Ezekiel 18: Group Study Handout

Overview

Yahweh rejects the proverb, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’ (vv. 2-4). He emphasizes personal accountability, stating that the soul who sins shall die. A man who lives justly, following Yahweh's statutes, shall live (vv. 5-9). If a wicked son does not follow his father's ways but instead lives righteously, he shall not die for his father's sins (vv. 14-17). Yahweh affirms personal responsibility; the son does not bear the father's iniquity, nor does the father bear the son's (vv. 18-20). Repentance is crucial; if a wicked person turns from his sins, he shall live (vv. 21-24). Yahweh calls Israel to recognize their unfair ways and repent, offering them the chance to live (vv. 25-32).

Key verse

“Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul who sins, he shall die.”

Ezekiel 18:4 (WEB)

Outline

1. Ezekiel 18:1–4 Proverb Rejected
2. Ezekiel 18:5–9 The Righteous Life
3. Ezekiel 18:10–13 The Wicked Son
4. Ezekiel 18:14–17 The Righteous Son of a Wicked Father
5. Ezekiel 18:18–20 Personal Accountability Affirmed
6. Ezekiel 18:21–24 Repentance Leads to Life
7. Ezekiel 18:25–32 God's Call to Repentance

Discussion questions

1. In v6, what does the man avoid doing that is mentioned as defilement?
2. What does the phrase 'the soul who sins, he shall die' in v4 indicate about sin?
3. In vv. 19-20, what is meant by the statement 'the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father'?
4. What does 'the way of the Lord is not equal' in v25 suggest about Israel's perception of divine justice?
5. When have you felt responsible for a choice someone else made, as seen in v20?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Ezekiel 18: Ezekiel 33, Psalm 51, 2 Corinthians 5.

Before next time: read Ezekiel 19.