Ezekiel 46:18

The prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people by evicting them from their property. He is to provide an inheritance for his sons from his own property, so that none of My people will be displaced from his property.’”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God speaks to Ezekiel concerning the operational boundaries of the restored temple district, specifically regulating the prince’s conduct toward the populace. The directive is issued as a standing law for the future community.

The words — יִקַּח (yi.Kach) means “he will take away,” coupled with מֵאֲחֻזָּתָם (me./'a.chu.za.Ta/m) meaning “from their possession.” These lexical choices define the prohibited act as forced dispossession rather than voluntary transfer.

The thread — The text’s restriction on princely land seizure runs parallel to Ezekiel 45:8, which commands princes to stop oppressing the people, and mirrors 1 Kings 21:19’s charge against royal land confiscation and Ezekiel 22:27’s condemnation of officials destroying lives for dishonest gain.

Why it lands — The passage states that leaders must fund their sons from personal holdings to prevent citizen displacement. It requires readers to accept that administrative power cannot override ancestral property rights.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְלֹא־ve./lo'-and/ not יִקַּ֨חyi.Kachhe will take away הַנָּשִׂ֜יאha./na.Si'the/ prince מִנַּחֲלַ֣תmi./na.cha.Latany of/ [the] inheritance of הָעָ֗םha./'Amthe/ people לְהֽוֹנֹתָם֙le./ho.no.Ta/mto/ oppress/ them מֵאֲחֻזָּתָ֔םme./'a.chu.za.Ta/mfrom/ possession/ their מֵאֲחֻזָּת֖וֹme./'a.chu.za.T/osome of/ own possession/ his יַנְחִ֣לyan.Chilhe will cause to inherit אֶת־'et-<obj.>בָּנָ֑יוba.Na/vsons/ his לְמַ֙עַן֙le.Ma.'anso that אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherthat לֹֽא־lo'-not יָפֻ֣צוּya.Fu.tzuthey will be scattered עַמִּ֔י'a.M/ipeople/ my אִ֖ישׁ'ishanyone מֵאֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃me./'a.chu.za.T/ofrom/ possession/ his

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Ezekiel 45:8 This land will be his possession in Israel. And My princes will no longer oppress My people, but will give the rest of the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.
1 Kings 21:19 Tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?’ Then tell him that this is also what the LORD says: ‘In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, there also the dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”
Ezekiel 22:27 Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives for dishonest gain.
Psalms 72:2 May he judge Your people with righteousness and Your afflicted with justice.
Psalms 78:72 So David shepherded them with integrity of heart and guided them with skillful hands.
Isaiah 11:3 And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear,
Isaiah 32:1 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.
Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
Ezekiel 34:3 You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened sheep, but you do not feed the flock.
Ezekiel 34:21 Since you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak ones with your horns until you have scattered them abroad,