Thus saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons'; it shall be their possession by inheritance.
If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons' ... but if he give a gift ... to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince. The prince's possession is to be inalienable, and any portion given to a servant is to revert to his sons at the year of jubilee, that he may have no temptation to spoil his people of their inheritance as formerly (cf. the case of Ahab and Naboth's vineyard, 1 Kings 21:1-29 .) The mention of the year of jubilee implies that there is something literal meant, besides the spiritual sense. The jubilee year was restored after the captivity. (Josephus' 'Antiquities,' 14: 10, 6; 1Ma 6:49 .) Perhaps it will be restored under Messiah's coming reign. Compare Isaiah 61:2-3, where "the acceptable year of the Lord" is closely connected with the comforting of the mourners in Zion, and "the day of vengeance" on Zion's foes. The mention of the prince's sons is another argument against Messiah being meant by "the prince."