Commentary - Ezekiel 46:16-18

Bird's-eye view

In this brief but potent passage from Ezekiel's temple vision, the Lord lays down specific regulations concerning the prince's handling of his inheritance. This is not some arcane piece of real estate law for a future, rebuilt temple; it is a profound statement about the nature of godly leadership, the permanence of covenantal inheritance, and the protection of the people from the rapacious greed of their rulers. The law makes a sharp distinction between gifts given to the prince's sons, which are a permanent inheritance, and gifts given to his servants, which must revert to the prince in the year of liberty. The central point is driven home in the final verse: the prince is forbidden from enriching himself or his dynasty by seizing the property of the common people. He must build his own estate from his own possessions. This is a blueprint for a stable, just, and prosperous society, grounded in the principle that God-given property rights are sacred and that rulers are to be shepherds, not wolves.

These verses serve as a direct repudiation of the behavior of Israel's past kings, who, like Ahab coveting Naboth's vineyard, frequently used their power to dispossess the people. In the new covenant order envisioned by Ezekiel, such tyrannical abuse is outlawed. The prince's authority is not absolute; it is circumscribed by divine law, a law that protects the inheritance of every family in Israel. This passage, therefore, is a glorious picture of Christ's just reign. He does not build His kingdom by robbing His people; rather, He enriches His people out of His own infinite possessions, granting them an inheritance that is eternal and can never be taken away.

Outline

Context In Ezekiel

This passage is situated deep within the final, grand vision of the book of Ezekiel, which spans chapters 40-48. After pronouncing judgments on Judah and the surrounding nations, Ezekiel is given a breathtakingly detailed vision of a new temple, a new priesthood, and a new system of worship for a restored Israel. This is not a literal blueprint for a physical building to be constructed after the exile, but rather a symbolic, theological portrait of the coming Messianic age and the glory of the Christian church. The "prince" mentioned here and throughout this section is a key figure, a restored Davidic ruler who leads the people in worship. While he is not the Messiah Himself (he offers sin offerings, for example), he is a type of Christ, representing righteous civil leadership under God. The laws given here in chapter 46, concerning the prince's conduct, are part of the larger picture of the perfect justice and holiness that will characterize God's restored people. These specific rules about property and inheritance are designed to prevent the abuses of the old monarchy and to establish a society where the rights and possessions of the people are secure under a just ruler.

Key Issues

The Stability of a Godly Commonwealth

One of the fundamental building blocks of a stable society is the security of property. When a man knows that the fruit of his labor, his land, and his home are secure for him and for his children after him, he has an incentive to build, to plant, to save, and to invest for the long term. He is building for generations. But when property is insecure, when it can be seized at the whim of a tyrant or redistributed by a meddling state, men live for the short term. The future is uncertain, so they consume everything now. This is why the Bible, from the Ten Commandments ("You shall not steal") to the detailed land laws of the Pentateuch, is so fiercely protective of property rights. Property is not an end in itself, but it is a stewardship from God and a vital component of liberty.

What Ezekiel lays out here is a constitutional principle for the new Israel. The ruler, the prince, is not above the law. His economic power is limited. He cannot use the machinery of the state to enrich himself at the expense of his people. This is the polar opposite of how nearly every pagan (and, sadly, many Israelite) kingdoms operated. For them, the king owned everything, and the people were essentially his serfs. But in God's economy, the land belongs to Yahweh, and He parcels it out as an inheritance to the families of His people. The king is a steward, not the ultimate owner. This law prevents the concentration of all wealth and power in the hands of the state, ensuring that the people are not "scattered," that is, dispossessed and driven from their homes. It is a recipe for a decentralized, free, and prosperous commonwealth.

Verse by Verse Commentary

16 ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “If the prince gives a gift out of his inheritance to any of his sons, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance.

The law begins by establishing the principle of generational inheritance within the prince's own family. The prince has a possession, an estate, that is his own. From this estate, he is free to give gifts to his sons. When he does so, that gift becomes a permanent part of the son's inheritance. It is not a loan or a temporary grant; it is an absolute transfer of title. This affirms the biblical pattern of fathers leaving an inheritance for their children and children's children (Prov. 13:22). It establishes the legitimacy of private property and the right of a man to dispose of it as he sees fit, particularly in securing the future of his own lineage. This is foundational for family stability and long-term thinking.

17 But if he gives a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his until the year of liberty; then it shall return to the prince. His inheritance shall be only his sons’; it shall belong to them.

Here we see a crucial distinction. What about gifts given outside the covenant line of the family? The prince may reward a faithful servant with a grant of land from his own holdings. This is a legitimate use of his property. However, this grant is not permanent. It is, in effect, a long-term lease. The servant has the use of the land and its produce, but the ownership is not permanently alienated from the prince's family line. At the "year of liberty," which clearly hearkens back to the Year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25, the property reverts to its original owner. The principle is clear: the core inheritance, the dynastic possession, must be preserved for the prince's sons. It cannot be whittled away by gifts to non-family members. This prevents the family's foundational wealth from being dissipated, ensuring the long-term stability of the ruling house, but it does so without prohibiting generosity to those outside the family.

18 Now the prince shall not take from the people’s inheritance, mistreating them out of their possession; he shall give his sons inheritance from his own possession so that My people will not be scattered, anyone from his possession.” ’ ”

This is the linchpin of the entire passage and its most important application for civil government. After regulating how the prince manages his own property, the law now builds a firewall between the prince's estate and the estates of the people. He is absolutely forbidden from taking the people's inheritance. The language is strong: he shall not take it by "mistreating them," or by force, or by oppression. This is a direct prohibition of eminent domain abuse, unjust taxation, and outright confiscation. The story of Ahab and Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21) is the classic example of the evil this law prevents. The prince must build his own estate and provide for his sons from his own property. He cannot fund his government or enrich his family by plundering his subjects. The reason given is profoundly pastoral: "so that My people will not be scattered." When people lose their land, the family unit is broken, communities are destroyed, and individuals are turned into rootless wanderers. God's law is designed to create a society of rooted, stable, property-owning families, not a nation of scattered dependents beholden to the state.

Application

While we do not live under the specific civil code of ancient Israel, the principles, or what the Westminster Confession calls the "general equity," of God's law remain our guide. And the principles in this passage are desperately needed in our day. We live in an age where the state routinely "takes from the people's inheritance" through crushing taxation, inflationary monetary policy which is a hidden tax, and a web of regulations that make true ownership a fiction.

First, this passage teaches us that property rights are from God and are essential for a just society. Christians should be at the forefront of defending the rights of individuals and families to own and steward property without fear of arbitrary seizure by the state. This is not a defense of greed, but a defense of liberty and a bulwark against tyranny.

Second, we see the limits of government. The ruler's job is to protect the people's property, not to seize it for his own projects. Any government that sees the wealth of its citizens as its own personal slush fund is acting tyrannically. Our motto should be, "The prince shall provide for his sons from his own possession," which is to say, the government must live within its means and not treat the private sector as a field to be plundered.

Finally, we must look to the true Prince, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the ruler who does not take from us, but gives to us. Our inheritance in the gospel is not a temporary lease that expires in the year of liberty. It is a permanent gift, sealed by the blood of the Son. He did not seize our vineyard; He purchased the whole world with His life and has made us joint-heirs with Him. He does not scatter His people; He gathers them from every nation. The justice and security we long for in our earthly politics find their ultimate fulfillment in His perfect and eternal kingdom, a kingdom where every citizen has a permanent and glorious inheritance that can never be taken away.