New Living Translation
Ezekiel 46:17
17But 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 46:17 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
15The lamb, the grain offering, and the olive oil must be given as a daily sacrifice every morning without fail. 16“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: If the prince gives a gift of land to one of his sons as his inheritance, it will belong to him and his descendants forever. 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. 18And the prince may never take anyone’s property by force. If he gives property to his sons, it must be from his own land, for I do not want any of my people unjustly evicted from their property.” 19In my vision, the man brought me through the entrance beside the gateway and led me to the sacred rooms assigned to the priests, which faced toward the north. He showed me a place at the extreme west end of these rooms.
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 25:10Set this year apart as holy, a time to proclaim freedom throughout the land for all who live there. It will be a jubilee year for you, when each of you may return to the land that belonged to your ancestors and return to your own clan.
- Matthew 25:14“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone.
- Luke 19:25“‘But, master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten pounds!’
- Galatians 4:30But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries