Ezekiel 18:13 kjv
Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
Ezekiel 18:13 nkjv
If he has exacted usury Or taken increase? Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him.
Ezekiel 18:13 niv
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.
Ezekiel 18:13 esv
lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.
Ezekiel 18:13 nlt
and lends money at excessive interest. Should such a sinful person live? No! He must die and must take full blame.
Ezekiel 18 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Usury/Lending at Interest & Profit | ||
| Exo 22:25 | "If you lend money to any of my people who is poor among you, you shall not be to him as a moneylender..." | Law against usury to the poor |
| Lev 25:36-37 | "Do not take interest from them... not any increase of gain." | Prohibition on interest from Israelites |
| Deut 23:19-20 | "You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother... You may charge a foreigner interest." | Differentiates between Israelite and foreigner |
| Neh 5:7, 10-11 | "You are exacting interest, each from his brother... restore to them this very day their fields..." | Nehemiah rebukes usury and demands restoration |
| Psa 15:5 | "...who does not lend money at usury..." | Characteristic of a righteous person |
| Prov 28:8 | "Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor." | God's justice regarding ill-gotten gains |
| Isa 33:15 | "He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly... who shakes his hands free from holding bribes..." | Ethical conduct of one who will dwell with God |
| Jer 15:10 | "Woe to me, my mother, that you gave me birth, a man of strife... I have not lent on interest, nor have men lent on interest to me..." | Jeremiah's unjust suffering for integrity |
| Eze 22:12 | "In you men take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit, and make gain of your neighbors by extortion..." | Links usury with other severe sins |
| Detestable Things/Abominations | ||
| Lev 18:27-30 | "For the inhabitants of the land... have done all these abominations... you also will vomit the land if you defile it." | Consequences for committing abominations |
| Deut 18:10-12 | "There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering... For whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD..." | Prohibitions on pagan/occult practices |
| Eze 8:6-18 | "Son of man, do you see what they are doing... even greater abominations?" | Description of idolatry and temple defilement |
| Eze 20:30-31 | "Are you defiling yourselves in the way of your fathers... presenting your offerings, making your sons pass through the fire?" | Israel's continued abominable practices |
| Rev 21:8 | "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars..." | Those who face second death |
| Consequence: Death & Individual Responsibility | ||
| Eze 18:4 | "Behold, all souls are mine... The soul who sins shall die." | Fundamental principle of individual accountability |
| Gen 2:17 | "...but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” | First declaration of death as a consequence of sin |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | Wages of sin is death (spiritual and eternal) |
| Jas 1:15 | "...lust when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." | Sin's progression to death |
| Lev 20:9 | "For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is on him." | Example of "blood on him" for capital offense |
| Josh 2:19 | "...if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head..." | Responsibility for one's actions and consequences |
| 2 Sam 1:16 | "...‘Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, “I have killed the LORD’s anointed.”’” | Affirmation of self-condemnation and accountability |
| Acts 18:6 | "And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, 'Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent.'" | Paul’s declaration of others’ responsibility |
| Eze 33:4-5 | "...then if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning... his blood will be on his own head." | Responsibility of the warned person who doesn't heed |
Ezekiel 18 verses
Ezekiel 18 13 Meaning
Ezekiel 18:13 declares that an individual who engages in the practice of lending at interest and taking unjust profit will surely not live. This condemnation is absolute because such actions are deemed "detestable things" in God's eyes. Consequently, the person will certainly face death, and the responsibility for their fate rests entirely upon themselves, highlighting individual accountability for their sinful deeds.
Ezekiel 18 13 Context
Ezekiel 18 is a pivotal chapter addressing a deeply entrenched belief among the exiles in Babylon: that they were suffering for the sins of their ancestors, epitomized by the proverb, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" (Eze 18:2). Against this background, the chapter emphatically proclaims the principle of individual accountability before God. Each person's spiritual standing—whether righteous or wicked—determines their fate. God refutes the idea of inherited guilt solely causing their current judgment.
The chapter presents three generations as case studies: a righteous father (Eze 18:5-9) who "shall surely live"; a wicked son (Eze 18:10-13) who practices various sins, including usury, and "shall surely die"; and a righteous grandson (Eze 18:14-17) who avoids his father's wicked ways and "shall not die." Verse 13 is part of the description of the wicked son, explicitly listing lending at interest as a "detestable thing" on par with other grave moral and cultic offenses. This particular practice was forbidden among Israelites in Mosaic Law (Exo 22:25; Lev 25:36-37), reflecting a foundational ethic of mutual support and care within the covenant community, not exploitation, especially of the poor and vulnerable. To violate this was seen as an abomination, deserving of severe judgment, emphasizing God's demand for social justice and compassion within His people.
