THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Vv. 30-35. Here are the exits of the city: on the northern side, you shall measure four thousand five hundred. The city’s gates align with the names of the tribes of Israel. On the north side, there are three gates: one for Reuben, one for Judah, and one for Levi. On the eastern side, there are also four thousand five hundred, with three gates: one for Joseph, one for Benjamin, and one for Dan. Moving to the southern side, again, measure four thousand five hundred with three gates: one for Simeon, one for Issachar, and one for Zebulun. Finally, on the western side, the dimensions are the same, four thousand five hundred, featuring three gates: one for Gad, one for Asher, and one for Naphtali. In total, the perimeter measures eighteen thousand.
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From that day forward, the city will be called: The Lord is There. With regard to the size of the city, it was previously mentioned that each side measures four thousand five hundred reeds, culminating in eighteen thousand reeds—making a total of forty-four thousand three hundred and forty paces. It is noted that along each side, at intervals of eleven thousand paces and eighty-five paces, there are three gates, referred to by Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion as διεξο'διυς, or passages, which we translate here as exits of the city.
It's important to recall that the tribes arranged their encampments around the tabernacle; to the east were Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun—Leah's sons—and to the south were Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, two of Leah's sons and one from her handmaid Zilpah. To the west were Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, the sons of Rachel, since Joseph's tribe, instead of Levi's, was divided into Ephraim and Manasseh for sacrificial purposes. To the north were Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, of which the first and third were born to Rachel's handmaid and the second to Leah's handmaid; they were situated to the north due to their humble origins, as they were born from handmaids who had disputes. These details align with the Book of Numbers and the God-ordained structuring of the tabernacle as conveyed by Moses.
However, our city, the royal city built by God—the one that the Psalmist rejoices in—has a distinct configuration for the tribes within the Holy Land, alongside its dimensions, division of inheritances, and the locations of each tribe. To the north, there are three exits: Reuben, Judah—the founder of the royal lineage—and Levi, who does not receive mention in the description of the sanctuary, indicating that we, by virtue of embodying the firstborn as a priestly and royal class, disregard the chill of the north.
To the east are Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan; to the south are Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun—three sons of Leah. Westward are Gad, Asher, and Naphtali, of which the first two are Leah’s handmaids' sons, while the third is the son of Rachel's handmaid. Who possesses the wisdom to understand these matters? For the ways of the Lord are equitable; the righteous will walk in them, while the wicked will find them burdensome (Hosea 14:10). I believe these twelve gates or exits are designated to reflect the merit and virtue of each tribe, under the names of apostles and patriarchs, as more clearly documented in John’s Revelation, which unveils many truths of the divine Scriptures (Rev. 21).
Thus, the city's circumference must measure eighteen thousand reeds, reflecting also the natural law and grace of the Gospel, upon which the Church, the city of the Savior, stands. The name of this city shall continue to be Jerusalem, signifying a vision of the world, but also Adonai sama, translated as The Lord is There, who will remain as its constant presence, unlike when He departed from the previous people, as He stated to His disciples, ‘Arise, let us go from here’ (John 14:31), and to the Jews, ‘Your house will be left to you desolate’ (Matt. 23:38). His reign shall endure within this city, as He promised, ‘Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’ (Matt. 28:20).