Ezekiel 18:19

Ezekiel 18:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Yet you say, 'Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?' When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“‘What?’ you ask. ‘Doesn’t the child pay for the parent’s sins?’ No! For if the child does what is just and right and keeps my decrees, that child will surely live.

Context of Ezekiel 18:19

17He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor and takes no interest or profit from them. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. 18But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. 20The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them. 21“But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.

Ezekiel 18:19 word by word

וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם מַדֻּ֛עַ לֹא־נָשָׂ֥א הַבֵּ֖ן בַּעֲוֹ֣ן הָאָ֑ב וְהַבֵּ֞ן מִשְׁפָּ֧ט וּצְדָקָ֣ה עָשָׂ֗ה אֵ֣ת כָּל־חֻקּוֹתַ֥י שָׁמַ֛ר וַיַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֖ם חָיֹ֥ה יִחְיֶֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Yet sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• ye, Why? doth not the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• bearנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: guiltH5375
• the iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771
• of the fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• hath doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• that which is lawfulמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
• and rightצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
• hath keptשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: carefulH8104
• all my statutesחֻקָּהchûqqâh · statuteH2708
• them, he shall surelyחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421

Cross-references for Ezekiel 18:19

• Exodus 20:5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
• Deuteronomy 5:9You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
• 2 Kings 23:26Nevertheless, the Lord did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to arouse his anger.
• 2 Kings 24:3Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord’s command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done,
• Jeremiah 15:4I will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.
• Lamentations 5:7Our ancestors sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment.
• Ezekiel 20:18I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols.
• Zechariah 1:3Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 18:19

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19Why? … - Rather, “Why doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father?”Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-32This section includes eight metaphors, each showing from a different angle the certainty of Jerusalem's upcoming judgment. The images are of: a worthless vine (Ezekiel 15); a faithless wife (Ezekiel 16); a vine and two eagles (Ezekiel 17); Sour grapes (Ezekiel 18); a lion and her cubs (Ezekiel 19); a sword (Ezekiel 21); two corrupt sisters (Ezekiel 23); and a cooking pot (Ezekiel 24).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. Here the Jews object to the prophet's word and in their objection seem to seek a continuance of that very thing which they had originally made a matter of complaint. Therefore translate, "Wherefore doth not the son bear the iniquity of his father?" It now would seem a consolation to them to think the son might suffer for his father's misdeeds; for it would soothe their self-love to regard themselves as innocent sufferers for the guilt of others and…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 18:19

• Children
• Heredity
• Judgment
• Obedience
• Responsibility
• Righteous
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Cruelly
• Live
• Accountability
• Ezekiel
• God
• Heredity
• Lawful
• Prophecy; Prophets
• Resurrection
• Salvation

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