The Meaning of Ezekiel 46:18 Explained

Ezekiel 46:18

KJV: 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.

YLT: And the prince doth not take of the inheritance of the people to oppress them, out of their possession, out of his own possession he doth cause his sons to inherit, so that My people are not scattered each from his possession.'

Darby: And the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance, to thrust them by oppression out of their possession: he shall give his sons an inheritance out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered every one from his possession.

ASV: 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 be not scattered every man from his possession.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Ezekiel 46:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The prince was not to give gifts from the inheritances of the other people of the land but only from his own inheritance. Israel"s leaders and people in the past had appropriated other people"s property as their own (cf. Ezekiel 45:8-9; 2 Samuel 24:24; 1 Kings 21:19; Micah 2:1-2). This ordinance would also result in the prince"s sons remaining in his allotment of land rather than being scattered among the other tribal allotments. Since this prince would have sons it seems clear that he will not be the Messiah.

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 46

1  Ordinances for the prince in his worship
9  and for the people
16  An order for the prince's inheritance
19  The courts for boiling and baking

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 46:18 mean?

And Moreover not shall take any of inheritance the prince inheritance the people's by evicting them from their property from his own property he shall provide an inheritance - for his sons so that none may be scattered of My people man from his property
וְלֹא־ יִקַּ֨ח הַנָּשִׂ֜יא מִנַּחֲלַ֣ת הָעָ֗ם לְהֽוֹנֹתָם֙ מֵאֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם מֵאֲחֻזָּת֖וֹ יַנְחִ֣ל אֶת־ בָּנָ֑יו לְמַ֙עַן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־ יָפֻ֣צוּ עַמִּ֔י אִ֖ישׁ מֵאֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ

וְלֹא־  And  Moreover  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִקַּ֨ח  shall  take  any  of  inheritance 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
הַנָּשִׂ֜יא  the  prince 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָשִׂיא 
Sense: one lifted up, chief, prince, captain, leader.
מִנַּחֲלַ֣ת  inheritance 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
הָעָ֗ם  the  people's 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לְהֽוֹנֹתָם֙  by  evicting  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄונָה 
Sense: to oppress, suppress, treat violently, maltreat, vex, do wrong.
מֵאֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם  from  their  property 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֲחֻזָּה  
Sense: possession, property.
מֵאֲחֻזָּת֖וֹ  from  his  own  property 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֲחֻזָּה  
Sense: possession, property.
יַנְחִ֣ל  he  shall  provide  an  inheritance 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָחַל  
Sense: to get as a possession, acquire, inherit, possess.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בָּנָ֑יו  for  his  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
לְמַ֙עַן֙  so 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לְמַעַן 
Sense: purpose, intent prep.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לֹֽא־  none 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָפֻ֣צוּ  may  be  scattered 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: פּוּץ 
Sense: to scatter, be dispersed, be scattered.
עַמִּ֔י  of  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אִ֖ישׁ  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מֵאֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ  from  his  property 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֲחֻזָּה  
Sense: possession, property.