Jamieson, Fausset & Brown :: Commentary on Ezekiel 18

The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel

Commentary by A. R. FAUSSET

CHAPTER 18

      Vindication 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 edge--Their unbelieving calumnies on God's justice had become so common as to have assumed a proverbial form. The sin of Adam in eating the forbidden fruit, visited on his posterity, seems to have suggested the peculiar form; noticed also by Jeremiah ( Jer 31:29 ); and explained in Lam 5:7, "Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities." They mean by "the children," themselves, as though they were innocent, whereas they were far from being so. The partial reformation effected since Manasseh's wicked reign, especially among the exiles at Chebar, was their ground for thinking so; but the improvement was only superficial and only fostered their self-righteous spirit, which sought anywhere but in themselves the cause of their calamities; just as the modern Jews attribute their present dispersion, not to their own sins, but to those of their forefathers. It is a universal mark of corrupt nature to lay the blame, which belongs to ourselves, on others and to arraign the justice of God. Compare Gen 3:12, where Adam transfers the blame of his sin to Eve, and even to God, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat."

      3. ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb--because I will let it be seen by the whole world in the very fact that you are not righteous, as ye fancy yourselves, but wicked, and that you suffer only the just penalty of your guilt; while the elect righteous remnant alone escapes.

      4. all souls are mine--Therefore I can deal with all, being My own creation, as I please ( Jer 18:6 ). As the Creator of all alike I can have no reason, but the principle of equity, according to men's works, to make any difference, so as to punish some, and to save others ( Gen 18:25 ). "The soul that sinneth it shall die." The curse descending from father to son assumes guilt shared in by the son; there is a natural tendency in the child to follow the sin of his father, and so he shares in the father's punishment: hence the principles of God's government, involved in Exd 20:5, are justified. The sons, therefore (as the Jews here), cannot complain of being unjustly afflicted by God ( Lam 5:7 ); for they filled up the guilt of their fathers ( Mat 23:32, 34-36 ). The same God who "recompenses the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children," is immediately after set forth as "giving to every man according to his ways" ( Jer 32:18, 19 ) which "visited the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation" (where the explanation is added, "of them that hate me," that is, the children hating God, as well as their fathers: the former being too likely to follow their parents, sin going down with cumulative force from parent to child), we find ( Deu 24:16 ), "the fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither the children for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin." The inherited guilt of sin in infants ( Rom 5:14 ) is an awful fact, but one met by the atonement of Christ; but it is of adults that he speaks here. Whatever penalties fall on communities for connection with sins of their fathers, individual adults who repent shall escape ( 2Ki 23:25, 26 ). This was no new thing, as some misinterpret the passage here; it had been always God's principle to punish only the guilty, and not also the innocent, for the sins of their fathers. God does not here change the principle of His administration, but is merely about to manifest it so personally to each that the Jews should no longer throw on God and on their fathers the blame which was their own.
      soul that sinneth, it shall die--and it alone ( Rom 6:23 ); not also the innocent.

      5. Here begins the illustration of God's impartiality in a series of supposed cases. The first case is given in Eze 18:5-9, the just man. The excellencies are selected in reference to the prevailing sins of the age, from which such a one stood aloof; hence arises the omission of some features of righteousness, which, under different circumstances, would have been desirable to be enumerated. Each age has its own besetting temptations, and the just man will be distinguished by his guarding against the peculiar defilements, inward and outward, of his age.
      just. . . lawful. . . right--the duties of the second table of the law, which flow from the fear of God. Piety is the root of all charity; to render to each his own, as well to our neighbor, as to God.

      6. not eaten upon. . . mountains--the high places, where altars were reared. A double sin: sacrificing elsewhere than at the temple, where only God sanctioned sacrifice ( Deu 12:13, 14 ); and this to idols instead of to Jehovah. "Eaten" refers to the feasts which were connected with the sacrifices (see Exd 32:6 Deu 32:38 Jdg 9:27 1Cr 8:4, 10 10:7 ).
      lifted. . . eyes to--namely, in adoration ( Psa 121:1 ). The superstitious are compared to harlots; their eyes go eagerly after spiritual lusts. The righteous man not merely refrains from the act, but from the glance of spiritual lust ( Job 31:1 Mat 5:28 ).
      idols of. . . Israel--not merely those of the Gentiles, but even those of Israel. The fashions of his countrymen could not lead him astray.
      defiled. . . neighbour's wife--Not only does he shrink from spiritual, but also from carnal, adultery (compare 1Cr 6:18 ).
      neither. . . menstruous woman--Leprosy and elephantiasis were said to be the fruit of such a connection [JEROME]. Chastity is to be observed even towards one's own wife ( Lev 18:19 20:18 ).

