Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance, to thrust them out of their possession. He shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession, that my people not each be scattered from his possession.” ’ ”
Parallel Translations
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Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance, to thrust them out of their possession. He shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession, that my people not each be scattered from his possession.” ’ ”
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Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possession; but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his possession.
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Moreover the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance, to thrust them wrongfully out of their possession; he shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession; that My people be not scattered every man from his possession.'
Cross-references (16)
Passages linked to Ezekiel 46:18 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Ezekiel 45:8 In the land it shall be to him for a possession in Israel. My princes shall no more oppress my people; but they shall give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.”
- 1 Kings 21:19 You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh says, “Have you killed and also taken possession?” ’ You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh says, “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick your blood, even yours.” ’ ”
- Ezekiel 22:27 Her princes within it are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain.
- Psalms 72:2-4 He will judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people. The hills bring the fruit of righteousness. He will judge the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy, and will break the oppressor in pieces.
- Psalms 78:72 So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
- Isaiah 11:3-4 His delight will be in the fear of Yahweh. He will not judge by the sight of his eyes, neither decide by the hearing of his ears; but he will judge the poor with righteousness, and decide with equity for the humble of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.
- Isaiah 32:1-2 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice. A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the storm, as streams of water in a dry place, as the shade of a large rock in a weary land.
- Jeremiah 23:5-6 “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely. This is his name by which he will be called: Yahweh our righteousness.
- Ezekiel 34:3-6 You eat the fat. You clothe yourself with the wool. You kill the fatlings, but you don’t feed the sheep. You haven’t strengthened the diseased. You haven’t healed that which was sick. You haven’t bound up that which was broken. You haven’t brought back that which was driven away. You haven’t sought that which was lost, but you have ruled over them with force and with rigor. They were scattered, because there was no shepherd. They became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill. Yes, my sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth. There was no one who searched or sought.”
- Ezekiel 34:21 Because you thrust with side and with shoulder, and push all the diseased with your horns, until you have scattered them abroad;
- Micah 1:1-2 Yahweh’s word that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Hear, you peoples, all of you. Listen, O earth, and all that is therein: and let the Lord Yahweh be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.
- Micah 2:1-2 Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away: and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
- John 10:28 I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
- Ephesians 4:8 Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to people.”
- Micah 3:1-3 I said, “Please listen, you heads of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel: Isn’t it for you to know justice? You who hate the good, and love the evil; who tear off their skin, and their flesh from off their bones; who also eat the flesh of my people, and peel their skin from off them, and break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as meat within the cauldron.
- Psalms 68:18 You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among people, yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah God might dwell there.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (6 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain But be content with that portion that God hath…
But be content with that portion that God hath assigned him, as Ezek. 45:8.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Eze 46:18 Moreover the prince shall not take of…
Eze 46:18 Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possession; [but] he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his possession.
Ver. 18. To thrust them out of their possession.] Ill accidents attend such princes, as affecting to be absolute in power, will be too resolute in will, or dissolute in life; oppressing their subjects to enrich their servants and parasites.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Shall not take; seize and escheat as forfeited, (like…
Shall not take; seize and escheat as forfeited, (like as Ahab dealt with Naboth, or David with Mephibosheth,) to give to others, or keep for himself.
By oppression; whether fraudulent or violent oppression, whether under colour of justice or against all rules of law.
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To thrust them out, that he may put in his own creatures or children.
He shall give his sons, provide for his own, ont of that is his own.
That my people be not scattered; that they may keep together in their own land.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain After he brought me through the entry, which was…
After he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate,.... The north gate of the inner court, where the prophet was last, Eze 44:4, through an entry, by the side of that, he was brought by the man his guide:
into the holy chambers of the priests; see Eze 42:13,
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and, behold, there was a place in the two sides westward; or, "on their sides westward" (p); on the west side of the chambers; the Targum is at the west end of them: the use of this place follows,
(p) "in lateribus ejus vel eorum, in extremo", Starckius.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (18) Shall not take of the people’s inheritance.—Fresh warning…
(18) Shall not take of the people’s inheritance.—Fresh warning is here given against oppression on the part of the prince, and he is reminded that the territory given inalienably to him and his heirs is to provide for his sons’ inheritance.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain The third regulation. The prince in all cases should…
The third regulation. The prince in all cases should endow his sons (or others) out of his own, and not out of his subjects" possessions, of which they have been violently robbed. A good rule for other princes besides this, and for owners of property in general
A warning to the great.
