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Ezekiel 18:3

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 18:3 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, ye shall not have [occasion] any more to use this proverb in Israel.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, ye shall not have [occasion] any more to use this proverb in Israel.
Ezekiel 18:3 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 18

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
1The word of Jehovah came unto me again, saying,
2What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children`s teeth are set on edge?
3As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, ye shall not have [occasion] any more to use this proverb in Israel.
4Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
5But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
6and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor`s wife, neither hath come near to a woman in her impurity,
← Ezekiel 18:2Ezekiel 18:4 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“[As] I live, saith the Lord God, &c.] This is a form of an oath; the Lord here swears by his life, by himself, because he could swear by no greater, (<580613>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 done, since the Lord not only said it, but swore unto it: ye shall not have [occasion] any more to use this proverb in Israel; signifying that he would no longer defer the execution of his judgments, but immediately bring them upon them; so that or the future there would be no use of the proverb; no occasion to make mention of it in the…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb--because I will let it be seen by the whole world in the very fact that you are not righteous, as ye fancy yourselves, but wicked, and that you suffer only the just penalty of your guilt; while the elect righteous remnant alone escapes.”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“18:3-4 The Lord’s response to the proverb of 18:1-2 was to categorically deny that it fit the situation. To the contrary, the Lord consistently punishes only those who are guilty (Deut 24:16). God is unswervingly just.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Eze 18:19, Eze 18:20, Eze 18:30, Eze 33:11-20, Eze 36:31, Eze 36:32; Rom 3:19 Ezekiel 18:4”
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Related study paths

Read Ezekiel 18 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification