Ezekiel 18:18

18 As for his father, because he practised oppression, exercised robbery upon his brother, and did what was not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity.

Ezekiel 18:18 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 18:18

[As for] his father
It shall be otherwise with him: because he cruelly oppressed;
or, "oppressed an oppression"; or, "with an oppression" F9; oppressed the poor, and had no mercy on them, but used them in the most rigorous manner: spoiled his brother by violence;
took away the spoil of his brother; spoiled him of his substance; did injury to his person and property, and all the mischief that lay in his power: and did [that] which [is] not good among his people;
neighbours, citizens, and countrymen; did nothing which was good, as he ought to have done; but everything that was bad, which he should not have done: lo, even he shall die in his iniquity:
and for it; it shall not be forgiven him; he shall be punished for it with death, with the death of affliction; and with corporeal death, as a punishment for sin; and with eternal death, dying in his sins, and in a state of impenitence. These instances, put every way, most clearly show the equity of God; the justness of his proceedings in providence; and how inapplicable the proverb in ( Ezekiel 18:2 ) was to them; and that such that sin, and continue therein, shall die for their own iniquities, and not for the sins of others.


FOOTNOTES:

F9 (qve qve) "oppressit oppressionem", Pagninus, Montanus; "oppressit oppressione", Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius.

Ezekiel 18:18 In-Context

16 and hath not oppressed any, nor withholden the pledge, neither hath exercised robbery; he hath given his bread to the hungry, and covered the naked with a garment;
17 he hath withdrawn his hand from the poor, hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, [and] walked in my statutes: he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall certainly live.
18 As for his father, because he practised oppression, exercised robbery upon his brother, and did what was not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity.
19 And ye say, Why doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? But the son hath done judgment and justice, hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them; he shall certainly live.
20 The soul that sinneth, it 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 upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.