Stress is laid on the fact that the proverb which implied unrighteousness in God is no longer to be used in Israel. There, among the, people in whom he was manifesting his righteousness for the education of mankind, it should be seen to have no force whatever. The thought was an essentially heathen thought—a half-truth distorted into a falsehood. read more
Behold, all souls are mine , etc. The words imply, not only creation, ownership, absolute authority, on the part of God, but, as even Calvin could recognize ( in loc. ) , "a paternal affection towards the whole human race which he created and formed." Ezekiel anticipates here, and yet more fully in verse 32. the teaching of St. Paul, that "God willeth that all men should be saved" ( 1 Timothy 2:4 ). The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The sentence, though taken from the Law, which... read more
The death penalty. I. THE PENALTY OF SIN IS DEATH . This is taken for granted in the present passage. The prophet is not now describing the kind of punishment that follows sin; he is indicating the persons on whom that punishment shall fall. When asked who is to die, he answers—The sinner; not his child, but the sinner himself. But the very fact that the nature of the death penalty is taken for granted makes it the more apparent that the prophet had no doubt about it. Now, we... read more
All souls are mine - Man is not simply to ascribe his existence to earthly parents, but to acknowledge as his Father Him who created man in His own image, and who gave and gives him the spirit of life. The relation of father to son is merged in the common relation of all (father and son alike) as sons to their heavenly Father. read more
Ezekiel 18:3. As I live; saith the Lord, ye shall not have occasion to use this proverb any more in Israel I will make such a visible discrimination between the righteous and the wicked, between those that tread in the steps of their forefathers and those who take warning by their examples, that you shall not have any further room to use this proverb among you. God threatens, it must be acknowledged, to visit the sins of the fathers upon the children, both in the Old Testament and the... read more
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
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
saith the Lord GOD = [is] Adonai Jehovah's oracle. the Lord God . See note on Ezekiel 2:4 . any more . This refers to a future time, which has not yet come (Jeremiah 31:29 , Jeremiah 31:30 ). Till then it is otherwise (Ezekiel 21:3 .Lamentations 5:2; Lamentations 5:2 ), and has been since Genesis 3:0 . Compare Romans 5:12-21 . read more
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
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The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 18:2-4
Heredity and individuality. The proverb here quoted embodied a popular sentiment. Those who suffered from the troubles and calamities of the time were not willing to admit that their sufferings were only their deserts; they endeavoured to thrust the blame upon others than themselves; and accordingly they complained that they had to endure the consequences of the evil deeds of their ancestors. One generation—so they put it—ate the sour grapes, and escaped the consequences; a succeeding... read more