Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 46:17
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.
17. year of liberty ] In Jer 34:14 the year of liberty is that of the freeing of the bondservant in the seventh year; and this year may be meant here. Cf. Isa 61:1. Otherwise the year of Jubilee, the fiftieth year, is referred to, when all landed property that had been alienated reverted to its original owner, Lev 25:10; Lev 27:24.
but his inheritance them ] lit. but (or, only as for) his inheritance, his sons, it shall be theirs, i.e. the portion of his inheritance which the prince may bestow on his sons shall remain theirs, without reverting to the prince ( Eze 46:16). LXX., Syr. more clearly; the inheritance of his sons, it shall be theirs.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 17. To 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Of his inheritance; of any part or parcel of the crown land, or the princes inheritance.
To one of his servants; whether such servant be, strictly taken, a servant or bondman or in more large sense any of his servants in the court, and in office about it.
The year of liberty; the year of jubilee, as Lev 25:10,13,28.
To the prince; or his heirs, if the prince be dead.
His inheritance: this may be understood either of the prince or the servant. Either thus, though the land by gift go back to the prince or his heirs from the servant, yet what lands this servant had of his own inheritance shall descend to the heirs of that servant, and be theirs: or else thus, whatever lands of the prince are given to servants, by gift, shall at the year of jubilee revert to the sons of the prince, who shall repossess them, forasmuch as they are lands of inheritance, and of right belong to the heir.
For them; and for theirs after them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants,…. Who are not his sons, but his hired servants, and who serve him in a mercenary way; such are unregenerate ministers of the word, who preach Christ in pretence, and not in reality, for by ends, to serve themselves, and not him, or to advance his glory; and all carnal professors, who have only an outside of religion, a form of godliness without the power of it: to these Christ gives gifts, the gifts of nature, wealth, and riches, to some, to whom he gives not grace; these are his left hand blessings, which are given to the men of the world, who have their portion in this life: to others external means, the word and ordinances, but not internal special grace; yea, to some, gifts for the ministry, so as to be able to prophesy or preach in his name, which are meant by the talents, and pounds in the parable; some of which were given to slothful and unprofitable servants; see Mt 7:20.
Then it shall be his to the year of liberty; the servant’s to whom it is given, as long as the prince pleases; who when they make no use, or an ill use of them, takes them away in lifetime, and gives them to those that have more, and employ them to better purpose,
Zec 11:17, or however at death, which is a time of liberty from civil bondage, the servant is free from his master; and when good men are freed from the oppression of others, and from sin, Satan, and the world, and are delivered into the glorious liberty of the children of God; this is a year of liberty indeed to them; and then all external gifts to others, as riches, are held no longer; the word and ordinances no more enjoyed; prophesying, speaking with tongues, and all mere natural knowledge, cease, and vanish away, 1Co 13:8, the allusion is to the year of jubilee, when liberty was proclaimed throughout the land, and every man returned to his possession, and to his family, Le 25:10, and so the Targum, Jarchi, and Kimchi, interpret it of the year of jubilee; a type of the heavenly glory, and of the joy of the Lord, which Christ’s faithful servants enter into; and when there will be a manifest difference between them and slothful servants, and the gifts of the one and of the other, and of their use of them, as well as between sons and servants:
after it shall return to the prince; signifying that such gifts are not durable; they are revertible to the donor of them; who will call these servants to an account for them at death or judgment, if not in time of life:
but his inheritance shall be his sons’ for them; the prince’s inheritance shall be theirs; for being sons they are heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ: or that which is given them for an inheritance shall always continue; it shall never be taken from them or returned; but it shall be their own, for themselves, and enjoy it for ever; which is a confirmation of what is said in the preceding verse.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“But if he give to one of his servants a gift from his inheritance it shall be his to the year of liberty. Then it shall return to the prince. But as for his inheritance, that shall be for his sons.”
The prince could give a gift from his portion to a faithful servant, but it would be his only to the year of liberty. In that year the inheritance would revert back from the servant to the sons.
‘The year of liberty’. Compare Lev 25:10. This refers to the year of jubile which occurred every fiftieth year, when all land outside cities reverted back to its original owner.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 46:17. To the year of liberty That is, of jubilee; called the year of liberty, because it freed men’s persons from the service of their masters, and their estates from any engagements by which the right of them was transferred from their owners. See Calmet, and Lev 25:10-11.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 46:17 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.
Ver. 17. But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants. ] As Alexander the Great, who, going to subdue a great part of the habitable world, gave away to his servants almost all he had, and when one of his officers asked him what he would leave for himself? he said, Hope. Messiah the prince, besides his choicest gifts ( Dona throni ) to his dear children, giveth gifts unto men, even to the rebellious also; Psa 68:18 these are common gifts ( Dona scabelli ), temporal favours, external privileges. See Mat 7:22-23 ; Mat 25:14-30 Luk 19:12-27 , &c. But as “the servant abideth not in the house for ever,” as the son doth; Joh 8:35 so these gifts to servants, but for the behoof and benefit of his sons, are but till the year of liberty, or jubilee, till the last day at utmost. Lev 25:10 Then shall the wicked give a dreadful account of all, with the whole world flaming about their ears.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the year of liberty = the year of jubilee. Reference to Pentateuch (Lev 25:10). App-92. This shows that this prophecy will, and must yet, be literally fulfilled. Moreover, the jubilee occurred only twice in a century.
but, &c. = truly, it is his own inheritance; as to his sons, to them it shall go.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
to the year: That is, 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. Lev 25:10, Mat 25:14-29, Luk 19:25, Luk 19:26, Gal 4:30, Gal 4:31
Reciprocal: Joh 8:35 – the servant
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 46:17. The year of liberty was the same as the jibile described in Leviticus 25. In that year certain readjustments were made in the relations of property and also of servants,
and that is what is meant by this verse.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
46:17 But if he shall give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the {c} year of liberty; afterward it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be to his sons for them.
(c) Which was at the Jubile, Lev 25:9 .