Ezekiel 18:4 NIV

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ezekiel 18:4

Ezekiel 18:4. Behold, all souls are mine As they are all equally my creatures, and in my power, so my dealings with them shall be without prejudice or partiality. The soul that sinneth, it shall die The very same man that committeth sin shall be punished for it. Some commentators explain this of the temporal death which was about to come on the wicked Jews by the sword, famine, and pestilence; and they would confine the whole chapter to these events. “But,” as Mr. Scott justly observes,... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 18:1-32

Each person is responsible (18:1-32)Many of the exiles complained that it was unjust that they should suffer because of the sins of the previous generation. True, the present captivity had resulted from the continuing decay of the nation over several generations, but the exiles could not deny that they too had sinned. There could be no excuses. They are individually responsible for their wrongdoings and they are punished accordingly (18:1-4).Examples of sins are then given. These include... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Ezekiel 18:4

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 . souls = persons. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 . sinneth. Descendants were not punished for the sins of their ancestors, unless they persevered in their ancestors' sins. Compare Exodus 20:5 .Matthew 23:30-32 . Here Hebrew. chata', App-44 . die . Die and live in this chapter are used in the sense of Ezekiel 8:18 . read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Ezekiel 18:4

Ezekiel 18:4. The soul that sinneth, it shall die— That is, "all shall be treated equally and without any respect of persons. God will punish or reward according to the good or evil which every one shall have done. The iniquity of the father shall by no means prejudice the righteousness of the son, and the righteousness of the son shall be no justification to the wickedness of the father." Calmet. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Ezekiel 18:4

4. all souls are mine—Therefore I can deal with all, being My own creation, as I please ( :-). As the Creator of all alike I can have no reason, but the principle of equity, according to men's works, to make any difference, so as to punish some, and to save others ( :-). "The soul that sinneth it shall die." The curse descending from father to son assumes guilt shared in by the son; there is a natural tendency in the child to follow the sin of his father, and so he shares in the father's... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Ezekiel 18:1-4

The principle 18:1-4 read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Ezekiel 18:4

The true principle, in contrast to their proverb, was that everyone is personally responsible to God, the present generation and former generations. We bear the guilt of our own sinfulness, which results in our death, not the guilt of someone else (cf. Ezekiel 3:18-21). "Souls" (Heb. nephesh) means "lives" (cf. Ezekiel 13:20), not disembodied spirits."The story of Achan in Joshua 7:1-26 is a classic example of corporate responsibility. Achan sinned, but his whole family suffered for his sin.... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 18:1-32

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

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Ezekiel 18:4

(4) All souls are mine.—This is the basis of the subsequent teaching. Since all alike belong to God and are absolutely in His power. He has no occasion to punish one lest another should escape; and again, since all are His, He loves and would save them all, and inflicts punishment only when it is deserved and His grace is rejected. Four cases are now discussed separately: (1) That of the righteous man who honestly seeks to follow the ways of the Lord (Ezekiel 18:5-9); (2) that of his wicked son... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Ezekiel 18:1-32

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