Ezekiel 18:16
in Ezekiel 18He does not oppress another, or retain a pledge, or commit robbery. He gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
neither hath wronged any, hath not taken aught to pledge, neither hath taken by robbery, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
KJV
Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,
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This verse in Ezekiel 18
Commentary
5 notes on this verseNeither hath oppressed any,.... See Gill on Eze 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 was; neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment.
This site's exposition
Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done
on Ezekiel 18:14-18
A third generation appears, a son who watches his violent father's sins and chooses differently, and the verdict returns to life, he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live. The father, meanwhile, dies in his own iniquity regardless of any son's righteousness, the case built symmetrically to close off inheritance running in either direction. Keil reads the three-generation sequence as the chapter's argument by example before it is stated as principle, proof offered before the doctrine is named outright.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 14 and following) But if he has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed, fears them, and does not commit them himself (as Vulgate says, 'similar to them'): he does not eat on the mountains, he does not lift his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, he does not violate his neighbor's wife, he does not oppress anyone, he does not keep a pledge, he does not commit robbery, he gives his bread to the hungry, he covers the naked with clothing, he turns his hand away from the poor man's injury, he does not take interest or usury, he follows my ordinances, and he walks in my statutes: this son will not die because of the iniquity of his father, but he will surely live.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Thus he has executed God's judgments and walked in his statutes, not only done his duty for once, but one on in a course and way of obedience. (2.) We are assured that the graceless father alone shall die in his iniquity, but his gracious son shall fare never the worse for it.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Hezekiah, of Ahaz (2Ki 16:1-20; 21:1-22:20). seeth . . . and considereth--The same Hebrew stands for both verbs, "seeth . . . yea, seeth." The repetition implies the attentive observation needed, in order that the son may not be led astray by his father's bad example; as sons generally are blind to parents sins, and even imitate them as if they were virtues.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִישׁ֙ | veish | and anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הוֹנָ֔ה | honah | he has oppressed | H3238 → | 20 times |
| חֲבֹל֙ | chavol | a pledge | H2258 → | 4 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| חָבָ֔ל | chaval | he has taken as pledge | H2254 → | |
| וּגְזֵלָ֖ה | ugezelah | and robbery | H1500 → | 6 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| גָזָ֑ל | gazal | he has robbed | H1497 → | 30 times |
| לַחְמוֹ֙ | lachmo | food his | H3899 → | 298 times |
| לְרָעֵ֣ב | leraev | to [the] hungry | H7457 → | |
| נָתָ֔ן | natan | he has given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| וְעֵר֖וֹם | veerom | and [the] naked | H5903 → | 10 times |
| כִּסָּה־ | kisah- | he has covered | H3680 → | 152 times |
| בָֽגֶד׃ | vaged | clothing | H899 → | 217 times |
וְאִישׁ֙and anyone
veishH376 →1663 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
הוֹנָ֔הhe has oppressed
honahH3238 →20 times
חֲבֹל֙a pledge
chavolH2258 →4 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
חָבָ֔לhe has taken as pledge
chavalH2254 →
וּגְזֵלָ֖הand robbery
ugezelahH1500 →6 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
גָזָ֑לhe has robbed
gazalH1497 →30 times
לַחְמוֹ֙food his
lachmoH3899 →298 times
לְרָעֵ֣בto [the] hungry
leraevH7457 →
נָתָ֔ןhe has given
natanH5414 →2011 times
וְעֵר֖וֹםand [the] naked
veeromH5903 →10 times
כִּסָּה־he has covered
kisah-H3680 →152 times
בָֽגֶד׃clothing
vagedH899 →217 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 22:9A generous man will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.
it leads to
- Proverbs 19:17
Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
- Hebrews 6:10
For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
- 1 Timothy 6:18–19
Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share,
- Acts 20:35
In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
- 1 Peter 4:9
Show hospitality to one another without complaining.
- Proverbs 19:17
Through
Job 22:7You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,
it leads to
- Job 31:17
if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—
- Job 31:17
Through
Ezekiel 18:7He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 18:12
He oppresses the poor and needy; he commits robbery and does not restore a pledge. He lifts his eyes to idols; he commits abominations.
- Exodus 22:26
If you take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him by sunset,
- Ezekiel 18:12
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.