34 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Ezekiel 18 This chapter contains an answer to an objection of the Jews to the dealings of God with them in a providential way. The objection is expressed in a proverb of common use among them, and complained of as being without cause, Ezekiel 18:1; however, for the future, no occasion should be given them to use it; for, though God...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the word of the Lord came unto me again, saying. The word of prophecy from the Lord, as the Targum; and its being mentioned is coming from the Lord is to give it weight and authority. This is a distinct sermon or prophecy from the former, and was sent and delivered out at another time.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
Perhaps, in reading some of the foregoing chapters, we may have been tempted to think ourselves not much concerned in them (though they also were written for our learning); but this chapter, at first view, appears highly and nearly to concern us all, very highly, very nearly; for, without particular reference to Judah and Jerusalem, it lays down...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel,.... This is spoken to the Jews in Babylon, who used the following proverb concerning the land of Israel; not the ten tribes, but the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, concerning the desolation of the land, and the hardships the Jews laboured under, since the captivity of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
[As] I live, saith the Lord God,.... This is a form of an oath; the Lord here swears by his life, by himself, because he could swear by no greater, Hebrews 6:13; and it expresses how displeased he was with the above proverb, and how much he resented it, as well as the certainty of what follows; which, it might be depended on, would be assuredly...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Behold, all souls are mine,.... By creation; they being the immediate produce of his power; hence he is called "the Father of spirits", Hebrews 12:9, or the souls of men; these he has an apparent right unto; a property in; a dominion over; they are accountable to him, and will be judged impartially by him: as the soul of the father, so also the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But if a man be just,.... Not legally, as to be wholly free from sin, for there is no such just man, Ecclesiastes 7:20; but evangelically, through the imputation of the righteousness of Christ unto him; and who has a principle of grace and holiness wrought in him; a man of a just principle and good conscience; who is disposed by the grace of God...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
[And] hath not eaten upon the mountains,.... Where temples and altars were built for idols, and sacrifices offered up to them; and where feasts were kept to the honour of them, and the sacrifices to them eaten; see Ezekiel 6:13; for otherwise it was not unlawful to eat common food on mountains, as well as on other places; but here it denotes...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And hath not oppressed any,.... By fraud or force, particularly the poor, to the great grief and hurt of them: [but] hath restored to the debtor his pledge; which was pawned; not embezzling it, or keeping it beyond the time fixed by the law of God, Deuteronomy 24:12; hath spoiled none by violence; has not committed theft and robbery, or done...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
He [that] hath not given forth upon usury,.... Money, victuals, or any other thing, which was forbidden the Jews to take of their brethren, though they might of strangers, Deuteronomy 23:19; neither hath taken any increase: or interest; or rather something over and above the interest money or use, as a gratuity for lending it upon the said...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Hath walked in my statutes,.... Respecting the worship of God and true religion; being observant of all laws and ordinances relating thereunto: and hath kept my judgments to deal truly; in things moral and civil among men; regarding all such laws of God as oblige to such things: he [is] just; such a man is a just man, at least externally; and if...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
If he beget a son [that is] a robber, a shedder of blood,.... But if this just man beget a son that is a thief and a murderer, as he may; for grace is not conveyed by natural generation, though sin is: a good man has often bad children, even such as are guilty of capital crimes, as a "robber", a "highwayman", a "breaker up", or "through", as the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And that doeth not any of those [duties],.... Before mentioned, which his father did, but the reverse of them; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "and in the way of his righteous father does not walk"; does not tread in his steps, and work righteousness as he did: but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Hath oppressed the poor and needy,.... Who are weak, and have none to help them, and stand by them, and so are oppressed by such a man. This serves to explain the clause, in Ezekiel 18:7; hath spoiled by violence; his neighbour's goods; taken them away from him by force: hath not restored the pledge; to the borrower before sunset, but kept it for...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase,.... Contrary to the law of God; [See comments on Ezekiel 18:8]; shall he then live? by virtue of his father's righteousness and goodness, free from calamities, and in the quiet possession of the land of Israel, and the good things of it: he shall not live; but go into captivity, and be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now, lo, [if] he beget a son,.... That is, the wicked man before mentioned; if he begets a son who proves a good man, which sometimes is the case, as Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, and Josiah the son of Amon: that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done; not every particular action, but the principal of them; however, the several sorts and kinds...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
[That] hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife. [See comments on Ezekiel 18:6]; where the same things are mentioned as here, and in the same order; only that clause, "neither hath come near to a menstruous woman", is here omitted.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Neither hath oppressed any,.... [See comments on Ezekiel 18:7]. hath not withholden the pledge; or, hath not pledged the pledge (h). The meaning is, not that he had not given one, but had not taken one. So the Targum, "the pledge he hath not taken;'' or, if he did, he did not keep it beyond the time the law directs, but restored it to him whose it...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
[That] hath taken off his hand from the poor,.... When he perceived it lay heavy upon him, withdrew it from hurting him, and forbore to do it when it was in his power, and perhaps eased him of the hardships his father had laid upon him; which was very kind and humane: [that] hath not received usury nor increase; [See comments on Ezekiel 18:8];...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
[As for] his father,.... It shall be otherwise with him: because he cruelly oppressed; or, "oppressed an oppression"; or, "with an oppression" (i); oppressed the poor, and had no mercy on them, but used them in the most rigorous manner: spoiled his brother by violence; took away the spoil of his brother; spoiled him of his substance; did injury to...