The Meaning of Ezekiel 18:18 Explained

Ezekiel 18:18

KJV: As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.

YLT: His father -- because he used oppression, Did violently Plunder a brother, And that which is not good did in the midst of his people, And lo, he is dying in his iniquity.

Darby: As for his father, because he practised oppression, exercised robbery upon his brother, and did what was not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity.

ASV: As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[As for] his father,  because he cruelly  oppressed,  spoiled  his brother  by violence,  and did  [that] which [is] not good  among  his people,  lo, even he shall die  in his iniquity. 

What does Ezekiel 18:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Ezekiel 18:14-32 - The Reversal Of The Divine Judgment
The Jews of Ezekiel's day asserted that God's dealings with their nation were not just, because they were suffering, not for their own sins, but for their fathers'. God here makes it clear that He deals with individuals according to their deserts. The guilty son of a good father does not escape punishment because of his father's virtues; and the good son of evil parents reaps the reward of his own goodness. What a well of comfort is supplied by Ezekiel 18:21-22! God pledges Himself that forgiven sin shall not even be mentioned. This solemn covenant should be appropriated and its fulfillment claimed, by those who through all their lifetime have been subject to bondage because of their past. We must not be content with an outward amendment; there must be, and there can be, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, an inward and radical change. This impossible command drives us to the Holy Spirit, Psalms 51:10; Psalms 51:12. As Augustine puts it: "Give what thou requirest, and require what thou wilt." [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 18

1  God defends his justice
31  and exhorts to repentance

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 18:18 mean?

[As] [for] his father because he oppressed cruelly Robbed by violence his brother and what [is] not good did among his people and behold he shall die for his iniquity
אָבִ֞יו כִּֽי־ עָ֣שַׁק עֹ֗שֶׁק גָּזַל֙ גֵּ֣זֶל אָ֔ח וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־ ט֛וֹב עָשָׂ֖ה בְּת֣וֹךְ עַמָּ֑יו וְהִנֵּה־ מֵ֖ת בַּעֲוֺנֽוֹ

אָבִ֞יו  [As]  [for]  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
עָ֣שַׁק  he  oppressed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשַׁק  
Sense: to press upon, oppress, violate, defraud, do violence, get deceitfully, wrong, extort.
עֹ֗שֶׁק  cruelly 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹשֶׁק  
Sense: oppression, extortion, injury.
גָּזַל֙  Robbed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּזַל  
Sense: to tear away, seize, plunder, tear off, pull off, rob, take away by force.
גֵּ֣זֶל  by  violence 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גֵּזֶל  
Sense: .
אָ֔ח  his  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר  and  what  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
ט֛וֹב  good 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
עַמָּ֑יו  his  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וְהִנֵּה־  and  behold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
מֵ֖ת  he  shall  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בַּעֲוֺנֽוֹ  for  his  iniquity 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.