In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord GOD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's truly striking here is that God declares the stranger already has a right to an inheritance within a tribe, simply by choosing to reside there. This isn't a gift granted from scratch; it's God acknowledging an existing claim and ensuring it's honored, showing an incredible inclusivity that extends to all who join themselves to Him.
In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord GOD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel has just seen a vision of a life-giving river flowing from the temple, bringing healing and abundance wherever it goes, even turning the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh. This vision culminates with the description of this river bringing life to the land and its people, implying a restoration and a new era for God's people and the land. Now, in light of this amazing prophecy of renewal, the Lord declares that even those who are strangers, Gentiles who have joined themselves to Israel, will be fully included and given an inheritance within the tribes.
Imagine a time when nations and peoples were strictly separated. Then, imagine God's plan to include everyone. Ezekiel's vision reveals a surprising promise for the outsider.
In the ancient world, identity was often tied to a specific tribe or lineage. To be an outsider, a 'stranger' or 'sojourner,' meant you were outside the established system, often without rights or a permanent place.
But Ezekiel's vision of the restored Temple and its life-giving waters (often seen as a symbol of God's Spirit and His covenant people) extends a radical welcome.
God's Radical Inclusion
What determines where you receive your inheritance? Is it where you were born, or where you choose to live and belong?
Ask a follow-up
Ezekiel’s prophecy makes a clear connection: your inheritance is assigned based on where you sojourn – where you settle and make your life among God's people.
Belonging Where You Dwell
Understand the original words
Adonai Yahweh · Hebrew Noun/Title
A title used frequently by the prophets to emphasize God's absolute sovereignty and authority over all creation. It combines the personal name of God (Yahweh) with the title of absolute authority (Adonai), highlighting that the speaker is the covenant-keeping Lord of all.
This promise to the exiles reimagines national identity and belonging. In a future restored community, foreigners who choose to live among God's people will have a secure place, receiving an inheritance just like any Israelite. This looks forward to a time when the boundaries between peoples would be transformed by God's grace, breaking down the 'dividing wall' that separated peoples.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Exile of Northern Tribes
The Neo-Assyrian Empire conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many Israelites and resettling the area with foreigners. This event began a long period of displacement and loss of national identity for many.
597 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon conquered Jerusalem, exiling King Jehoiachin and a significant portion of the Judean elite. This marked the beginning of the Babylonian exile for Judah.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar returned, destroying Jerusalem and the First Temple, and exiling the remaining population. This event represented a profound crisis of faith and national identity, leaving the exiles without land or temple.
c. 571 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Vision of the New Temple
Ezekiel, an exile in Babylon, receives a detailed vision of a future temple, city, and land. This vision offers hope and a blueprint for restoration, addressing the loss experienced during exile.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian Empire, under Cyrus, overthrew Babylon. This paved the way for the return of exiled peoples, including the Judeans, to their ancestral lands.
516 BC
Completion of the Second Temple
The returned exiles, despite challenges, completed the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, a significant step in national and religious restoration.
This passage echoes the spirit of Ezekiel's vision, stating there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, highlighting the unity and inclusion of all in Christ, just as the sojourner finds an inheritance among the tribes.
Ephesians 2:19Paul's letter describes Gentiles as no longer strangers and aliens but fellow citizens with God's people, mirroring the concept in Ezekiel where sojourners are fully integrated and given an inheritance.
Ruth 1:16Ruth's famous declaration to stay with Naomi, 'Your people shall be my people, and your God my God,' beautifully illustrates the heart of a sojourner seeking an inheritance within a new community and faith.
Matthew 13:31-32The parable of the mustard seed, which grows into a large tree where birds nest, symbolizes the expansive nature of God's kingdom, welcoming all peoples, much like the inclusive inheritance described for sojourners.
pooleEzekiel 47:23: "And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD."
It shall come to pass: see Ezekiel 47:22 . In what tribe; whether by choice or chance the stranger fixed in that tribe. No stranger shall be excluded out of the tribe’s inheritance, among whom he hath sojourned and begotten children. The stranger; every proselyte or Gentile that joins himself to the people of God. There shall ye give him; neither t…
gillEzekiel 47:23: "And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD."
And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth,.... Whatsoever particular congregation or church these strangers and sojourners (as all the Lord's people are in this world, and even in their church state), or those Gentiles before described, shall be nearest unto, and to which they shall propose themselves for communion, they…
What's truly striking here is that God declares the stranger already has a right to an inheritance within a tribe, simply by choosing to reside there. This isn't a gift granted from scratch; it's God acknowledging an existing claim and ensuring it's honored, showing an incredible inclusivity that extends to all who join themselves to Him.
Ezekiel has just seen a vision of a life-giving river flowing from the temple, bringing healing and abundance wherever it goes, even turning the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh. This vision culminates with the description of this river bringing life to the land and its people, implying a restoration and a new era for God's people and the land. Now, in light of this amazing prophecy of renewal, the Lord declares that even those who are strangers, Gentiles who have joined themselves to Israel, will be fully included and given an inheritance within the tribes.
Ezekiel has just seen a vision of a life-giving river flowing from the temple, bringing healing and abundance wherever it goes, even turning the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh. This vision culminates with the description of this river bringing life to the land and its people, implying a restoration and a new era for God's people and the land. Now, in light of this amazing prophecy of renewal, the Lord declares that even those who are strangers, Gentiles who have joined themselves to Israel, will be fully included and given an inheritance within the tribes.
"In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord GOD." — What's truly striking here is that God declares the stranger already has a right to an inheritance within a tribe, simply by choosing to reside there. This isn't a gift granted from scratch; it's G…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026