יחזקאל, פרק מ״ח, פסוק ל׳

Toward the end of the Book of Ezekiel, a detailed plan outlines the precise layout, dimensions, and entryways of the future city of Jerusalem. The description begins by focusing on the outer edges of the city, starting with the northern side.

The exact nature of these outer edges is understood in two main ways. The primary approach among commentators suggests the focus is on the physical city gates through which people will travel. These gates are destined to be distributed across all four directions of the city. Each side will feature exactly three gates, totaling twelve gates overall to represent the twelve tribes of Israel [רד״ק]. The precise distribution of these gates along each side is further detailed as the vision continues [מצודת דוד]. Alternatively, some explain that the description does not refer to gates at all, but rather to the actual boundary lines that define the city limits [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The measurements begin specifically with the northern edge. This starting point refers either to the total length of the northern boundary [ביאור שטיינזלץ] or to the section where the northern gates will be built [מצודת דוד]. The length of this side is recorded as four thousand five hundred measures. Most commentators understand this unit to be a specific measuring rod. Because each rod spans six cubits, the total length and width of the city is calculated to be thirteen and a half miles [מלבי״ם]. A simpler approach, however, suggests that the record merely denotes general units of measurement rather than a specific measuring rod [ביאור שטיינזלץ].