Yechezkel 18:20

20 The nefesh that sinneth, it shall die. The ben shall not bear the avon of the av, neither shall the av bear the avon of the ben; the tzedakat hatzaddik shall be upon him, and the rishat rashah shall be upon him.

Yechezkel 18:20 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 18:20

The soul that sinneth, it shall die
This is repeated from ( Ezekiel 18:4 ) , for the further confirmation of it: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the
father bear the iniquity of the son;
that is, as the Targum paraphrases it,

``the son shall not be punished for the sins of the father, nor shall the father be punished for the sins of the son.''

This is to be understood of adult persons, and of actual sins; for of such only the prophet speaks throughout the whole chapter, or of temporal, and not of eternal punishment: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him;
he shall be rewarded with temporal good things in this life, according to his righteousness; which, as the Targum says, shall "remain" upon him; see ( Psalms 112:9 ) ; he shall eat of the fruit of his own doings, ( Isaiah 3:10 ) ; this is true of a man that is evangelically righteous, or is so through the imputation of Christ's righteousness to him; which is upon him as a robe to clothe him, and will always remain on him, being an everlasting righteousness, and will answer for him in a time to come: and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him;
and not another; his sin shall remain on him unatoned for, unexpiated, not taken away or forgiven; the punishment of it shall be on him, and abide upon him.

Yechezkel 18:20 In-Context

18 As for aviv, because he cruelly oppressed with extortion, spoiled his brother by a robber’s violence, and did that which is not tov among his people, hinei, even he shall die in his avon.

19 Yet say ye, Why? Doth not the ben bear the avon (iniquity, guilt) of the av? When the ben hath done that which is mishpat and tzedakah, and hath been shomer over all My chukkot, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

20 The nefesh that sinneth, it shall die. The ben shall not bear the avon of the av, neither shall the av bear the avon of the ben; the tzedakat hatzaddik shall be upon him, and the rishat rashah shall be upon him.

21 But if the rashah will turn from all his chattot that he hath committed, and be shomer over all My chukkot, and do that which is mishpat and tzedakah, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

22 All his peysha’im that he hath committed, they shall not be remembered against him: in his tzidkat that he hath done he shall live.