Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 45:8

Charles Ellicott Commentary

Ezekiel 45:8

1819–1905
Anglican
Charles Ellicott
Charles Ellicott

Charles Ellicott Commentary

Ezekiel 45:8

1819–1905
Anglican
SCRIPTURE

"In the land it shall be to him for a possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more oppress my people; but they shall give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes." — Ezekiel 45:8 (ASV)

My princes shall no more oppress. The use of the plural does not imply that more than one prince should reign at a time, nor is it intended to include the family of the prince; but as everything in the future is described in terms of the past, so the royal authority is conceived of as vested in a succession of rulers, although we have already been told that there will be but one king over them forever (Ezekiel 34:23–24; Ezekiel 37:24–25).

The declaration that princes shall no more oppress my people follows naturally on the assignment of this portion. Former kings of Israel had no domain given to them, and this had tempted them to acquire private property by violence and extortion. The people had been forewarned of this (1 Samuel 8:14), had often experienced it in their history, and had heard the rebukes of their prophets on account of it (e.g.,Jeremiah 22:13–19).