Ezekiel Chapter 18
1 The LORD's word came to me again, saying,
2 "What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?
3 "As I live," says the Lord GOD, "you shall not use this proverb any more 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 who sins, he shall die.
5 "But if a man is just, and does that which is lawful and right,
6 and has not eaten on the mountains, hasn't lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hasn't defiled his neighbour's wife, hasn't come near a woman in her impurity,
7 and has not wronged any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;
8 he who hasn't lent to them with interest, hasn't taken any increase from them, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,
9 has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live," says the Lord GOD.
10 "If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things,
11 or who does not do any of those things, but even has eaten at the mountain shrines, and defiled his neighbour's wife,
12 has wronged the poor and needy, has taken by robbery, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination,
13 has lent with interest, and has taken increase from the poor; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations. He shall surely die. His blood will be on him.
14 "Now, behold, if he fathers a son, who sees all his father's sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not such like;
15 who hasn't eaten on the mountains, hasn't lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hasn't defiled his neighbour's wife,
16 hasn't wronged any, hasn't taken anything to pledge, hasn't taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;
17 who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who hasn't received interest or increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of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 cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good amongst his people, behold, he will die in his iniquity.
19 "Yet you say, 'Why doesn't the son bear the iniquity of the father?' When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he will surely live.
20 The soul who sins, he shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.
21 "But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die.
22 None of his transgressions that he has committed will be remembered against him. In his righteousness that he has done, he shall live.
23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?" says the Lord GOD; "and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?
24 "But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, should he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done will be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them he shall die.
25 "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not equal.' Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren't your ways unequal?
26 When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies therein; in his iniquity that he has done he shall die.
27 Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he will save his soul alive.
28 Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live. He shall not die.
29 Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' House of Israel, aren't my ways fair? Aren't your ways unfair?
30 "Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity will not be your ruin.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn yourselves, and live!
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Ezekiel Chapter 18 Guide
The next prophecy was directed against the false attitude of mind obtaining among the exiled people, which had expressed itself in a proverb, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." By the use of this proverb they intended to lay the blame of their present suffering on their fathers. While recognizing all the evil which had befallen them as the result of sin, they maintained the attitude of injured innocence, declaring, in effect, that they were bearing the punishment of sins which they had not committed. This the prophet denied, first by setting forth illustrative principles which may thus be summarized. All souls have direct dealings with God, seeing that they are His. The righteous man lives. The wicked son of a righteous man dies. The righteous son of a wicked man lives. In unequivocal terms the prophet then deliberately declared that the son does not bear the iniquity of the father, nor the father that of the son. In this first line of argument in rebutting the false proverb, the prophet laid all his emphasis on personal responsibility. The argument is at once a revelation of the strict justice of God in dealing with men, and of man's opportunity and obligation of immediate dealing with God.
The prophet then proceeded to show how gracious this opportunity is. If the wicked man turns from wickedness to righteousness, his sins are to be forgiven and he is to live, because Jehovah has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. On the other hand, if the righteous man turn from his righteousness to sin, his past righteousness is of no avail and he is to die. Israel declared that the way of Jehovah was not equal. To this Ezekiel replied that the ways of Israel were unequal, and that what appeared to be unequal in the judgment of God was the result of the inequality of their attitude toward Him.
The prophet then appealed to the house of Israel to turn from transgression, and declared again that Jehovah had "no pleasure in the death of him that dieth." The responsibility and opportunity of a sinning people is set forth in the appeal to make for themselves a new heart and a new spirit, and in the declaration that by turning they would live.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Ezekiel Chapter 18 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- 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, while Ezek. 18:26,27 speaks the fulness of pardoning mercy: when 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.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.