Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now when I had returned, behold, on 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 47:12And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.
- Rev 22:2In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
- 2 Kgs 2:13He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
- 1 Kgs 9:26And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.
- Gen 2:9–10And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
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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.