The prince shall not take any of the inheritance of the people: Not only do the rules in verses 16-18 prevent the king’s family from losing their family property, but they also prevent the king from using his power to take other people’s family property. Again inheritance refers to family property.

Thrusting them out of their property refers to the king taking the property of other people by force. Thrusting renders the same Hebrew word translated “oppress” in 45.8b (see the comments there). Complete Jewish Bible renders this clause as “thereby evicting them wrongfully from their property.”

He shall give his sons their inheritance out of his own property: See verse 16.

So that none of my people shall be dispossessed of his property is literally “so that my people may not be scattered, every man from his possession” (similarly King James Version). The Hebrew here gives a strong picture of people being forced to leave their homes and being scattered all over the country. The rule in this verse aims to prevent common people becoming homeless. My people refers to God’s people, the ordinary Israelites.

A model for this verse is:

• The king must not force anyone else off their land or take any of the family property of the other Israelites. If he wants to give his sons more land or property, he must give them parts of his own family property, [not someone else’s]. This is so that none of my people will lose their family property [and become homeless and destitute].”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .