Ezekiel 46 17

Ezekiel 46:17 kjv

But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons' for them.

Ezekiel 46:17 nkjv

But if he gives a gift of some of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his until the year of liberty, after which it shall return to the prince. But his inheritance shall belong to his sons; it shall become theirs.

Ezekiel 46:17 niv

If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs.

Ezekiel 46:17 esv

But if he makes a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty. Then it shall revert to the prince; surely it is his inheritance ? it shall belong to his sons.

Ezekiel 46:17 nlt

But if the prince gives a gift of land from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it only until the Year of Jubilee, which comes every fiftieth year. At that time the land will return to the prince. But when the prince gives gifts to his sons, those gifts will be permanent.

Ezekiel 46 verses

Ezekiel 46 17 meaning

Ezekiel 46:17 specifies regulations for the future ideal temple prince regarding his land inheritance. It dictates that any land given as a gift by the prince to one of his servants may be possessed by the servant only until the next Year of Liberty (Jubilee). At the Jubilee, this gifted land must revert to the prince. Crucially, the verse reiterates that the prince's personal, core inheritance is reserved strictly for his sons, ensuring the continuity of his lineage's portion. This system prevents permanent alienation of the prince's patrimony and establishes a fixed, divinely ordained economic order for the future kingdom.

Ezekiel 46 17 Context

Ezekiel 46:17 is embedded within the detailed vision of the restored temple and land (Ezekiel 40-48). Specifically, it belongs to a section (46:1-18) that outlines the worship schedule and land distribution regulations pertaining to the "prince" in this ideal future temple system. This "prince" (Hebrew: nasi), a civil leader distinct from the priesthood, is given specific boundaries for his authority and resources, highlighting divine order. Verses 45:7-8 had already allocated a substantial land portion to this prince. The immediately preceding verse (46:16) clarifies that any gifts from the prince to his sons are permanent. However, 46:17 establishes a crucial distinction for gifts made to servants. The historical context reflects a time when ancient Near Eastern kings often had absolute control over land, taking and giving at will. This passage provides a divine counter-model, implementing laws that protect permanent familial inheritance and prevent the prince from diminishing his designated portion or establishing a perpetual system of land accumulation outside his own lineage through temporary grants to servants. It echoes and adapts the Mosaic Law's Jubilee principles (Lev 25) to the prince's own estate in the restored land.

Ezekiel 46 17 Word analysis

• And if he give: Introduces a conditional scenario, contrasting with permanent grants to sons mentioned in 46:16.

• a gift: Hebrew: mattanah (מַתָּנָה) – refers to something freely bestowed. Here, it implies a temporary grant or a benefaction, not a permanent transfer of ownership in the fullest sense.

• of his inheritance: Hebrew: nachalah (נַחֲלָה) – this denotes the prince's hereditary estate, his designated land portion which is fundamentally linked to his lineage. This specific land was given to him by divine decree (Eze 45:7-8).

• to one of his servants: Indicates a recipient from the prince's entourage or workforce. These individuals serve the prince, and their tenure of the gifted land is tied to the structured social and economic order.

• then it shall be his: The servant legally possesses the land for a specific period, benefiting from its produce and use.

• to the year of liberty: Hebrew: shanat haddror (שְׁנַת הַדְּרוֹר) – This is the Jubilee year, mentioned in Lev 25. It is a period of general emancipation, return of land to original owners, and release from debt, ensuring that family inheritances ultimately remain intact and preventing perpetual land alienation.

• after it shall return to the prince: Explicitly states the reversion clause. Once the Jubilee arrives, the land lease or grant expires, and ownership returns to its original proprietor, the prince.

• but his inheritance: Re-emphasizes the nachalah (hereditary possession) belonging to the prince. This ensures clarity that despite temporary grants, the core estate remains intact.

• shall be his sons’: Affirms the dynastic principle for the prince's estate. It ensures that the inheritance remains within his direct male descendants, preventing fragmentation or permanent loss from his family line.

• "And if he give a gift... to one of his servants": This phrase sets up a distinct type of land distribution by the prince. Unlike a permanent grant, this is a provisional benefaction to non-kin. It highlights the prince's administrative and rewarding capacity.

• "of his inheritance... to the year of liberty": This segment defines both the source of the gift (prince's personal hereditary land) and the strict temporal limitation of the gift's tenure. The "year of liberty" acts as a fixed expiry date, integrating the Mosaic Jubilee principle directly into the prince's land laws. This protects the long-term integrity of the prince's nachalah.

• "after it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons'": This conclusion reinforces the main point: the ultimate and permanent ownership of the prince's inheritance belongs to his lineage. The land always cycles back to the princely line, safeguarding their assigned portion in the new system and preventing its eventual diminishment through temporary grants to servants.

Ezekiel 46 17 Bonus section

The regulations concerning the prince's land inheritance reflect a profound theological principle: God is the ultimate owner of the land. Just as the Levitical law (Lev 25) prohibited perpetual sale of land among ordinary Israelites, this vision applies similar principles to the prince, demonstrating that even he, a prominent figure, is under divine authority. The distinction between a permanent gift to sons (Eze 46:16) and a temporary grant to servants (Eze 46:17) reinforces the concept of hereditary land for families (sons) versus a temporary benefit or reward for service (servants). This setup establishes a structured social economy designed to prevent social inequality from becoming permanent, upholding both justice and the designated roles within God's ordered community. The prince, therefore, is not an absolute monarch but a steward within a divinely prescribed system.

Ezekiel 46 17 Commentary

Ezekiel 46:17 is a cornerstone verse in understanding the carefully regulated economic structure of the future ideal Israel depicted in Ezekiel's vision. It highlights divine provision and order even within the prince's royal administration. The temporary nature of land grants to servants, tied specifically to the Jubilee, demonstrates God's unchanging principle that land ultimately belongs to Him and is not to be perpetually alienated from its designated family line. This regulation serves multiple purposes: it prevents the accumulation of inherited land outside of its original possessors, curbs potential royal overreach by limiting the prince's power to permanently redistribute land, and safeguards the future princely line by ensuring its inheritance remains intact for generations. It paints a picture of righteous governance, where even the powerful prince operates under divine law, promoting equity and stability. This earthly "Jubilee" for the prince's estate foreshadows the ultimate freedom and eternal inheritance believers receive through the true Prince, Jesus Christ, which is not temporary but everlasting.