Ezekiel 18 11

Ezekiel 18:11 kjv

And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,

Ezekiel 18:11 nkjv

And does none of those duties, But has eaten on the mountains Or defiled his neighbor's wife;

Ezekiel 18:11 niv

(though the father has done none of them): "He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor's wife.

Ezekiel 18:11 esv

(though he himself did none of these things), who even eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife,

Ezekiel 18:11 nlt

And that son does all the evil things his father would never do ? he worships idols on the mountains, commits adultery,

Ezekiel 18 verses

Ezekiel 18 11 Meaning

Ezekiel 18:11 describes two specific transgressions committed by a wicked son born to a righteous father, as part of a list illustrating actions that lead to one's own demise, contrary to the proverb about inherited guilt. These actions are: first, participating in pagan feasts or worship on forbidden high places, an act of idolatry; and second, committing adultery by defiling his neighbor's wife, a profound violation of both the marital covenant and divine law. This verse highlights overt and severe disobedience to God's commandments, demonstrating the individual's personal culpability for their choices.

Ezekiel 18 11 Context

Ezekiel chapter 18 directly addresses a common proverb circulating among the exiles in Babylon: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" (Eze 18:2). This proverb expressed their fatalistic belief that they were suffering not for their own sins, but for the transgressions of their ancestors. God, through Ezekiel, powerfully refutes this notion, emphasizing the principle of individual accountability for sin and righteousness.

The chapter illustrates this principle through three scenarios: a righteous father (verses 5-9), a wicked son born to that righteous father (verses 10-13, which includes verse 11), and a righteous son born to that wicked father (verses 14-17). Verse 11 details specific wicked acts of the son in the second scenario. Historically, the people of Judah had deeply entrenched themselves in idolatry and social injustices, which ultimately led to the Babylonian exile. The acts described in verse 11 were prevalent sins during this period, particularly associated with Canaanite cult practices. By describing such clear violations of God's law, Ezekiel highlights that this son dies for his own deliberate choice of sin, not because of inherited guilt, making a polemic against the prevailing mindset of the exiles.

Ezekiel 18 11 Word analysis

• and has eaten: (וְגַם־אָכַל, və-gam-akhal)
  • "eaten": From the Hebrew verb אָכַל (akhal), meaning "to eat." In this cultic context, it signifies not merely consuming food but actively participating in religious rites. This points to deliberate and open participation in a ritualistic meal, signifying allegiance and worship.
• upon the mountains: (עַל־הֶֽהָרִים, al-hehārîm)
  • "mountains": The term הָרִים (hārîm) refers to mountains or high places. These were notorious sites for pagan worship throughout the ancient Near East, particularly in Canaan. The term often implicitly references "high places" (בָּמוֹת, bamot), which were explicitly forbidden by God's Law for Israelite worship due to their association with idolatry (Deut 12:2-3). This act indicates a turning away from the exclusive worship of Yahweh and an embracing of foreign gods.
• and defiled: (טִמֵּא, ṭimēʾ)
  • "defiled": From the Hebrew verb טָמֵא (ṭamēʾ), meaning "to make unclean, to defile, to pollute." This verb is potent, used for ritual impurity, moral depravity, and profaning holy things. Here, it underscores the severe moral impurity and covenant violation of adultery, contrasting with the holiness expected of God's people.
• his neighbour's wife: (אֵ֥שֶׁת רֵעֵ֗הוּ, ʾēšeṯ rêʿēhū)
  • "neighbour's wife": רֵעֵהוּ (rêʿēhū) from רֵעַ (re'a), meaning "friend" or "neighbor," and אֵשֶׁת (ʾēšeṯ) for "wife." This phrase precisely indicates adultery. It’s a direct transgression of the Seventh Commandment (Exo 20:14) and highlights a betrayal of community trust and God's sacred institution of marriage. This sin has profound implications for social order and personal integrity.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "and has eaten upon the mountains": This phrase denotes participation in idolatrous feasts on high places, directly contravening the First Commandment (against idolatry) and the prohibition against pagan altars (Exo 34:15, Deut 12:2). These rituals often involved various forms of spiritual and physical immorality. It represents an outward and public declaration of disloyalty to Yahweh.
• "and defiled his neighbour's wife": This phrase identifies the specific sin of adultery, a profound violation of the Seventh Commandment and a direct attack on the integrity of family and community. Adultery, particularly when combined with cultic idolatry, became an abhorrent symbol of moral degradation and complete disregard for God's covenant, often being intertwined with pagan fertility rites. This reveals an individual lacking moral boundaries and showing contempt for sacred vows.

Ezekiel 18 11 Bonus section

• The placement of these two specific sins – idolatry and adultery – in succession in verse 11 is highly significant. Throughout the prophetic books, idolatry is often described metaphorically as "spiritual adultery" (e.g., Jer 3:6, Hos 1:2). Here, these two literal sins demonstrate a deep, pervasive unfaithfulness that impacts both humanity's relationship with God (the first table of the law) and human relationships with one another (the second table of the law), revealing a holistic rejection of divine and moral order.
• The actions listed in verse 11 directly contradict the righteous deeds of the father detailed in Ezekiel 18:6. The father "has not eaten upon the mountains" and "has not defiled his neighbor's wife," thus demonstrating the deliberate and complete antithesis in the son's behavior and moral choices. This structural parallelism serves to strongly reinforce the point about individual moral responsibility.

Ezekiel 18 11 Commentary

Ezekiel 18:11 is a stark portrayal of active rebellion against God's covenant, performed by a son who directly rejects the righteous path of his father. The acts listed are not accidental but intentional choices. "Eating upon the mountains" is a specific indictment against cultic prostitution and idolatry prevalent in Israel's history, often combining pagan feasting with immoral sexual rites in "high places." This public act demonstrates a complete abandonment of exclusive worship of Yahweh and embracing the vile practices of surrounding nations. Simultaneously, "defiling his neighbour's wife" is a severe moral trespass, a violation of the foundational covenant of marriage, deeply impacting the community's fabric and earning the death penalty under Mosaic Law.

Together, these two sins represent fundamental breaches of both the first and second tables of the Ten Commandments—one against God directly (idolatry), and the other against one's neighbor and the sacred institution of marriage (adultery). This comprehensive display of wickedness is provided to affirm God's justice: such a son faces death not because of inherited sin, but because his own egregious actions have merited it. It highlights that true righteousness or wickedness is defined by one's personal, deliberate choices and actions, dispelling any notion of blameless suffering or inevitable guilt inherited from previous generations.