This question accompanies Abraham on his wanderings, moves the prophets, shapes the history of Israel, and continues to occupy politicians, historians, and theologians to this day. That is precisely why it is worth taking a closer look at the biblical perspective. For surprisingly, the Bible offers no simple answer. From a biblical perspective, the land of Israel belongs first and foremost to God Himself. The clearest statement on this is found in Leviticus 25:23: “The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.”
With this, the Bible makes clear that even Israel is not the absolute owner of the land. The people live in it by virtue of a divine promise, yet the true owner remains God. This thought runs through the entire Bible. King David speaks of the land (1 Samuel 26:19) as the “inheritance of the LORD,” and the prophets repeatedly remind us that Israel can lose the land if it disregards its moral and spiritual responsibility. The history of the two exiles shows...
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