Ezekiel 46:17
in Ezekiel 46But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it will belong to that servant until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs only to his sons; it shall be theirs.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But if he give of his inheritance a gift to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty; then it shall return to the prince; but as for his inheritance, it shall be for his sons.
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.
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This verse in Ezekiel 46
Commentary
8 notes on this verse(Verses 16-17) Thus says the Lord God: If a prince (or leader) gives a gift to someone from his own sons, it shall be the inheritance of his sons; they shall possess it as an inheritance. But if he gives a legacy from his own inheritance to one of his servants, it shall belong to him until the year of release (for which Theodotius put the Hebrew word 'Deror'), but it shall return to the prince; however, the inheritance shall belong to his son.
This site's exposition
gives a gift to any of his sons
on Ezekiel 46:16-18
A gift to a servant belongs to him “until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince”. The closing line gives the reason, “so that none of My people will be displaced from his property”. Gill sets the rule against the wrong Ahab did to Naboth.
This site's exposition
until the year of freedom
Adam Clarke identifies the year of freedom with the Jubilee of Leviticus 25:10, when servants went free and sold land returned to its owners. Jerome notes that Theodotion kept the Hebrew word deror here. Matthew Henry contrasts the son and the servant, as Jesus does in John 8:35.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The servant might have the rents, issues, and profits, for such a term, but the inheritance, the jus proprietarium--the right of proprietorship, shall remain in the prince and his heirs. It was fit that a difference should be put between a child and a servant, like that John viii.
His inheritance - Whatever lands of the prince are given to servants, shall at the year of Jubilee revert to the sons of the prince. For them - And to theirs after them.
But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
To the year of liberty - That is, to the year of jubilee, called the year of liberty, because there was then a general release. All servants had their liberty, and all alienated estates returned to their former owners.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Perhaps it will be restored under Messiah's coming reign. Compare Isa 61:2, 3, where "the acceptable year of the Lord" is closely connected with the comforting of the mourners in Zion, and "the day of vengeance" on Zion's foes. The mention of the prince's sons is another argument against Messiah being meant by "the prince."
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכִֽי־ | vekhi- | and if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יִתֵּ֨ן | yiten | he will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| מַתָּנָ֜ה | matanah | a gift | H4979 → | 17 times |
| מִנַּחֲלָת֗וֹ | minachalato | from inheritance his | H5159 → | 222 times |
| לְאַחַד֙ | leachad | to one | H259 → | 971 times |
| מֵֽעֲבָדָ֔יו | meavadav | of servants his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| וְהָ֤יְתָה | vehayetah | and it will belong | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לּוֹ֙ | lo | to him | ||
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| שְׁנַ֣ת | shenat | [the] year of | H8141 → | 877 times |
| הַדְּר֔וֹר | haderor | <the> liberty | H1865 → | |
| וְשָׁבַ֖ת | veshavat | and it will return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| לַנָּשִׂ֑יא | lanasi' | to the prince | H5387 → | 134 times |
| אַ֚ךְ | ʾakh | surely | H389 → | |
| נַחֲלָת֔וֹ | nachalato | inheritance his | H5159 → | 222 times |
| בָּנָ֖יו | banav | sons his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| לָהֶ֥ם | lahem | to them | ||
| תִּהְיֶֽה׃ | tihyeh | it will belong | H1961 → | 3559 times |
וְכִֽי־and if
vekhi-H3588 →4482 times
יִתֵּ֨ןhe will give
yitenH5414 →2011 times
מַתָּנָ֜הa gift
matanahH4979 →17 times
מִנַּחֲלָת֗וֹfrom inheritance his
minachalatoH5159 →222 times
לְאַחַד֙to one
leachadH259 →971 times
מֵֽעֲבָדָ֔יוof servants his
meavadavH5650 →799 times
וְהָ֤יְתָהand it will belong
vehayetahH1961 →3559 times
לּוֹ֙to him
lo
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
שְׁנַ֣ת[the] year of
shenatH8141 →877 times
הַדְּר֔וֹר<the> liberty
haderorH1865 →
וְשָׁבַ֖תand it will return
veshavatH7725 →1056 times
לַנָּשִׂ֑יאto the prince
lanasi'H5387 →134 times
אַ֚ךְsurely
ʾakhH389 →
נַחֲלָת֔וֹinheritance his
nachalatoH5159 →222 times
בָּנָ֖יוsons his
banavH1121 →4930 times
לָהֶ֥םto them
lahem
תִּהְיֶֽה׃it will belong
tihyehH1961 →3559 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Leviticus 25:10So you are to consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be your Jubilee, when each of you is to return to his property and…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 34:8
After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD
- Isaiah 63:4
For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redemption had come.
- Isaiah 61:1–3
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty…
- 1 Peter 2:16
Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
- Leviticus 25:13
In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his own property.
- Jeremiah 34:8
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.