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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Ezekiel 18:1 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/ezekiel/18-1.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/8/26_Ezk_18_01.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Ezekiel 18:1 - A Proverb about Israel" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying," /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script 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frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/ezekiel/17-24.htm" title="Ezekiel 17:24">◄</a> Ezekiel 18:1 <a href="/ezekiel/18-2.htm" title="Ezekiel 18:2">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/ezekiel/18.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/ezekiel/18.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />The word of the LORD came to me:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/ezekiel/18.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />Then another message came to me from the LORD:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/ezekiel/18.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />The word of the LORD came to me:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/ezekiel/18.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/ezekiel/18.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/ezekiel/18.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/ezekiel/18.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/ezekiel/18.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/ezekiel/18.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/ezekiel/18.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/ezekiel/18.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/ezekiel/18.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />The word of the LORD came to me:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/ezekiel/18.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />The word of the LORD came to me: &#8220<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/ezekiel/18.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />The word of Jehovah came unto me again, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/ezekiel/18.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />The LORD said: <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/ezekiel/18.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/ezekiel/18.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/ezekiel/18.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />The LORD spoke to me <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/ezekiel/18.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />This message came to me from the LORD: <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/ezekiel/18.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/ezekiel/18.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />The word of the LORD came to me:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/ezekiel/18.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/ezekiel/18.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/ezekiel/18.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Yahweh’s word came to me again, saying, <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/ezekiel/18.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And there is a word of YHWH to me, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/ezekiel/18.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> 'And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/ezekiel/18.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And the word of Jehovah will be to me, saying,<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/ezekiel/18.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What is the meaning? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/ezekiel/18.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/ezekiel/18.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/ezekiel/18.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />The word of the LORD came to me:<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/ezekiel/18.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />THE word of the LORD came to me, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/ezekiel/18.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And the word of LORD JEHOVAH was upon me, saying:<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/ezekiel/18.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/ezekiel/18.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/ezekiel/18-1.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vET3Gmwku4s?start=4479" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/ezekiel/18.htm">A Proverb about Israel</a></span><br> <span class="reftext">1</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/1697.htm" title="1697: ḏə·ḇar- (N-msc) -- Speech, word. From dabar; a word; by implication, a matter or thing; adverbially, a cause.">Then the word</a> <a href="/hebrew/3068.htm" title="3068: Yah·weh (N-proper-ms) -- The proper name of the God of Israel. From hayah; self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.">of the LORD</a> <a href="/hebrew/1961.htm" title="1961: way·hî (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- To fall out, come to pass, become, be. A primitive root; to exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass.">came</a> <a href="/hebrew/413.htm" title="413: ’ê·lay (Prep:: 1cs) -- To, into, towards. ">to me,</a> <a href="/hebrew/559.htm" title="559: lê·mōr (Prep-l:: V-Qal-Inf) -- To utter, say. A primitive root; to say.">saying,</a> </span><span class="reftext">2</span>“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge’?…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/31-29.htm">Jeremiah 31:29-30</a></span><br />“In those days, it will no longer be said: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.’ / Instead, each will die for his own iniquity. If anyone eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-16.htm">Deuteronomy 24:16</a></span><br />Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/14-6.htm">2 Kings 14:6</a></span><br />Yet he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, but acted according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/18-1.htm">Jeremiah 18:1-10</a></span><br />This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: / “Go down at once to the potter’s house, and there I will give you My message.” / So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working at the wheel. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/exodus/20-5.htm">Exodus 20:5</a></span><br />You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/numbers/14-18.htm">Numbers 14:18</a></span><br />‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/lamentations/5-7.htm">Lamentations 5:7</a></span><br />Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their punishment.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/19-3.htm">Proverbs 19:3</a></span><br />A man’s own folly subverts his way, yet his heart rages against the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/3-10.htm">Isaiah 3:10-11</a></span><br />Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor. / Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/21-19.htm">Job 21:19-21</a></span><br />It is said that God lays up one’s punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so he will know it. / Let his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty. / For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/7-1.htm">Matthew 7:1-2</a></span><br />“Do not judge, or you will be judged. / For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/2-6.htm">Romans 2:6-9</a></span><br />God “will repay each one according to his deeds.” / To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. / But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/galatians/6-7.htm">Galatians 6:7-8</a></span><br />Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. / The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/john/9-1.htm">John 9:1-3</a></span><br />Now as Jesus was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth, / and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” / Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/13-1.htm">Luke 13:1-5</a></span><br />At that time some of those present told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. / To this He replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered this way? / No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ...</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,</p><p class="hdg">No specific references for this verse.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/ezekiel/17-11.htm">Word</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/ezekiel/20-2.htm">Word</a><div class="vheading2">Ezekiel 18</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/ezekiel/18-1.htm">God defends his justice</a></span><br><span class="reftext">31. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/ezekiel/18-31.htm">and exhorts to repentance</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/ezekiel/18.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/ezekiel/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/ezekiel/18.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,</b><br>*Biblical Context:* This phrase introduces a new message from God to the prophet Ezekiel. It is a common formula used throughout the prophetic books to indicate divine revelation. Ezekiel, a prophet during the Babylonian exile, often received direct communication from God to deliver to the Israelites.<br><br>*Historical and Cultural Context:* Ezekiel was among the Jewish exiles in Babylon after the first deportation in 597 BC. The Israelites were grappling with the consequences of their disobedience to God, and Ezekiel's role was to convey God's messages of judgment and hope.<br><br>*Connections to Other Scripture:* This phrase is similar to other prophetic introductions found in books like Jeremiah and Isaiah, where the prophets receive direct words from God. It underscores the authority and divine origin of the message.<br><br>*Prophecy:* The phrase sets the stage for the prophetic message that follows, which in this chapter addresses the concept of individual responsibility and the justice of God. It challenges the prevailing belief that children suffer for the sins of their parents, emphasizing personal accountability.<br><br>*Types of Jesus Christ:* While this specific phrase does not directly typify Christ, the concept of receiving and delivering God's word is fulfilled in Jesus, who is described as the Word made flesh (<a href="/john/1-14.htm">John 1:14</a>). Jesus' teachings also emphasize personal responsibility and repentance, aligning with the themes in <a href="/ezekiel/18.htm">Ezekiel 18</a>.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/e/ezekiel.htm">Ezekiel</a></b><br>A prophet and priest during the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel is the recipient of God's message. His role is to convey God's words to the Israelites, emphasizing personal responsibility and repentance.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_lord.htm">The LORD (Yahweh)</a></b><br>The covenant God of Israel, who communicates directly with Ezekiel. Yahweh's messages through Ezekiel often focus on justice, individual responsibility, and the hope of restoration.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_israelites.htm">The Israelites</a></b><br>The primary audience of Ezekiel's prophecies. They are in exile in Babylon due to their collective disobedience and idolatry, and they are being called to personal accountability.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/b/babylon.htm">Babylon</a></b><br>The place of exile for the Israelites. It serves as the backdrop for Ezekiel's prophecies and the context in which the Israelites must understand their relationship with God.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_exile.htm">The Exile</a></b><br>A significant event in Israel's history, marking a period of punishment and reflection. It is a time when God communicates through prophets like Ezekiel to guide and correct His people.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/p/personal_responsibility.htm">Personal Responsibility</a></b><br>God holds each individual accountable for their own actions. We cannot blame our circumstances or heritage for our spiritual state.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/r/repentance_and_change.htm">Repentance and Change</a></b><br>The call to repentance is personal. Each person must turn from their own sins and seek God's forgiveness.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_justice.htm">God's Justice</a></b><br>God's justice is fair and impartial. He judges each person according to their own deeds, not the deeds of others.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_in_restoration.htm">Hope in Restoration</a></b><br>Even in exile, there is hope for restoration. God desires to restore those who turn back to Him with a sincere heart.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_role_of_prophets.htm">The Role of Prophets</a></b><br>Prophets like Ezekiel serve as God's messengers, calling people to accountability and offering hope for those who repent.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_ezekiel_18.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Ezekiel 18</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_is_dictation_theory.htm">What is the Dictation Theory of biblical inspiration?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_are_generational_curses_in_the_bible.htm">What does the Bible say about generational curses?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/does_1_sam_2_30-36_contradict_ezekiel_18.htm">In 1 Samuel 2:30-36, God pronounces judgment on Eli's family--does this contradict later scriptural teachings on individual accountability (e.g., Ezekiel 18)?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/does_elijah's_challenge_align_with_monotheism.htm">How does Elijah's challenge to the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:21-24 align or conflict with other biblical teachings on monotheism?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/ezekiel/18.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verses 1, 2.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">What mean ye, that ye use this proverb,</span> etc.? Another and entirely different section opens, and we see at once from what it started. Ezekiel had heard from the lips of his countrymen, and had seen its working in their hearts, the proverb (already familiar to him, it may be, through <a href="/jeremiah/31-29.htm">Jeremiah 31:29</a>) with which they blunted their sense of personal responsibility. They had to bear the punishment of sins which they had not committed. The sins of the fathers were visited, as in <a href="/exodus/20-5.htm">Exodus 20:5</a>; <a href="/exodus/34-7.htm">Exodus 34:7</a>; <a href="/leviticus/26-39.htm">Leviticus 26:39, 40</a>; <a href="/numbers/14-18.htm">Numbers 14:18</a>; <a href="/deuteronomy/5-9.htm">Deuteronomy 5:9</a>, upon the third and fourth generations. Manasseh and his people had sinned, and Josiah and his descendants and their contemporaries had to suffer for it. The thought was familiar enough, and the general law of the passages above referred to was afterwards applied, as with authority, to what was then passing (<a href="/2_kings/23-26.htm">2 Kings 23:26</a>; <a href="/2_kings/24-3.htm">2 Kings 24:3</a>). Even Jeremiah recognized it in <a href="/lamentations/5-7.htm">Lamentations 5:7</a> and <a href="/jeremiah/15-4.htm">Jeremiah 15:4</a>, and was content to look, for a reversal of the proverb, to the distant Messianic time of the new covenant (<a href="/jeremiah/31-29.htm">Jeremiah 31:29-31</a>). The plea with which Ezekiel had to deal was therefore one which seemed to rest on the basis of a Divine authority. And that authority was confirmed by the induction of a wide experience. Every preacher of righteousness in every age has to warn the evil doer that he is working evil for generations yet unborn, to whom he transmits his own tendencies, the evil of his own influence and example. It is well that he can balance that thought with the belief that good also may work in the future with a yet wider range and mightier power (<a href="/exodus/20-5.htm">Exodus 20:5</a>). Authority and experience alike might seem to favour the plea that <span class="cmt_word">the fathers had eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth were set on edge.</span> Ezekiel was led, however, to feel that there was a latent falsehood in the plea. In the depth of his consciousness there was the witness that every man was personally responsible for the things that he did, that the eternal righteousness of God would not ultimately punish the innocent for the guilty, he had to work out, according to the light given him, his vindication of the ways of God to man, to sketch at least the outlines of a theodicy. Did he, in doing this, come forward as a prophet, correcting and setting aside the teaching of the Law? At first, and on a surface view, he might seem to do so. But it was with him as it was afterwards with St. Paul He "established the Law" in the very teaching which seemed to contradict it. He does not deny (it would have been idle to do so) that the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children, <span class="accented">i.e.</span> affect those children for evil. What he does is to define the limits of that law. And he may have found his starting point in that very book which, for him and his generation, was the great embodiment of the Law as a whole. If men were forbidden, as in <a href="/deuteronomy/24-16.htm">Deuteronomy 24:16</a>, to put the children to death for the sins of the fathers; if that was to be the rule of human justice, - the justice of God could not be less equitable than the rule which he prescribed for his creatures. It is not without interest to note the parallelism between Ezekiel and the Greek poet who was likest to him, as in his genius, so also in the courage with which he faced the problems of the universe. AEschylus also recognizes ('Agam.,' 727-756) that there is a righteous order in the seeming anomalies of history. Men might say, in their proverbs, that prosperity as such provoked the wrath of the gods, and brought on the downfall of a "woe insatiable;" and then he adds - <p><span class="accented">"But I, apart from all,<br />Hold this my creed alone."</span> And that creed is that punishment comes only when the children reproduce the impious recklessness of their fathers. "Justice shines brightly in the dwellings of those who love the right, and rule their life by law." Into the deeper problem raised by the modern thought of inherited tendencies developed by the environment, which itself originates in the past, it was not given to Ezekiel or AEschylus to enter. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/ezekiel/18-1.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Then the word</span><br /><span class="heb">דְבַר־</span> <span class="translit">(ḏə·ḇar-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1697.htm">Strong's 1697: </a> </span><span class="str2">A word, a matter, thing, a cause</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of the LORD</span><br /><span class="heb">יְהוָ֖ה</span> <span class="translit">(Yah·weh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3068.htm">Strong's 3068: </a> </span><span class="str2">LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel</span><br /><br /><span class="word">came</span><br /><span class="heb">וַיְהִ֥י</span> <span class="translit">(way·hî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1961.htm">Strong's 1961: </a> </span><span class="str2">To fall out, come to pass, become, be</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to me,</span><br /><span class="heb">אֵלַ֥י</span> <span class="translit">(’ê·lay)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_413.htm">Strong's 413: </a> </span><span class="str2">Near, with, among, to</span><br /><br /><span class="word">saying,</span><br /><span class="heb">לֵאמֹֽר׃</span> <span class="translit">(lê·mōr)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_559.htm">Strong's 559: </a> </span><span class="str2">To utter, say</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/ezekiel/18-1.htm">Ezekiel 18:1 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/ezekiel/18-1.htm">Ezekiel 18:1 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/ezekiel/18-1.htm">Ezekiel 18:1 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/ezekiel/18-1.htm">Ezekiel 18:1 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/ezekiel/18-1.htm">Ezekiel 18:1 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/ezekiel/18-1.htm">Ezekiel 18:1 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/ezekiel/18-1.htm">Ezekiel 18:1 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/ezekiel/18-1.htm">Ezekiel 18:1 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/ezekiel/18-1.htm">Ezekiel 18:1 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/ezekiel/18-1.htm">Ezekiel 18:1 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/ezekiel/18-1.htm">OT Prophets: Ezekiel 18:1 The word of Yahweh came to me (Ezek. Eze Ezk) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/ezekiel/17-24.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Ezekiel 17:24"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Ezekiel 17:24" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/ezekiel/18-2.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Ezekiel 18:2"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Ezekiel 18:2" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>