The illustrations 18:5-18Three cases illustrate this principle: a father doing right (Ezekiel 18:5-9), his son doing evil (Ezekiel 18:10-13), and his grandson doing right (Ezekiel 18:14-18). In each case Ezekiel described the individual’s actions and the Lord’s responses. read more
The case of the righteous grandson 18:14-18This sinful son might have a son who observed his father’s behavior and chose to follow the example of his righteous grandfather rather than that of his unrighteous father. He refrained from the same evil practices and engaged in the same forms of goodness. That man would surely live for his righteousness whereas his father would die for his wickedness. Wicked parents do not necessarily produce wicked children because the children can choose to do... read more
God’s Equity vindicatedThe popular view of Israel’s calamities, as expressed in a current proverb, was that they were the punishment of the sins of former generations. Though there was a measure of truth in this, the proverb was used in a false and mischievous sense. It led the present generation to ignore their own sin, to doubt the justice of God’s providence, to despair of escape from the working of a blind fate. Ezekiel, consequently, emphasised in the strongest way the truths of individual... read more
Ezekiel 18:2 There is no doubt about the sins of the fathers falling upon the generation in the case of an illegitimate child. No book has ever been written, no law has ever been made there is not one dissentient voice in the chorus of rebuke, not one hand to help, or one lamp to lead the way, when a love-child is cast into the world. There must be thousands of these nameless ocean-tramps cast away on the broad sea of existence; overloaded, until their water-line has vanished, with their... read more
THE RELIGION OF THE INDIVIDUALEzekiel 18:1-32IN the sixteenth chapter, as we have seen, Ezekiel has asserted in the most unqualified terms the validity of the principle of national retribution. The nation is dealt with as a moral unit, and the catastrophe which closes its history is the punishment for the accumulated guilt incurred by the past generations. In the eighteenth chapter he teaches still more explicitly the freedom and the independent responsibility of each individual before God. No... read more
Ezekiel 19:1-14 . This lamentation has two sections. The lamentations for the princes come first (Ezekiel 19:1-9 ), and that is followed by the lamentation for the land of Judah (Ezekiel 19:10-14 ). The princes are Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin. King Jehoahaz was carried away captive into Egypt 2 Kings 23:33 ; his fate is lamented in Ezekiel 19:1-4 . King Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon and he is lamented in Ezekiel 19:5-9 . In the lamentation for the land of Judah the vine is once more mentioned.... read more
PARABLES AND RIDDLES THE UNFAITHFUL WIFE (Ezekiel 16:0 ) The theme of chapter 16 is Jerusalem and her abominations (Ezekiel 16:1-2 ), but it is worked out in parabolic form, Jerusalem, or the nation of Israel, being personified as a female. There are five stages in the story: (1) Jehovah adopts her as an infant (Ezekiel 16:1-7 ); (2) when attained to marriageable age she becomes his wife (Ezekiel 16:8-14 ); (3) as a wife she proves unfaithful (Ezekiel 16:15-34 ); (4) punishment follows... read more
Abuse of Doctrine Eze 18:2 This is an instance of the abuse of doctrine. The doctrine itself may be right, but the use which is made of it may be wrong. It is precisely there that many practical and serious mistakes are made by men. Instead of looking at the doctrine itself, they look at what somebody has said respecting it, or at some use which has been made of it; and dwelling upon the perversion of the doctrine, they forget what the doctrine itself really requires: so good becomes evil... read more
I include all these verses under one view in reading, the better to gather also into one view the just and unalterable reasoning of the Lord upon them. Here are three cases stated, in a father, and a son, and the son's son, to show and illustrate the truth by. One is supposed to be a just man, who makes a conscience of his ways; and another is supposed to be the reverse of all this, and abounding in iniquity; while the third, like the first, is enabled to take warning from the awful example of... read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Ezekiel 18:17
17. taken off his hand from the poor—that is, abstained from oppressing the poor, when he had the opportunity of doing so with impunity.The different sense of the phrase in Ezekiel 16:49, in reference to relieving the poor, seems to have suggested the reading followed by FAIRBAIRN, but not sanctioned by the Hebrew, "hath not turned his hand from," &c. But Ezekiel 16:49- : uses the phrase in a somewhat similar sense to English Version here, abstained from hurting. read more