showing a parallel vision of abundant, life-sustaining water originating from God's presence.
Romans 11:33Paul exclaims, 'Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his paths!' This verse captures the sense of unfathomable depth described in Ezekiel's vision, suggesting the limits of human understanding when confronting divine realities.
barnesEzekiel 47:5: "Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over."
The rivers in Palestine were for the most part mere watercourses, dry in summer, in winter carrying the water along the wadys to the sea. The river of the vision is to have a continuous flow. Waters to swim in - When under Constantine the Roman empire had become Christian, the Church may be contemplated as the full…
pulpitEzekiel 47:5: "Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over."
Verse 5. - After a fourth distance of a thousand cubits, the waters had risen, or, lifted themselves up (comp. Job 8:11, in which the verb is used of a plant growing up), and become waters to swim in - literally, waters of swimming (שָׂחוּ occurs only here; the noun צְפָה only in Ezekiel 32:6) - a river that could n…
This isn't just about the waters getting deeper; it's about their unnatural and miraculous rise. In a mere few thousand cubits, the river transforms from ankle-deep to utterly uncrossable, far beyond any natural explanation, signaling a powerful, supernatural growth.
In this vision, Ezekiel is measuring a river flowing from the temple, marking its increasing depth and breadth. Each measurement of a thousand cubits shows the water rising, transforming from a shallow stream where he could walk to a river too deep to cross. This dramatic, miraculous growth, occurring without any visible tributaries, signifies the ever-expanding reach and power of God's kingdom and the profound spiritual truths it reveals.
In this vision, Ezekiel is measuring a river flowing from the temple, marking its increasing depth and breadth. Each measurement of a thousand cubits shows the water rising, transforming from a shallow stream where he could walk to a river too deep to cross. This dramatic, miraculous growth, occurring without any visible tributaries, signifies the ever-expanding reach and power of God's kingdom and the profound spiritual truths it reveals.
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c. 538 BC
Cyrus' Decree and Return of Exiles
Cyrus allowed the Jewish exiles to return to Judah and rebuild their Temple, marking the beginning of the Second Temple period.
"Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through." — This isn't just about the waters getting deeper; it's about their unnatural and miraculous rise. In a mere few thousand cubits, the river transforms from ankle-deep to utterly uncrossable, far be…
