Ezekiel 18:1-4
New English Translation
Individual Retribution
18 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “What do you mean by quoting this proverb concerning the land of Israel:
“‘The fathers eat sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth become numb?’[a]
3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord,[b] you will not quote this proverb in Israel anymore! 4 Indeed! All lives are mine—the life of the father as well as the life of the son is mine. The one[c] who sins will die.
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- Ezekiel 18:2 tn This word occurs three times, in the Qal stem here and the parallel passage in Jer 31:29-30, and in the Piel stem at Eccl 10:10. In the latter passage it refers to the bluntness of an ax that has not been sharpened. Here the “bluntness” of the teeth is not due to grinding them down because of the bitter taste of sour grapes but to the fact that they have lost their “edge,” “bite,” or “sharpness” because they are numb from the sour taste. For this meaning for the word, see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:197.
- Ezekiel 18:3 tn This expression occurs often in Ezekiel (5:11; 14:16, 18, 20; 16:48; 17:16, 19; 20:3, 31, 33; 33:11, 27; 34:8; 35:6, 11).
- Ezekiel 18:4 tn Heb “life.”
Ezekiel 18:1-4
Lexham English Bible
God’s Just Treatment of Individuals, Both Righteous and Wicked
18 And the word of Yahweh came[a] to me, saying,[b] 2 “What do you mean by[c] quoting this proverb about the land of Israel, saying,[d] ‘The fathers, they ate unripe fruit, and the teeth of the child became blunt.’[e] 3 As I live,[f] declares[g] the Lord Yahweh, it will surely not any longer be appropriate for you[h] to quote this proverb in Israel! 4 Look! All lives are mine.[i] The lives of father and son alike are mine.[j] The person[k] sinning will die.
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- Ezekiel 18:1 Literally “was”
- Ezekiel 18:1 Literally “to say”
- Ezekiel 18:2 Literally “What is to you”
- Ezekiel 18:2 Literally “to say”
- Ezekiel 18:2 Or “dull,” set on edge”
- Ezekiel 18:3 Literally “life I”
- Ezekiel 18:3 Literally “declaration of”
- Ezekiel 18:3 Literally “to you”
- Ezekiel 18:4 Literally “all of the lives are for me they”
- Ezekiel 18:4 Literally “Like the life of the father and like the life of the son is to me look”
- Ezekiel 18:4 Or “life,” or “soul”
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