Ezekiel 18, Only the Sinner Dies

On the face of it, the idea that the sin of my father makes me guilty also, is totally unfair. But what if I could leverage that to avoid admitting my own sin? “I’m only in this position because my father sinned.”

1 The word of Yahweh came to me: 2 “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’?

3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Yahweh, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.

Yahweh contradicts the exiles’ proverbial statement of transferred guilt. They are in exile, they are saying, not because of their sin (idolatry, etc.), but because of their forefathers’ sin. Yahweh isn’t buying it.

5 “Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. 6 He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or have sexual relations with a woman during her period. 7 He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. 8 He does not lend to them at interest or take a profit from them. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between two parties. 9 He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign Yahweh.

10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things 11 (though the father has done none of them):

“He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor’s wife. 12 He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things. 13 He lends at interest and takes a profit.

Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.

14 “But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:

15 “He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife. 16 He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. 17 He 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. 18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

Could the exiles say that they have been the paragons of righteousness that Yahweh describes? The righteous person not only does not commit the sins of adultery, idolatry, oppression, robbery, charging interest, and wrongdoing, but he positively helps those who are poor, provides for the hungry and naked, and judges fairly between people (see Ephesians 4:28). He should live, not be given the death penalty. Vice versa, the one who does wickedly should die. God does not penalize the innocent son of a guilty man, only the guilty one. The exiles are in exile for their own sin.

19 “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. 20 The 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. 

Perhaps the exiles were rationalizing their viewpoint from the ten commandments, “For I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me” (Ex. 20:5). But this law explicitly says He punishes those who hate him. This law is not talking about transferred guilt, but rather the tendency of unrighteous people to have unrighteous children, who have unrighteous children.

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. 22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Yahweh. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

24 “But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.

25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of Yahweh is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. 27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. 28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. 29 Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of Yahweh is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

These Israelites believe God is unjust in punishing only those who sin, and even of forgiving those who turn from unrighteousness to righteousness. This same claim has been made against Christians today who say that if a person who has lived a horrible life repents on his deathbed and receives Christ as Savior he will be forgiven all he has done. But this does not mean the consequences of his sin will vanish, only that there is genuine forgiveness through Christ, and the mercy of God is great. As Yahweh here tells Israel, “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?”

30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Yahweh. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Yahweh. Repent and live! (Ezekiel 18)

Yahweh here clearly declares that the exiles are sinners who need to repent. They are not innocents who are suffering for their fathers’ sins, but are suffering only for their own sins. God has removed all the rationalizations Israel has made to declare themselves right.