The Meaning of Ezekiel 18:17 Explained

Ezekiel 18:17

KJV: That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

YLT: From the afflicted he hath turned back his hand, Usury and increase he hath not taken, My judgments he hath done, In My statutes he hath walked, He doth not die for the iniquity of his father, He doth surely live.

Darby: he hath withdrawn his hand from the poor, hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, and walked in my statutes: he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall certainly live.

ASV: that hath withdrawn his hand from the poor, that hath not received interest nor increase, hath executed mine ordinances, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[That] hath taken off  his hand  from the poor,  [that] hath not received  usury  nor increase,  hath executed  my judgments,  hath walked  in my statutes;  he shall not die  for the iniquity  of his father,  he shall surely  live. 

What does Ezekiel 18:17 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 18:17 mean?

from the poor [Who] has withdrawn his hand usury or increase not [And] received My judgments but has executed in My statutes and walked He shall die for the iniquity of his father surely He shall live
מֵעָנִ֞י הֵשִׁ֣יב יָד֗וֹ נֶ֤שֶׁךְ וְתַרְבִּית֙ לֹ֣א לָקָ֔ח מִשְׁפָּטַ֣י עָשָׂ֔ה בְּחֻקּוֹתַ֖י הָלָ֑ךְ ה֗וּא יָמ֛וּת בַּעֲוֺ֥ן אָבִ֖יו חָיֹ֥ה יִחְיֶֽה

מֵעָנִ֞י  from  the  poor 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָנִי  
Sense: poor, afflicted, humble, wretched.
הֵשִׁ֣יב  [Who]  has  withdrawn 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
יָד֗וֹ  his  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
נֶ֤שֶׁךְ  usury 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶשֶׁךְ  
Sense: interest, usury.
וְתַרְבִּית֙  or  increase 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תַּרְבִּית  
Sense: increment, usury, interest, bonus.
לָקָ֔ח  [And]  received 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מִשְׁפָּטַ֣י  My  judgments 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
עָשָׂ֔ה  but  has  executed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בְּחֻקּוֹתַ֖י  in  My  statutes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: חֻקָּה  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, enactment, something prescribed.
הָלָ֑ךְ  and  walked 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
יָמ֛וּת  shall  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בַּעֲוֺ֥ן  for  the  iniquity 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
אָבִ֖יו  of  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
חָיֹ֥ה  surely 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
יִחְיֶֽה  He  shall  live 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.