complete verse (Ezekiel 46:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 46:17:

  • Kupsabiny: “But if he gives to his servant, that man shall stay with that land but when the day when things are returned arrives the land shall be returned to the king. It is the things that the king gives as inheritance to his children that the children shall stay with forever.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But if he will-give it to one of his servants, it will-become for his servant until the Year of Freeing and Returning. In that year, the servant will-return the land to the leader. Only just the children of the leader (are) the-(ones) to-possess his land forever/[lit. until whenever].” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “However, if he gives some of his land to one of his servants, the servant is allowed to keep that land until the Year of Celebration. Then the king will own it again; the king’s land must belong to his descendants forever.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 46:17

But if he makes a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty: If, on the other hand, the king gives some of his land to one of his servants, that is, someone who works for him and is not part of his family line, the land will remain the servant’s property only until the year of liberty. The year of liberty refers to “the Year of Restoration” (Good News Translation), or “the Year of Jubilee” (New International Reader’s Version, New Living Translation), when the Israelites had to free all their Israelite slaves and return all land to its original owners (see Lev 25.8-17, 23-34). This was to happen every fiftieth year. The year of liberty may be rendered “the year of freedom” (New Century Version) or “the year when you must set slaves free and give land back.” Servants may be translated “workers” or “officials.”

Then it shall revert to the prince: Then refers to the year of freedom. At that time the land that the king gave to his servants will return to the ownership of the king’s family. The aim of this rule was so that the king’s family would never permanently lose their family property.

Only his sons may keep a gift from his inheritance: Good News Translation renders this clause clearly, saying “It belongs to him, and only he and his sons can own it permanently.”

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 .