New English Translation
Ezekiel 46:17
17But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it will be his until the year of liberty; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance will only remain with his sons.
Ezekiel 46:17 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (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.
- English Standard Version (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.
- New King James Version (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.
Context of Ezekiel 46:17
15Thus they will provide the lamb, the grain offering, and the olive oil morning by morning, as a perpetual burnt offering. 16“‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: If the prince should give a gift to one of his sons as his inheritance, it will belong to his sons, it is their property by inheritance. But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it will be his until the year of liberty; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance will only remain with his sons. 18The prince will not take away any of the people’s inheritance by oppressively removing them from their property. He will give his sons an inheritance from his own possessions so that my people will not be scattered, each from his own property.’” 19Then he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers for the priests which faced north. There I saw a place at the extreme western end.
Read all of Ezekiel 46Ezekiel 46:17 word by word
וְכִֽי־יִתֵּ֨ן מַתָּנָ֜ה מִנַּחֲלָת֗וֹ לְאַחַד֙ מֵֽעֲבָדָ֔יו וְהָ֤יְתָה לּוֹ֙ עַד־שְׁנַ֣ת הַדְּר֔וֹר וְשָׁבַ֖ת לַנָּשִׂ֑יא אַ֚ךְ נַחֲלָת֔וֹ בָּנָ֖יו לָהֶ֥ם תִּהְיֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But if he giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- a giftמַתָּנָהmattânâh · giftH4979
- of his inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
- to oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- of his servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- then it shall be his to the yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- of libertyדְּרוֹרderôr · libertyH1865
- after it shall returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: turn backH7725
- to the princeנָשִׂיאnâώîy' nâώi' · leaderH5387
- shall be his sons’בֵּןbên · son: childH1121
Cross-references for Ezekiel 46:17
- Leviticus 25:10So you must consecrate the fiftieth year, and you must proclaim a release in the land for all its inhabitants. That year will be your jubilee; each one of you must return to his property and each one of you must return to his clan.
- Matthew 25:14“For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them.
- Luke 19:25But they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten minas already!’
- Galatians 4:30But what does the scripture say? “Throw out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the son” of the free woman.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 46:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17To 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.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16-18Verses 16-18 The prince was robe provided with possessions of his own, in order to prevent exactions from his subjects; further enactments are added to prevent the alienation of the prince‘s land. Any gifts made to his servants must revert to the prince in the “year of liberty,” or jubilee (see the marginal reference note).Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-18The land given to the prince was a gift from the Lord to him and his family. Because of this, he could not give it away permanently to one of his servants. In the Year of Jubilee, which came every fiftieth year, all land in Israel returned to its original family owners. In that year, any land given by the prince would return to him and his family. This rule helped prevent the king from taking more and more land to reward his servants. Without this limit…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-1816-18. The prince's possession is to be inalienable, and any portion given to a servant is to revert to his sons at the year of jubilee, that he may have no temptation to spoil his people of their inheritance, as formerly (compare Ahab and Naboth, 1Ki 21:1-29). The mention of the year of jubilee implies that there is something literal meant, besides the spiritual sense. The jubilee year was restored after the captivity [Josephus, Antiquities, 14.10,6; 1…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 46:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 46
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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