Old Testament Commentary - Ezekiel 18

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
              CHAPTER 18                   

Men shall be punished for their own sins—Sinners shall die, and the righteous shall save their souls—A righteous man who sins shall be damned, and a sinner who repents shall be saved.

 1 THE word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
 2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour agrapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
 3 As I livea, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
 4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that asinneth, it shall bdie.
 3a As I live Now the 'As' was added in by the translators. Perhaps a better add in might have been 'Because'. Because Jehovah lives and because he will live as Jesus Christ from that time perspective when this was given, the atonement of the Savior will make it possible that this proverb will forever have an end in him. Because he lives.
 5 ¶ But if a man be ajust, and do that which is lawful and right,
 6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath alifted up his eyes to the bidols of the house of Israel, neither hath cdefiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous dwoman,
 7 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his apledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the bnaked with a garment;
 8 He that hath not given forth upon ausury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
 9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.
 10 ¶ If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,
 11 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his aneighbour's wife,
 12 Hath oppressed the apoor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,
 13 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his ablood shall be upon him.
 14 ¶ Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not asuch like,
 15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife,
 16 Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,
 17 That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
 18 As for his father, because he acruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.
 19 ¶ Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.
 20 The soul that asinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bbear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the crighteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
 21 But if the wicked will aturn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
 22 All his atransgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
 23 Have I any apleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
 24 ¶ But when the arighteous bturneth away from his crighteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his dsin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
 25 ¶ Yet ye say, The away of the Lord is not bequal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
 26 When a righteous man aturneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and bdieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
 27 Again, when the wicked man aturneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
 28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
 29 Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not aequal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?
 30 Therefore I will ajudge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your btransgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
 31aCast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new bheart and a cnew spirit: for why will ye ddie, O house of Israel?
 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.