New American Standard Bible 2020
Ezekiel 18:2
2“1What do you people mean by using this proverb about the land of Israel, saying, ‘2The fathers eat sour grapes, 3But it is the children’s teeth that have become blunt’?
Ezekiel 18:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?
- New International Version (NIV)“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: “ ‘The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
- English Standard Version (ESV)"What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?
- New King James Version (NKJV)“What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
Context of Ezekiel 18:2
1Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “What do you people mean by using this proverb about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, But it is the children’s teeth that have become blunt’? 3As I live,” declares the Lord God, “you certainly are not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. 4Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.
Read all of Ezekiel 18Ezekiel 18:2 word by word
מַה־לָּכֶ֗ם אַתֶּם֙ מֹֽשְׁלִים֙ אֶת־הַמָּשָׁ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה עַל־אַדְמַ֥ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר אָבוֹת֙ יֹ֣אכְלוּ בֹ֔סֶר וְשִׁנֵּ֥י הַבָּנִ֖ים תִּקְהֶֽינָה׃Read the interlinear
- Whatמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
- mean by usingמָשַׁלmâshal · to use a proverbH4911
- thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
- proverbמָשָׁלmâshâl · proverbH4912
- aboutעַל‛al · uponH5921
- the landאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- The fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
- eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- sourבֹּ֫סֶרbôser · unripe grapeH1155
- the children’sבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- teethשֵׁןshên · toothH8127
Cross-references for Ezekiel 18:2
- Ezekiel 17:12“Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Say, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and leaders, and brought them to him in Babylon.
- Isaiah 3:15What do you mean by crushing My people And oppressing the face of the poor?” Declares the Lord God of armies.
- Romans 9:20On the contrary, who are you, you foolish person, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?
- Ezekiel 6:2“Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them
- Ezekiel 7:2“And you, son of man, this is what the Lord God says to the land of Israel: ‘An end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land.
- Ezekiel 25:3and say to the sons of Ammon, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God! This is what the Lord God says: “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into exile,
- Ezekiel 36:1“Now you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord.
- Ezekiel 37:11Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the entire house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’
- Jeremiah 15:4I will make them an object of terror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.
- Jeremiah 31:29“In those days they will no longer say, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, But it is the children’s teeth that have become blunt.’
- Lamentations 5:7Our fathers sinned, and are gone; It is we who have been burdened with the punishment for their wrongdoings.
- Matthew 23:36Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 18:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? - We have seen this proverb already, Jeremiah 31:29, etc., and have considered its general meaning. But the subject is here proposed in greater detail, with a variety of circumstances, to adapt it to all those cases to which it should apply. It refers simply to these questions: How far can the moral evil of the parent be extended to his offspring? And, Are the faults and evil…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Concerning the land of Israel - Rather, “in the land of Israel,” i. e., upon Israel‘s soil, the last place where such a paganish saying should be expected. The saying was general among the people both in Palestine and in exile; and expressed the excuse wherewith they ascribed their miserable condition to anyone‘s fault but their own - to a blind fate such as the pagan recognized, instead of the discriminating judgment of an All-holy God.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge: The people were repeating a proverb. This meant that innocent children sometimes suffer for their parents’ actions. In Ezekiel’s time, the people used this saying to make a complaint. They believed that their ancestors had committed the sins that caused the exile. They thought they were suffering for sins they did not commit (compare Lamentations 5:7).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-32Vindication of God's moral government as to His retributive righteousness from the Jewish imputation of injustice, as if they were suffering, not for their own sin, but for that of their fathers. As in the seventeenth chapter he foretold Messiah's happy reign in Jerusalem, so now he warns them that its blessings can be theirs only upon their individually turning to righteousness. 2. fathers ... eaten sour grapes, ... children's teeth ... set on…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 18:2
In the dictionaries
Notes
Commentaries on Ezekiel 18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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