Ezekiel 18:6

6 and does not 1eat at the mountain shrines or 2lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or 3defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period -

Ezekiel 18:6 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 18:6

[And] hath not eaten upon the mountains
Where temples and altars were built for idols, and sacrifices offered up to them; and where feasts were kept to the honour of them, and the sacrifices to them eaten; see ( Ezekiel 6:13 ) ; for otherwise it was not unlawful to eat common food on mountains, as well as on other places; but here it denotes idolatrous practices; and the Targum is,

``and hath not served idols on the mountains:''
neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel;
their "dunghill gods" F4 as the word signifies; as not to the idols of the Gentiles, so not to those of Israel, as the calves at Dan and Bethel; these he does not worship, nor pray unto, or invoke, nor even give a pleasant and favourable look unto; but turned from them with abhorrence and contempt: neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife;
been guilty of adultery, by lying with another man's wife; or by marrying one divorced, not having committed fornication; which divorces were common among the Jews, and marrying such so divorced, ( Matthew 19:19 ) ; neither hath come near to a menstruous woman:
a woman in her monthly courses, even his own wife; who, according to the law, was set apart for her uncleanness for a certain term of time; during which she was not to be touched, nor anything she sat or lay upon; and all conjugal acts to be abstained from, ( Leviticus 15:19-24 ) ( 18:19 ) ( 20:18 ) .
FOOTNOTES:

F4 (ylwlg la) "ad stercoreos deos", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus; "ad stercora", Piscator, Cocceius.

Ezekiel 18:6 In-Context

4 "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.
5 "But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness,
6 and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period -
7 if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing,
8 if he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man,

Cross References 3

  • 1. Ezekiel 6:13; Ezekiel 18:15; Ezekiel 22:9
  • 2. Deuteronomy 4:19; Ezekiel 18:12, 15; Ezekiel 20:24; Ezekiel 33:25
  • 3. Ezekiel 18:15; Ezekiel 22:11
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