Ezekiel 18

God’s Just Treatment of Individuals, Both Righteous and Wicked

1 And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying},

2 "{What do you mean by} quoting this proverb about the land of Israel, {saying}, 'The fathers, they ate unripe fruit, and the teeth of the child became blunt.'

3 {As I live}, {declares} the Lord Yahweh, it will surely not any longer be {appropriate for you} to quote this proverb in Israel!

4 Look! {All lives are mine}. {The lives of father and son alike are mine}. The person sinning will die.

5 And if a man is righteous and does justice and righteousness,

6 and on the mountains he [does] not eat and he [does] not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and the wife of his neighbor he [does] not defile and he [does] not approach a woman of menstruation,

7 and he oppresses {no one} [and] he returns [a] pledge for his loan {and he commits no robbery} [and] he gives his bread to [the] hungry and he covers a naked person [with] a garment,

8 [and] {he does not charge interest} and he takes no usury, [and] he holds back his hand from injustice [and] he executes [a] judgment of fairness between {persons},

9 [and] in my statutes he goes about and my regulations he keeps, {performing faithfully} --[then] he is righteous, [and] certainly he will live," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

10 "And [now] he has a son, a violent one, {who sheds blood} {and does any of these things}

11 (though he did not do all of these [things]), for [the son] also eats on the mountains and he defiles the wife of his neighbor.

12 He oppresses [the] needy and [the] poor, [and] {he commits robbery}, [and] he [does] not return [a] pledge for a loan, [and] he lifts his eyes to the idols [so] he does a detestable thing.

13 {He charges interest} and takes usury. Then, shall he live? He shall not live, [for] he did all of these detestable things. Surely he will die! His blood will be on him.

14 "And look! He has a son, and he sees all of the sin of his father that he did, and he sees [it], but he does not [do] it.

15 On the mountains he does not eat, and he does not lift [up] his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, [and] the wife of his neighbor he does not defile.

16 And he oppresses no one; he requires no pledge for a loan, and {he does not commit robbery}; he gives his bread to [the] hungry, and he covers the naked person [with] a garment.

17 He brings back his hand from iniquity; he does not take interest and usury; he does my regulations; he goes in my statutes. He will not die because of the guilt of his father; he will surely live!

18 Because his father {oppressed severely}; {he stole from his brother}; [that] which [is] not good he did in the midst of his people, and look! He will die through his guilt.

19 "Yet you say, 'Why [does] the son not bear the guilt of the father?' And [since] the son does justice and righteousness and he keeps all of my statutes and does them, he shall surely live!

20 The person, the [one] sinning, will die. A son shall not bear the guilt of the father, and a father shall not bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him; the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.

21 But if the wicked returns from all of his sins that he has done and he keeps all of my statutes and he does justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die!

22 All of his transgressions that he committed will not be remembered against him. Through his righteousness that he has done he shall live.

23 Have I delight by any means [in the] death of [the] wicked, {declares} the Lord Yahweh, [and] not at his turning from his way, {so that} he lives?

24 And {when the righteous turns} from his righteousness, so that he does injustice, and does all of the detestable things that the wicked do, then will he live [because of] all of his righteousness that he did? [Those things] will not be remembered because of his infidelity that he displayed, and because of his {sin that he committed}. Through them he shall die.

25 "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair!' Listen, now, house of Israel, is my way not fair? [Is it] not your ways [that] are not fair?

26 When the righteous turns from his righteousness, and he does injustice, then he will die because of them; because of his injustice that he did he will die!

27 And when the wicked turns from his wickedness that he did and he does justice and righteousness, {he will preserve his life}.

28 And if he sees and he returns from all of his transgressions that he did, surely he will live; he will not die!

29 And [yet] they, the house of Israel, say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair!' [Are] not my ways fair, house of Israel? {Are not your ways unfair?}

30 "Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways," {declares} the Lord Yahweh. "Repent and turn around from all of your transgression, and it will not be as a stumbling block of iniquity to you.

31 Throw {away from yourselves} all of your transgressions that you committed, and make {for yourselves} a new heart and new spirit, and [so] why will you die, house of Israel?

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of the dying," {declares} the Lord Yahweh. "And [so] repent and live!"

Ezekiel 18 Commentary

Chapter 18

God has no respect of persons. (1-20) The Divine providence is vindicated. (21-29) A gracious invitation to repentance. (30-32)

Verses 1-20 The soul that sinneth it shall die. As to eternity, every man was, is, and will be dealt with, as his conduct shows him to have been under the old covenant of works, or the new covenant of grace. Whatever outward sufferings come upon men through the sins of others, they deserve for their own sins all they suffer; and the Lord overrules every event for the eternal good of believers. All souls are in the hand of the great Creator: he will deal with them in justice or mercy; nor will any perish for the sins of another, who is not in some sense worthy of death for his own. We all have sinned, and our souls must be lost, if God deal with us according to his holy law; but we are invited to come to Christ. If a man who had shown his faith by his works, had a wicked son, whose character and conduct were the reverse of his parent's, could it be expected he should escape the Divine vengeance on account of his father's piety? Surely not. And should a wicked man have a son who walked before God as righteous, this man would not perish for his father's sins. If the son was not free from evils in this life, still he should be partaker of salvation. The question here is not about the meritorious ground of justification, but about the Lord's dealings with the righteous and the wicked.

