Ezekiel 18:13-23

13 giving to usury, and taking more; whether he shall live? he shall not live; when he hath done all these abominable things, he shall die by death, his blood shall be in him. (lendeth for usury, and taketh more than he should; shall he live? nay! he shall not live; for he hath done all these abominable things, he shall die, and his blood shall be upon him.)

14 That if he begetteth a son, which seeth all the sins of his father, which he did, and dreadeth, and doeth none like those; (And if he begetteth a son, who seeth all his father's sins, which he did, and feareth, and doeth none like them;)

15 eateth not on hills, and raiseth not (up) his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; and defouleth not the wife of his neighbour (and defileth not his neighbour's wife),

16 and maketh not sorry a man, withholdeth not a wed, and ravisheth not raven, giveth his bread to the hungry, and covereth the naked with a cloth; (and maketh not any person sorrowful, withholdeth not a pledge, and robbeth not any spoils, but giveth his bread to the hungry, and covereth the naked with a cloak;)

17 turneth away his hand from the wrong of a poor man, taketh not usury and overabundance, that is, nothing more than he lent, and doeth my dooms, and goeth in my commandments; this son shall not die in the wickedness of his father, but he shall live in life. (turneth away his hand from doing wrong to the poor, taketh not usury and overabundance, that is, nothing more than he lent, and keepeth, or obeyeth, my laws, and goeth in my commandments; this son shall not die in the wickedness of his father, but he shall live.)

18 For his father made false challenge, and did violence to his brother, and wrought evil in the midst of his people, lo! he is dead in his wickedness. (Because his father oppressed, and did violence to his kinsman, and wrought evil in the midst of his people, lo! he shall die because of his wickedness.)

19 And ye say, Why beareth not the son the wickedness of the father? That is to say, for the son wrought doom and rightfulness, he kept all my commandments, and did those, he shall live in life. (And ye say, Why beareth not the son his father's wickedness? Because the son did what was just and right, he kept all my commandments, and did them, and so he shall live.)

20 That soul that doeth sin, shall die; the son shall not bear the wickedness of the father, and the father shall not bear the wickedness of the son; the rightfulness of a just man shall be on him, and the wickedness of a wicked man shall be on him (the righteousness of a just person shall be upon him, and the wickedness of a wicked person shall be upon him).

21 Forsooth if a wicked man doeth penance of all his sins which he wrought, and keepeth all my behests, and doeth doom and rightfulness, he shall live by life, and shall not die. (And if a wicked person doeth penance for all his sins which he did, and keepeth, or obeyeth, all my commands, and doeth what is just and right, then he shall live, and shall not die.)

22 I shall not have mind of all his wickednesses which he wrought; he shall live in his rightfulness which he wrought. (I shall not remember all his wickednesses which he did; he shall live in his righteousness, or because of his righteous deeds, which he hath done.)

23 Whether the death of the wicked man is of my will, saith the Lord God, and not that he be converted from his ways, and live? (Is the death of the wicked person my desire, saith the Lord God, and not, rather, that he be turned from his evil ways, and so live?)

Ezekiel 18:13-23 Meaning and Commentary

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.