Ezekiel 18 13 Word analysis
- He lends at interest (נֶשֶׁךְ נָשָׁךְ – nashekh nashakh):
- Nashekh (נֶשֶׁךְ) literally translates to "bite" or "sting." In the context of lending, it refers to interest that "bites" or erodes the borrower's capital. This vivid imagery conveys the painful and detrimental effect of interest on the financially vulnerable.
- This term specifically points to monetary interest and was explicitly forbidden for loans within the Israelite community, particularly when the borrower was a fellow Israelite in need, highlighting a betrayal of communal trust and love.
- and takes a profit (וְתַרְבִּית יָקָם – ve'tarbit yaqom):
- Tarbit (תַּרְבִּית) means "increase," "gain," or "excess." While neshekh focuses on interest, tarbit refers more broadly to any excessive gain from a loan, whether of money or goods. It denotes an unjustified surplus.
- The pairing of nashekh and tarbit condemns all forms of usurious and exploitative lending practices that seek to profit from another's financial distress. This wasn't merely an economic policy, but a moral imperative, as taking advantage of the poor and needy was a direct affront to God's justice.
- Will such a person live? (הֲיֶחְיֶה – ha'yekhyeh):
- This is a rhetorical question designed to elicit a definitive "no." The Hebrew word khayah ("live") implies more than mere physical existence; it refers to experiencing God's blessing, favor, peace, and enjoying true covenant life in the land.
- He will not live! (לֹא יִחְיֶה – lo yikhyeh):
- This is a strong, emphatic negation that answers the rhetorical question, declaring the certain fate of one who engages in these practices. It means spiritual alienation and ultimate divine judgment.
- Because he has done all these detestable things, (אֵת כָּל־הַתּוֹעֵבֹת הָאֵלֶּה עָשָׂה – et kol-hatto'evot ha'elleh asah):
- Toevot (תּוֹעֵבֹת) means "abominations," "detestable things," or "things that are abhorrent to God." This term is used in the Torah for acts of profound moral and spiritual impurity, such as idolatry, child sacrifice, and certain sexual perversions, which defile both the individual and the land.
- By classifying lending at interest within the "detestable things" that warrant death (Eze 18:10-12 mentions idol worship, defiling a neighbor's wife, robbery, and oppression alongside usury), the prophet highlights the profound spiritual gravity of economic exploitation. It elevates this economic injustice to the level of other severe moral and cultic sins, indicating that it fundamentally contradicts God's holy character and covenant requirements.
- he is to be put to death; (מ֖וֹת יוּמָ֑ת – mot yumat):
- This is an intensified verbal construction in Hebrew, often rendered as "he shall surely die" or "he must certainly be put to death." It denotes a sure and severe judgment. This is not necessarily referring to capital punishment under Mosaic Law for this specific sin (which typically didn't mandate death for simple usury unless linked with other capital offenses or deep oppression) but rather God's certain judgment resulting in spiritual death and exclusion from life in the land of blessing. It represents eternal separation from the life-giving presence of God.
- his blood will be on his own head. (דָּמָיו בּוֹ יִֽהְיֶה – damav bo yiheyeh):
- This is a strong idiomatic expression, found elsewhere in the Old Testament, signifying full and absolute personal responsibility for one's own demise or suffering. It declares that the individual, and no one else, is accountable for their just judgment and fate. It firmly refutes the idea that external forces or ancestral sins are responsible for their doom.
Ezekiel 18 13 Bonus section
The strong condemnation of usury in Ezekiel and other prophetic books underscores that God's concern extends beyond ritual purity to social justice and ethical economic practices. To take advantage of a struggling neighbor was considered a profound violation of the communal and relational dimensions of the covenant with God. This divine perspective sees exploitation not just as a financial misdemeanor, but as a direct assault on the principles of love, generosity, and community that God established for His people, thus meriting the severest of judgments.
Ezekiel 18 13 Commentary
Ezekiel 18:13 strongly reinforces the chapter's theme of individual responsibility for sin. It asserts that practices such as charging interest and unjustly profiting from others—violations of God's covenant ethics for His people—are not minor infractions but grievous "detestable things" in God's eyes. This places economic exploitation on par with major moral and religious abominations. The rhetorical "Will such a person live? He will not live!" emphatically declares that such conduct incurs divine judgment, resulting in spiritual death or separation from God's life-giving presence and blessing. The final phrase, "his blood will be on his own head," conclusively emphasizes that the consequence is a direct result of the individual's own choices, leaving no room for blame-shifting and perfectly aligning with God's righteous and impartial justice.