Verses 21-29 The wicked man would be saved, if he turned from his evil ways. The true penitent is a true believer. None of his former transgressions shall be mentioned unto him, but in the righteousness which he has done, as the fruit of faith and the effect of conversion, he shall surely live. The question is not whether the truly righteous ever become apostates. It is certain that many who for a time were thought to be righteous, do so, ( ezekiel 18:26-27 ) sin is forgiven, it is blotted out, it is remembered no more. In their righteousness they shall live; not for their righteousness, as if that were an atonement for their sins, but in their righteousness, which is one of the blessings purchased by the Mediator. What encouragement a repenting, returning sinner has to hope for pardon and life according to this promise! In verse ( 28 ) is the beginning and progress of repentance. True believers watch and pray, and continue to the end, and they are saved. In all our disputes with God, he is in the right, and we are in the wrong.

Verses 30-32 The Lord will judge each of the Israelites according to his ways. On this is grounded an exhortation to repent, and to make them a new heart and a new spirit. God does not command what cannot be done, but admonishes us to do what is in our power, and to pray for what is not. Ordinances and means are appointed, directions and promises are given, that those who desire this change may seek it from God.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "was"
• [b]. Literally "to say"
• [c]. Literally "What [is] to you"
• [d]. Literally "to say"
• [e]. Or "dull," set on edge"
• [f]. Literally "life I"
• [g]. Literally "declaration of"
• [h]. Literally "to you"
• [i]. Literally "all of the lives [are] for me they"
• [j]. Literally "Like the life of the father and like the life of the son [is] to me look"
• [k]. Or "life," or "soul"
• [l]. Or "in"
• [m]. Literally "a person not"
• [n]. Literally "robbed things not he seized"
• [o]. Or "shares"
• [p]. Literally "with the interest not he gives"
• [q]. Or "brings back"
• [r]. Literally "man and man"
• [s]. Or "watches"
• [t]. Literally "to do with [with] faithfulness"
• [u]. Literally "declaration of"
• [v]. Literally "shedding of blood"
• [w]. Literally "and he does like from one from these"
• [x]. Hebrew "And"
• [y]. That is, the father
• [z]. Or "even"
• [aa]. Literally "robbed things he seized"
• [ab]. Literally "with the interest he gives"
• [ac]. Literally "robbed things not does he seize"
• [ad]. Or "holds back"
• [ae]. Cf. verse 8
• [af]. Or "walks"
• [ag]. Literally "he oppressed oppression"
• [ah]. Literally "he seized robbed things of a brother"
• [ai]. Or "in"
• [aj]. Or "And"
• [ak]. Or "soul," or "life"
• [al]. According to the reading tradition (Qere)
• [am]. According to the reading tradition (Qere)
• [an]. Or "for"
• [ao]. Or "By means of"
• [ap]. Or "in any way"
• [aq]. Literally "declaration of"
• [ar]. Literally "and"
• [as]. Literally "at turning of [the] righteous"
• [at]. Literally "and"
• [au]. Or "and"
• [av]. According to the reading tradition (Qere)
• [aw]. Literally "sin that he sinned"
• [ax]. Or "in/by"
• [ay]. Or "And"
• [az]. Or "and"
• [ba]. Literally "his soul/life he will keep alive"
• [bb]. Literally "not ways your not are right"
• [bc]. Hebrew "man"
• [bd]. Literally "declaration of"
• [be]. Or "Turn/Return"
• [bf]. Literally "from on you"
• [bg]. Hebrew "committed with them"
• [bh]. Literally "to you"
• [bi]. Literally "declaration of"
• [bj]. Or "turn/return"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 18

This chapter contains an answer to an objection of the Jews to the dealings of God with them in a providential way. The objection is expressed in a proverb of common use among them, and complained of as being without cause, Eze 18:1,2; however, for the future, no occasion should be given them to use it; for, though God could justify his proceedings upon the foot of his sovereignty, all souls being his; yet he was determined none but the sinner himself should suffer, Eze 18:3,4; and puts various cases for the illustration and vindication of his proceedings; as that a just man, who is described by his proper characters, as abstaining from several sins specified, and doing what is right and good, should surely live, Eze 18:5-9; but that the son of such a just man, being the reverse of his father's character, should surely die, Eze 18:10-13; and again, the son of such a wicked man, observing the heinousness of his father's sins, and abstaining from them, though his father should die in his iniquities, he should not die for them, but live, Eze 18:14-18; by which it appears that the dealings of God with the Jews were not according to the proverb used by them, but quite agreeable to his resolution; that the sinner, be he a father or a son, shall die for his own sins; and that the righteous man's righteousness shall be upon him, and the wicked man's sin upon him, and accordingly both shall be dealt with, Eze 18:19,20; which is further illustrated by a wicked man's turning from his sinful course, and doing righteousness, and living in that righteousness he has done; which is more agreeable to God that he should live, and not die in sin, Eze 18:21-23; and by a righteous man turning from his righteousness, and living a vicious life, and dying in it, Eze 18:24; from both which instances this conclusion follows, that God is to be justified; and that his ways are equal, and the Jews' ways were unequal, and their complaint unjust, Eze 18:25; and the same instances are repeated in a different order, and the same conclusion formed, Eze 18:26-29; upon which the Lord determines to judge them according to their own ways, their personal actions, good or bad; and exhorts them to repentance and reformation; and closes with a pathetic expostulation, with them, Eze 18:30-32.