Ezekiel 47:9

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And it shall come to pass, [that] every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.

Complete Jewish Bible:

When this happens, swarms of all kinds of living creatures will be able to live in it wherever the streams flow; so that there will be a vast number of fish; for this water is flowing there, so that, wherever the river goes, everything will be restored and able to live.

Berean Standard Bible:

Wherever the river flows, there will be swarms of living creatures and a great number of fish, because it flows there and makes the waters fresh; so wherever the river flows, everything will flourish.

American Standard Version:

And it shall come to pass, that every living creature which swarmeth, in every place whither the rivers come, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters are come thither, and the waters of the sea shall be healed, and everything shall live whithersoever the river cometh.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And it shall come to pass, that every thing^{H5315} that liveth^{H2416}, which moveth^{H8317}, whithersoever the rivers^{H5158} shall come^{H935}, shall live^{H2421}: and there shall be a very^{H3966} great^{H7227} multitude of fish^{H1710}, because these waters^{H4325} shall come^{H935} thither: for they shall be healed^{H7495}; and every thing shall live^{H2425} whither the river^{H5158} cometh^{H935}.

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Commentary for Ezekiel 47:9

Ezekiel 47:9 is part of the prophetic book of Ezekiel, which is set during the Babylonian exile of the Jews in the 6th century BCE. Ezekiel, a priest and prophet, receives visions from God concerning the restoration of Israel and the temple. In the broader context of chapters 40-48, Ezekiel describes a future temple and the division of the land among the tribes of Israel. These chapters are rich with symbolic and apocalyptic imagery.

The verse itself is embedded within a vision that Ezekiel has about a miraculous river flowing from the temple, becoming deeper and filled with life as it progresses. This river, originating from the sanctuary, represents the life-giving and healing presence of God. The verse speaks to the transformative power of God's sanctuary and His ability to bring life and healing to His creation. The waters of this river are so potent that they heal the Dead Sea, enabling it to teem with fish. This imagery is significant because the Dead Sea, being extremely saline, does not support aquatic life, so the transformation would be a clear sign of divine intervention and restoration.

The themes of Ezekiel 47:9 include the abundance of life where God's presence is active, the reversal of barrenness and death, and the promise of future restoration and prosperity for Israel. It also symbolizes the universal impact of God's salvation, extending to all living creatures. Historically, this verse would have offered hope to the exiled Israelites, assuring them that despite their current desolation, God would one day restore not only their nation but also the very land they lived in. It is a message of hope, redemption, and the transformative power of God's grace.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H5315
   There are 683 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נֶפֶשׁ
   Transliteration: nephesh
   Pronunciation: neh'-fesh
   Description: from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental); any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, [phrase] slay, soul, [phrase] tablet, they, thing, ([idiom] she) will, [idiom] would have it.
   
2. Strong's Number: H2416
   There are 452 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חַי
   Transliteration: chay
   Pronunciation: khah'-ee
   Description: from חָיָה; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively; [phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.
   
3. Strong's Number: H8317
   There are 14 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁרַץ
   Transliteration: shârats
   Pronunciation: shaw-rats'
   Description: a primitive root; to wriggle, i.e. (by implication) swarm or abound; breed (bring forth, increase) abundantly (in abundance), creep, move.
   
4. Strong's Number: H5158
   There are 123 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נַחַל
   Transliteration: nachal
   Pronunciation: nakh'-al
   Description: or (feminine) נַחְלָה; (Psalm 124:4), or נַחֲלָה; (Ezekiel 47:19; Ezekiel 48:28), from נָחַל in its original sense; a stream, especially a winter torrent; (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a shaft (of a mine); brook, flood, river, stream, valley.
   
5. Strong's Number: H935
   There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בּוֹא
   Transliteration: bôwʼ
   Pronunciation: bo
   Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way.
   
6. Strong's Number: H2421
   There are 235 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חָיָה
   Transliteration: châyâh
   Pronunciation: khaw-yaw'
   Description: a primitive root (compare חָוָה, חָיָה); to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive; keep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole.
   
7. Strong's Number: H3966
   There are 278 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מְאֹד
   Transliteration: mᵉʼôd
   Pronunciation: meh-ode'
   Description: from the same as אוּד; properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated); diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), [idiom] louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very ([phrase] much, sore), well.
   
8. Strong's Number: H7227
   There are 439 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רַב
   Transliteration: rab
   Pronunciation: rab
   Description: by contracted from רָבַב; abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality); (in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous, populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent).
   
9. Strong's Number: H1710
   There are 13 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דָּגָה
   Transliteration: dâgâh
   Pronunciation: daw-gaw'
   Description: feminine of דָּג, and meaning the same; {a fish (often used collectively)}; fish.
   
10. Strong's Number: H4325
    There are 525 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מַיִם
    Transliteration: mayim
    Pronunciation: mah'-yim
    Description: dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen; [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).
    
11. Strong's Number: H7495
    There are 62 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: רָפָא
    Transliteration: râphâʼ
    Pronunciation: raw-faw'
    Description: or רָפָה; a primitive root; properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure; cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, [idiom] thoroughly, make whole. See רָפָה.
    
12. Strong's Number: H2425
    There are 23 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: חָיַי
    Transliteration: châyay
    Pronunciation: khaw-yah'-ee
    Description: a primitive root (compare חָיָה); to live; causatively to revive; live, save life.