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I THE GREAT ARE RESPONSIBLE TO GOD. The prince is the leader and supreme ruler of Israel. His rank and privilege lift him into the most exalted position. Yet he is responsible to God, and his duty is definitely marked out for him. Even the most "irresponsible" ruler of a despotic state cannot escape from responsibility in the sight of Heaven. Prince as well as peasant will have to give account of himself before the judgment-seat of God. Moreover, God directs and controls the movements of the most powerful earthly magnates. He who said to the sea, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed," "put his hooks" in the proud ruler of Egypt. (Eze_29:4)
II THE GREAT ARE TEMPTED TO EXCEED THEIR RIGHTS. Men who enjoy the largest scope and who own the widest possessions must come to the confines of their territory. The biggest park has its fence. Now, a common temptation is to despise the best things within a man"s right, in envy for what lies beyond them. Thus, with all the wealth of the royal demesne, Ahab is sick with covetousness for Naboth"s vineyard. (1Ki_21:4) The possession of considerable power aggravates the temptation of the great to go beyond their rights. It is difficult for the despot to avoid degenerating into a tyrant.
III THE GREAT ARE WARNED AGAINST OPPRESSING THE PEOPLE. The danger of power passing over to tyranny is the besetting temptation of persons in influential positions. This danger alone raises a question as to the wisdom of entrusting overmuch power even to the best men. In the abstract, an irresistible paternal government might seem to be likely to secure the greatest good of a nation. But for this to be satisfactory we must not only endue the ruler with supreme wisdom, we must also eliminate from his character every atom of selfishness.
IV THE GREAT ARE NOT MORE FAVORED BY GOD THAN ARE OTHER PEOPLE. They have unique privileges, but these are bestowed in the form of a solemn trust. God is no respecter of persons. He cares for all his children. He is the people"s God, and the Friend of the poor. They who can find no earthly protector may look to Heaven for deliverance, for he who heard the cry of the Hebrews when they groaned under the oppression of the Egyptian bondage, and saved them from Pharaoh and his host, is still mighty to help the needy.
V GOD"S EQUAL GRACE FOR THE PEOPLE AS WELL AS THE GREAT SHOULD LEAD ALL TO TRUST HIM. If God only favored the so-called privileged classes, the multitude might well turn aside from religion in despair. But since God has ever been on the side of the oppressed, and has ever cared for the people, it is foolish to distrust him, and ungrateful to disregard his goodness. Whatever else the great may seize upon, they cannot take away the poor man"s religion. Here is a prize of permanent possession. It would be well if all knew and loved the God who cares for all.
Losing and keeping the inheritance.
The subject of this commandment is "the inalienable nature of the prince"s possession, and the sacred regard he must pay to the peoples its object was to legislate so that "no temptation might exist to spoil the people of their proper inheritances, as had been too often done in the days that were past." By the words of the text we are brought in contact with
I THE HEBREW IDEAL OF FAMILY INHERITANCE. The Mosaic legislation contemplated keeping the land in the occupancy of the same tribe and of the same family from generation to generation. It was not in the power of the occupier to sell it or to will it away from the family; and although it might be mortgaged, it reverted to the original possessor (or his family) at the year of jubilee. The ideal was that of all the families of the nation being interested and engaged in the happy, honorable, and fruitful employment of agriculture. In this case there would be no superabounding wealth on the one hand, and no degrading poverty on the other hand; while every Israelite would have the deepest interest in preserving the integrity of his country"s freedom, and would be contributing to its wealth. Such an ideal as this is hopelessly impossible in such a time as this, but in a primitive and pastoral age it was one calculated to secure the largest possible measure of individual happiness, domestic comfort, and national prosperity.
II ITS PARTIAL FAILURE AND ULTIMATE DISAPPEARANCE. Such a provision must have been attended with great difficulties in the way of realization. Dissipation on the one hand and avarice on the other would almost inevitably lead to loss and to appropriation. And there is no doubt they did. As time went by the land became lost to the families to whom it was originally apportioned. (Jos_19:51) And when the time camefor the great and sad deportation to other lands, the entire arrangement was broken up; finally the Jews were "scattered, every man from his possession;" and, dispersed among the Gentiles, they became the least pastoral or agricultural, and the most trading and financing, of any people on the earth. Where, then, does this prediction find
III A PLACE IN THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST? It will find it, in substance, in
1. Provision for the material well-being of the people of the land. As the result of Christian principle acting at both ends of the body politic, elevating the character and therefore the condition of those at the bottom, and leading those at the top to devote their resources and employ their (legislative and other) opportunities in the interest of the people, there will gradually ensue a wide distribution of comfort and prosperity. Abject poverty and superfluous possession will give place to universal competence, education, morality, piety in fact, national well-being. Many forces will have to contribute to this result, and it may be a long time coming, but it must be the issue of a true and practical Christianity. There are other "inheritances" beside that of land and wealth which need to be preserved, and which a Christian family or a Christian Church should devoutly determine to maintain. There must be:
2. The perpetuation of the fair heritage of an honorable name, a reputation for family goodness or wisdom that has come down many generations.
3. The preservation of the precious deposit of sacred truth. C.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.