King James Version

What Does Ezekiel 48:28 Mean?

Ezekiel 48:28 in the King James Version says “And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in ...” — study this verse from Ezekiel chapter 48 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea. strife: or, Meribahkadesh”

Ezekiel 48:28 · KJV

Context

And by the border of Issachar, from the east side unto the west side, Zebulun a portion.

And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a portion.

And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea. strife: or, Meribahkadesh

This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord GOD.

And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.

Read Ezekiel 48 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary

And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea. This verse defines the southern boundary of the restored land. Tamar (תָּמָר, "palm tree") likely refers to Hazazon-tamar near the Dead Sea (2 Chronicles 20:2), the southeastern anchor point. Mei Merivat Qadesh (מֵי מְרִיבַת קָדֵשׁ, "waters of strife [at] Kadesh") recalls Israel's rebellion in the wilderness where Moses struck the rock (Numbers 20:13, 27:14)—a place of judgment now redeemed as a boundary marker of blessing.

The river toward the great sea refers to the nachal (נַחַל, "brook/wadi") of Egypt, likely Wadi el-Arish, flowing to the Mediterranean (ha-yam ha-gadol, הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל). This southern boundary fulfills the Abrahamic land promise's extent (Genesis 15:18). Remarkably, Kadesh—where Israel's unbelief delayed entrance into Canaan for forty years—now marks the border of the inheritance. God's faithfulness supersedes human failure; the children enter what the parents forfeited through unbelief.

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Historical & Cultural Context

This boundary description echoes God's original promise to Abraham (Genesis 15:18) and the boundaries given in Numbers 34:3-5. Kadesh-barnea was the pivotal location where Israel's unbelief led to the forty-year wilderness wandering (Numbers 13-14). The generation that died in the wilderness never entered the land, yet their children did. Ezekiel's audience—exiles who had lost the land through covenant unfaithfulness—would understand that God's promises transcend human failure. The southern border from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean encompasses territory rarely fully controlled even in Solomon's era.

Reflection Questions

How does Kadesh's transformation from a place of judgment to a border of blessing illustrate God's redemptive purposes?
What encouragement does this offer to those who feel their failures have disqualified them from God's promises?