      7. restored. . . pledge--that which the poor debtor absolutely needed; as his raiment, which the creditor was bound to restore before sunset ( Exd 22:26, 27 ), and his millstone, which was needed for preparing his food ( Deu 24:6, 10-13 ).
      bread to. . . hungry. . . covered. . . naked-- ( Isa 58:7 Mat 25:35, 36 ). After duties of justice come those of benevolence. It is not enough to refrain from doing a wrong to our neighbor, we must also do him good. The bread owned by a man, though "his," is given to him, not to keep to himself, but to impart to the needy.

      8. usury--literally, "biting." The law forbade the Jew to take interest from brethren but permitted him to do so from a foreigner ( Exd 22:25 Deu 23:19, 20 Neh 5:7 Psa 15:5 ). The letter of the law was restricted to the Jewish polity, and is not binding now; and indeed the principle of taking interest was even then sanctioned, by its being allowed in the case of a foreigner. The spirit of the law still binds us, that we are not to take advantage of our neighbor's necessities to enrich ourselves, but be satisfied with moderate, or even no, interest, in the case of the needy.
      increase--in the case of other kinds of wealth; as "usury" refers to money ( Lev 25:36 ).
      withdrawn. . . hand, &c.--Where he has the opportunity and might find a plausible plea for promoting his own gain at the cost of a wrong to his neighbor, he keeps back his hand from what selfishness prompts.
      judgment--justice.

      9. truly--with integrity.
      surely live--literally, "live in life." Prosper in this life, but still more in the life to come ( Pro 3:1, 2 Amo 5:4 ).

      10-13. The second case is that of an impious son of a pious father. His pious parentage, so far from excusing, aggravates his guilt.
      robber--or literally, "a breaker," namely, through all constraints of right.
      doeth the like to any one--The Hebrew and the parallel ( Eze 18:18 ) require us to translate rather, "doeth to his brother any of these things," namely, the things which follow in Eze 18:11, &c. [MAURER].

      11. those duties--which his father did ( Eze 18:5, 9 ).

      12. oppressed the poor--an aggravation to his oppressions, that they were practised against the poor; whereas in Eze 18:7 the expression is simply "oppressed any."
      abomination--singular number referring to the particular one mentioned at the end of Eze 18:6.

      13. shall he. . . live?--because of the merits of his father; answering, by contrast, to "die for the iniquity of his father" ( Eze 18:17 ).
      his blood shall be upon him--The cause of his bloody death shall rest with himself; God is not to blame, but is vindicated as just in punishing him.

      14-18. The third case: a son who walks not in the steps of an unrighteous father, but in the ways of God; for example, Josiah, the pious son of guilty Amon; Hezekiah, of Ahaz ( 2Ki 16:1-20 18:1-37 21:1 - 22:20 ).
      seeth. . . and considereth--The same Hebrew stands for both verbs, "seeth. . . yea, seeth." The repetition implies the attentive observation needed, in order that the son may not be led astray by his father's bad example; as sons generally are blind to parents sins, and even imitate them as if they were virtues.

      17. taken off his hand from the poor--that is, abstained from oppressing the poor, when he had the opportunity of doing so with impunity.The different sense of the phrase in Eze 16:49, in reference to relieving the poor, seems to have suggested the reading followed by FAIRBAIRN, but not sanctioned by the Hebrew, "hath not turned his hand from," &c. But Eze 20:22 uses the phrase in a somewhat similar sense to English Version here, abstained from hurting.

      19. 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 would justify them in their present course of life, which they did not choose to abandon for a better. In reply, Ezekiel reiterates the truth of each being dealt with according to his own merits [FAIRBAIRN]. But GROTIUS supports English Version, wherein the Jews contradict the prophet, "Why (sayest thou so) doth not the son (often, as in our case, though innocent) bear (that is, suffer for) the iniquity of their father?" Ezekiel replies, It is not as you say, but as I in the name of God say: "When the son hath done," &c. English Version is simpler than that of FAIRBAIRN.

      20. son shall not bear. . . iniquity of. . . father-- ( Deu 24:16 2Ki 14:6 ).
      righteousness. . . wickedness--that is, the reward for righteousness. . . the punishment of wickedness. "Righteousness" is not used as if any were absolutely righteous; but, of such as have it imputed to them for Christ's sake, though not under the Old Testament themselves understanding the ground on which they were regarded as righteous, but sincerely seeking after it in the way of God's appointment, so far as they then understood this way.

      21-24. Two last cases, showing the equity of God: (1) The penitent sinner is dealt with according to his new obedience, not according to his former sins. (2) The righteous man who turns from righteousness to sin shall be punished for the latter, and his former righteousness will be of no avail to him.
      he shall surely live--Despair drives men into hardened recklessness; God therefore allures men to repentance by holding out hope [CALVIN].

