Tree of Life Version
Ezekiel 18:2
2“What do you mean by using this proverb in the land of Israel saying, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, so the children’s teeth are set on edge?’
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
1The word of Adonai came to me saying: “What do you mean by using this proverb in the land of Israel saying, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, so the children’s teeth are set on edge?’ 3As I live”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“you will never again use this proverb in Israel. 4Behold, every living soul is Mine—the soul of father as well as the soul of son—both are Mine. Behold, the soul who sins is the one who 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- What mean ye, that ye useמָשַׁלmâshal · to use a proverbH4911
- this proverbמָשָׁלmâshâl · proverbH4912
- concerning the landאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- The fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
- have eatenאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- sour grapesבֹּ֫סֶרbôser · unripe grapeH1155
- and the children’sבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- teethשֵׁןshên · toothH8127
- are set on edgeקָהָהqâhâh · be bluntH6949
Cross-references for Ezekiel 18:2
- Ezekiel 17:12Say now to the rebellious house, “Do you not know what these things mean?” Tell them: “Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took the king and the princes and brought them with him to Babylon.
- Isaiah 3:15What do you mean by crushing My people and grinding the face of the poor?” says Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot.
- Romans 9:20But who in the world are you, O man, who talks back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”
- Ezekiel 6:2“Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy to them.
- Ezekiel 7:2“You, son of man, thus says Adonai Elohim concerning the land of Israel: An end! The end has come on the four corners of the land.
- Ezekiel 25:3Say to the children of Ammon—hear the word of Adonai, thus says Adonai Elohim—‘Because you said, “Aha!” against My Sanctuary when it was defiled, against the land of Israel when it was made desolate and against the house of Judah when they went into exile,
- Ezekiel 36:1“You, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: ‘Mountains of Israel, hear the word of Adonai.
- Ezekiel 37:11Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say: ‘Our bones are dried up; our hope is lost; we are cut off—by ourselves.’
- 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.
- Jeremiah 31:29Rather each will die for his own iniquity: if anyone eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will be blunted.”
- Lamentations 5:7Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their punishment.
- Matthew 23:36Amen, I tell 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
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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