Ezekiel 46:16 - Meaning and Application

Here we have a law that limits the prince’s power when he gives away the crown lands. If he has a son who is especially favored, or who has earned well, he may, if he chooses, give part of his land to that son and his heirs forever (Ezekiel 46:16). But this gift must stay within the family. There can be good reason for parents, once their children are grown, to show more favor to one than another, as Jacob gave Joseph one portion above his brothers (Genesis 48:22).

Yet if he has a favored servant, he may not give land to that servant in the same way (Ezekiel 46:17). The servant may enjoy the income and benefits for a time, but the inheritance, the actual right of ownership, must stay with the prince and his heirs. It is right to make a difference between a child and a servant, as John 8:35 says. The servant does not stay in the house forever, as the son does.

What the prince gives to his children must come from his own property (Ezekiel 46:18). He must not take from the people’s inheritance just because he has many children to provide for. He must not use tricks to make people lose their estates, or force them to sell, and so push his subjects out of their land. Let him and his sons be satisfied with what belongs to them.

It is far from a prince’s honor to build up his family’s wealth by taking away his subjects’ rights and property. In the end, he will not truly gain by it. He will be a poor prince if the people are scattered, each one driven from his own possession. Then they leave their native land, oppressed and unable to keep what is theirs, and they may prefer to live among strangers, where they are free and can call even a little their own. It is better for rulers to win their people’s hearts. Then all they have is, in the best way, at the ruler’s service. It is better to gain their love by protecting their rights than to gain their property by violating them.