Hitherto the cases had been of a change from bad to good, or vice versa, in one generation compared with another. Here it is such a change in one and the same individual. This, as practically affecting the persons here addressed, is properly put last. So far from God laying on men the penalty of others' sins, He will not even punish them for their own, if they turn from sin to righteousness; but if they turn from righteousness to sin, they must expect in justice that their former goodness will not atone for subsequent sin ( Hbr 10:38, 39 2Pe 2:20-22 ). The exile in Babylon gave a season for repentance of those sins which would have brought death on the perpetrator in Judea while the law could be enforced; so it prepared the way for the Gospel [GROTIUS].

      22. in his righteousness. . . he shah live--in it, not for it, as if that atoned for his former sins; but "in his righteousness" he shall live, as the evidence of his being already in favor with God through the merit of Messiah, who was to come. The Gospel clears up for us many such passages ( 1Pe 1:12 ), which were dimly understood at the time, while men, however, had light enough for salvation.

      23. ( 1Ti 2:4 2Pe 3:9 ). If men perish, it is because they will not come to the Lord for salvation; not that the Lord is not willing to save them ( Jhn 5:40 ). They trample on not merely justice, but mercy; what farther hope can there be for them, when even mercy is against them? ( Hbr 10:26-29 ).

      24. righteous--one apparently such; as in Mat 9:13, "I came not to call the righteous," &c., that is, those who fancy themselves righteous. Those alone are true saints who by the grace of God persevere ( Mat 24:13 1Cr 10:12 Jhn 10:28, 29 ).
      turneth away from. . . righteousness--an utter apostasy; not like the exceptional offenses of the godly through infirmity or heedlessness, which they afterwards mourn over and repent of.
      not be mentioned--not be taken into account so as to save them.
      his trespass--utter apostasy.

      25. Their plea for saying, "The way of the Lord is not equal," was that God treated different classes in a different way. But it was really their way that was unequal, since living in sin they expected to be dealt with as if they were righteous. God's way was invariably to deal with different men according to their deserts.

      26-28. The two last instances repeated in inverse order. God's emphatic statement of His principle of government needs no further proof than the simple statement of it.
      in them--in the actual sins, which are the manifestations of the principle of "iniquity," mentioned just before.

      27. he shall save his soul--that is, he shall have it saved upon his repentance.

      28. considereth--the first step to repentance; for the ungodly do not consider either God or themselves ( Deu 32:29 Psa 119:59, 60 Luk 15:17, 18 ).

      29. Though God's justice is so plainly manifested, sinners still object to it because they do not wish to see it ( Mic 2:7 Mat 11:18, 19 ).

      30-32. As God is to judge them "according to their ways" ( Pro 1:31 ), their only hope is to "repent"; and this is a sure hope, for God takes no delight in judging them in wrath, but graciously desires their salvation on repentance.
      I will judge you--Though ye cavil, it is a sufficient answer that I, your Judge, declare it so, and will judge you according to My will; and then your cavils must end.
      Repent--inward conversion ( Rev 2:5 ). In the Hebrew there is a play of like sounds, "Turn ye and return."
      turn yourselves, &c.--the outward fruits of repentance. Not as the Margin, "turn others"; for the parallel clause ( Eze 18:31 ) is, "cast away from you all your transgressions." Perhaps, however, the omission of the object after the verb in the Hebrew implies that both are included: Turn alike yourselves and all whom you can influence.
      from all. . . transgressions--not as if believers are perfect; but they sincerely aim at perfection, so as to be habitually and wilfully on terms with no sin ( 1Jo 3:6-9 ):
      your ruin--literally, "your snare," entangling you in ruin.

      31. Cast away from you--for the cause of your evil rests with yourselves; your sole way of escape is to be reconciled to God ( Eph 4:22, 23 ).
      make you a new heart--This shows, not what men can do, but what they ought to do: what God requires of us. God alone can make us a new heart ( Eze 11:19 36:26, 27 ). The command to do what men cannot themselves do is designed to drive them (instead of laying the blame, as the Jews did, elsewhere rather than on themselves) to feel their own helplessness, and to seek God's Holy Spirit ( Psa 51:11, 12 ). Thus the outward exhortation is, as it were, the organ or instrument which God uses for conferring grace. So we may say with AUGUSTINE, "Give what thou requirest, and (then) require what thou wilt." Our strength (which is weakness in itself) shall suffice for whatever He exacts, if only He gives the supply [CALVIN].
      spirit--the understanding: as the "heart" means the will and affections. The root must be changed before the fruit can be good.
      why will ye die--bring on your own selves your ruin. God's decrees are secret to us; it is enough for us that He invites all, and will reject none that seek Him.

      32. ( Lam 3:33 2Pe 3:9 ). God is "slow to anger"; punishment is "His strange work" ( Isa 28:21 ).