יחזקאל, פרק מ״ז, פסוק י״ג

A future vision of redemption and the ingathering of exiles brings a profound promise: all the tribes of Israel will survive their long years of dispersion and return to inherit the Holy Land. The prophecy outlines the renewed division of this land, detailing the borders of the inheritance and the number of tribes that will settle there.

The primary approach among commentators is that the vision begins by establishing the specific borders of the territory. However, other perspectives exist regarding how these boundaries are defined. Some understand the boundary description as a reference to a specific valley [רש"י]. Others interpret it as an expression of outward expansion, suggesting that in the future, the borders of the land will extend beyond their historical limits [מלבי"ם]. When detailing the actual portions of land to be distributed, the imagery relies on the ancient practice of measuring and dividing plots of earth with a physical measuring rope [מצודת ציון].

The declaration that the land will be divided among exactly twelve tribes raises a practical question, since the tribe of Levi does not receive a standard inheritance like the rest, but instead takes its portion from the prince's contribution. To resolve this, the primary approach among commentators is that the tribe of Joseph will receive two separate portions—one for Manasseh and one for Ephraim. This double allocation completes the required count of the twelve inheriting tribes. Alternatively, another perspective suggests that instead of assigning a double portion to Joseph, the prophecy is actually offering a promise of addition. According to this view, God will add to the portions of the tribes, multiplying and expanding their territories far beyond what they possessed in the past [מלבי"ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].