If you are looking for Ezekiel 47 Bible study questions, this page gives you a full set you can use in a small group, a Sunday class or your own quiet time. Ezekiel 47 describes a river flowing from the temple, growing deeper as it moves east, and then a vision of the restored land divided among the tribes. The questions below move from what the text says, to what it means, to how it shapes daily life.
Ezekiel 47 at a Glance
The chapter opens at the threshold of the temple, where water flows out from under the door and runs eastward. The prophet is led along the river, measured at intervals of a thousand cubits, and at each measure the water rises from ankle to knee to waist to a river deep enough to swim in. Then the guide asks Ezekiel whether he has seen, and describes how the water heals the sea, brings life to every creature it touches, and supports trees whose fruit and leaves never fail.
The second half turns to land. God lays out the borders of the territory on each side, north, east, south and west, and insists that the land be divided among the twelve tribes. Aliens who live among Israel are included in the inheritance as native-born citizens. The chapter ends with that open welcome.
Observation Questions
Use these first to make sure everyone has read the text closely and can describe what is happening before anyone interprets it. Ask one question at a time, let several people answer, and return to the verses if the group disagrees. Keep this part brief so the conversation can move on.
Ezekiel 47:1
He brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, waters flowed out from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the front of the house faced toward the east. The waters came down from underneath, from the right side of the house, on the south of the altar.
(WEB)
This verse sets the scene and introduces the river at its source. Read it first so the group sees the water beginning at the threshold of the temple. Ask someone to repeat the direction of the flow before you move on.
Ezekiel 47:5
Afterward he measured one thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass through; for the waters had risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be walked through.
(WEB)
Here the water becomes deep enough to swim in, a turning point in the vision. Reading it aloud helps the group feel the increase in depth that the chapter builds. It is a good moment to pause and let the image settle.
Ezekiel 47:9
It will happen, that every living creature which swarms, in every place where the rivers come, will live. Then there will be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters have come there, and the waters of the sea will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river comes.
(WEB)
This verse describes the life that flows wherever the river goes, a central promise of the passage. Reading it slowly lets the group hear the repeated word “live” and the expansive reach of healing. Invite reactions before moving to the next verse.
Ezekiel 47:12
By the river on its bank, on this side and on that side, will grow every tree for food, whose leaf won’t wither, neither will its fruit fail. It will produce new fruit every month, because its waters issue out of the sanctuary. Its fruit will be for food, and its leaf for healing.”
(WEB)
The trees, their unfailing leaves and their monthly fruit give the chapter its most vivid picture of provision. Reading this verse aloud helps the group connect the river to something they can imagine tasting. It works well as a bridge into the application questions.
Ezekiel 47:22-23
22 It will happen, that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance to you and to the aliens who live among you, who will father children among you. Then they shall be to you as the native-born among the children of Israel. They shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 It shall happen, that in whatever tribe the stranger lives, there you shall give him his inheritance,” says the Lord the LORD.
(WEB)
The chapter ends with the open welcome of the stranger into the inheritance. Reading these closing verses aloud leaves the group with the inclusive tone the passage intends. Let the room rest in silence briefly afterward.
Memory Verse for Ezekiel 47
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you for the river that flows from your presence and reaches every place it touches. We bring to you the parts of our lives that feel dry or salt-stained, and we ask you to let your life reach them. Teach us to receive your provision steadily, the way the trees draw from the water, so that our leaves do not wither and our fruit comes in its season. Make us a people who welcome the stranger and share what you have given. Thank you for your faithful promises, which stand firm even when we cannot see how they will be fulfilled. Amen.
