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.
• New International Version (NIV)“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.
• 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.

Context of Ezekiel 18:19

17withholds his hand from mistreating the poor, does not take interest or increase, practices My laws and walks in My statutes—he will not die for the iniquity of his father, he will surely live. 18“As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, committed robbery from his brother and did what is not good among his people—behold, he will die for his iniquity. Yet you say, ‘Why does the son not bear the iniquity of the father with him?’ When the son has done what is lawful and right, has kept all My statutes and has done them, he will surely live. 20The soul that sins, he will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father with him, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son with him. The righteousness of the righteous will be on him and the wickedness of the wicked will be on him. 21But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all My laws and does what is lawful and right, he will surely live, he 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 20:5Do not bow down to them, do not let anyone make you serve them. For I, Adonai your God, am a jealous God, bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
• Deuteronomy 5:9Do not bow down to them or worship them. For I, Adonai your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me,
• 2 Kings 23:26Nevertheless, Adonai did not turn from the fury of His great wrath which burned against Judah, because of all that Manasseh had provoked Him.
• 2 Kings 24:3Surely at the command of Adonai this happened to Judah, to banish them from His presence, because of all the sins of Manasseh and all that he had committed,
• Jeremiah 15:4“So I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.
• Lamentations 5:7Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their punishment.
• Ezekiel 20:18“I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, do not keep their ordinances, do not defile yourselves with their idols.
• Zechariah 1:3Therefore tell them, thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, ‘Return to Me’—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot—‘and I will return to you,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot.

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