Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
Parallel translations
- KJV Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
- BSB When I arrived, I saw a great number of trees along both banks of the river.
- NKJV When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other.
- NASB Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river there were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
- NLT When I returned, I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Many trees line both banks of the river. The water from God's sanctuary brings flourishing life along its course.
Overview
Returning, the prophet sees abundant trees on both sides of the stream, the first sign of the river's life-giving power. Barren land becomes fruitful where the water flows. This Eden-like restoration anticipates the trees of life by the river in the renewed creation, watered by God's presence (Rev. 22:2).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Ezek 47:12By the river on its bank, on this side and on that side, shall grow every tree for food, whose leaf shall not wither, neither shall its fruit fail: it shall produce new fruit every month, because its waters issue out of the sanctuary; and its fruit shall be for food, and its leaf for healing.
- Rev 22:2in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
- 2 Kgs 2:13He also took up Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
- 1 Kgs 9:26King Solomon made a fleet of ships in Ezion Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.
- Gen 2:9–10Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 47:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.