Ezekiel 18 20

Ezekiel 18:20 kjv

The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Ezekiel 18:20 nkjv

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

Ezekiel 18:20 niv

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.

Ezekiel 18:20 esv

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

Ezekiel 18:20 nlt

The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent's sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child's sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.

Ezekiel 18 verses

Ezekiel 18 20 Meaning

Ezekiel 18:20 establishes a fundamental principle of divine justice: personal accountability for sin. It asserts that each individual is responsible for their own actions and will face the consequences, or rewards, directly. The verse unequivocally rejects the idea of inherited guilt, meaning a son will not be punished for his father's sins, nor a father for his son's sins. Instead, it declares that the righteous individual will bear the consequences of their own righteousness, and the wicked individual will bear the consequences of their own wickedness, specifically pointing to death as the result of personal sin.

Ezekiel 18 20 Context

Ezekiel 18:20 stands within a broader discourse in Ezekiel chapter 18, which is dedicated to refuting a prevailing proverb among the exiles in Babylon: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" (Ez 18:2). This proverb expressed their belief that they were being punished for the sins of previous generations, leading to a sense of fatalism and injustice. The chapter, therefore, serves as a direct polemic against this distorted understanding of divine justice and corporate guilt, asserting God's perfect equity. The prophet addresses a people steeped in the covenant curses (like those in Deuteronomy), who misinterpret these communal consequences as a basis for personal condemnation without their own culpability. Ezekiel's message underscores that the current generation is suffering because of their own rebellion, not merely as an inheritance of their ancestors' sins, while still acknowledging that past corporate sins contributed to the situation of exile itself. The historical context is critical: Jerusalem had fallen, and many of its inhabitants were in exile, struggling to reconcile their predicament with God's justice.

Ezekiel 18 20 Word analysis

• The soul: Hebrew nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ). Signifies not merely a spiritual entity but the whole person, the living being, the self. It emphasizes that the entire individual, in their being and identity, is held accountable.
• who sins: Hebrew ḥāṭāʾ (חָטָא). To miss the mark, to fall short of a standard, to act wickedly, to transgress God's law. This term covers a broad range of moral failings.
• shall die: Hebrew mût (מוּת). Refers to a state of separation from God, spiritual death, which often has physical manifestations and leads to ultimate separation (eternal death). It's a direct consequence of sin, a breaking of the life-giving relationship with God. This is not necessarily immediate physical death for every sin but implies the inherent nature of sin leading to death.
• The son: Hebrew bēn (בֵּן). Refers to the offspring, male child, or descendant.
• shall not bear: Hebrew nāśāʾ (נָשָׂא). To carry, lift, bear, endure. Here, it implies bearing the burden or responsibility for the guilt.
• the guilt/iniquity: Hebrew ʿāwōn (עָוֹן). Denotes perversity, depravity, sin, and often its corresponding guilt or punishment. It highlights the moral corruption and the resulting condemnation.
• of the father: Hebrew ʾāḇ (אָב). The male parent or ancestor.
• Nor the father bear the guilt of the son: A complete reversal and reinforcement of the principle, demonstrating absolute non-transferability of guilt.
• The righteousness: Hebrew tsedeq (צֶדֶק). Right conduct, uprightness, justice. Actions and character that align with God's standards and will.
• of the righteous: Hebrew tsaddîq (צַדִּיק). One who is righteous, just, upright.
• shall be upon himself: Hebrew ʿal (עַל) followed by nephsho (נַפְשֹׁו - his soul/himself). Strong emphasis on self-contained consequences. The individual alone is responsible for their moral standing and its corresponding outcome.
• And the wickedness: Hebrew rishʿāh (רִשְׁעָה). Evil, injustice, guilt, crime. The antithesis of righteousness.
• of the wicked: Hebrew rāshāʿ (רָשָׁע). One who is wicked, unrighteous, guilty.

Ezekiel 18 20 Bonus section

The strong declaration in Ezekiel 18:20 presents a crucial hermeneutical key for interpreting earlier passages, particularly those found in the Ten Commandments (e.g., Ex 20:5, Deut 5:9) which state God punishing "the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation." Ezekiel clarifies this by distinguishing between communal or physical consequences for sin (where a nation's ongoing disobedience might indeed impact subsequent generations within that collective through the curse of the covenant) and direct personal culpability leading to eternal death. Ezekiel 18 emphasizes that an individual does not incur personal, condemning guilt for the specific sins committed by their ancestors. This verse is not a denial of a collective history or communal responsibility for ongoing disobedience, but a robust affirmation of each person's immediate accountability to God for their own moral choices. The core idea is that no person is justly condemned by God solely for the sins of another; salvation and damnation are predicated on one's own relationship and response to God.

Ezekiel 18 20 Commentary

Ezekiel 18:20 is a profound declaration of God's individual justice, meticulously disassembling the false premise of inherited sin's condemnation. It clarifies that while national sins might lead to collective consequences (like exile), the eternal spiritual state of an individual rests solely on their personal choices. God’s righteous character demands that life is a reward for personal obedience and faith (righteousness), while death, both spiritual and ultimately physical-eternal, is the just consequence of individual rebellion against Him (wickedness). This passage reveals a critical shift in theological understanding for the exiles, moving from a primary emphasis on corporate identity under the covenant to individual accountability before a holy God. It paves the way for the New Covenant understanding where personal faith, repentance, and regeneration are paramount for salvation, as each soul must answer directly to God. It undergirds the Gospel's message of individual redemption: each person requires their own turning to God because each person carries their own sin and stands to die because of it.