what does Ezekiel 18:4 in the bible mean?

Answer 1

It means that the culpability of sin (the guilt) is not something that can be passed from one person to another; God holds the person who committed the sin responsible for it.

More specifically, the Israelites had a saying (belief) - that when a father sinned, the children were held accountable. God found this idea offensive, in that it suggested He was not fair. When Jesus' disciples see the blind man in John 9, they asked who sinned (i.e. which of his parents) to cause their son to be blind, and Jesus rebukes them for this.

This passage directly refutes the idea of Original Sin - that the guilt of Adam's sin is imparted to his descendents.

Answer 2

Ezekiel 18 4 Commentary

Answer 3

Ezekiel 18:4 means that the lie Satan told the woman in the garden, was in fact a lie. The woman died, because the soul is not immortal.
In our day the religious leaders claim the same thing Satan claimed back in the garden. But Ezekiel 18:4 makes it plain that they too are not honest.
A person is much better off believing what the bible says and if you read Ecclesiastes 9:5,10 and Ecclesiastes 3:19 you will gain understanding about life and death, then you can understand that the first man became a living soul.
Genesis 2:7. and living souls die.

Answer 4

If you include VS 1-4 it says basically that people will stand accountable for their own sin and cannot blame "generational curses" for their sin. It's explained in a rather abstract way.


Ezekiel 18

The Soul Who Sins Will Die
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:
" 'The fathers eat sour grapes,
and the children's teeth are set on edge'?
3 "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4 For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

Answer 5

The verse is a call to live a just and decent moral life...as defined in the verses that follow.
Eze 18:2 What 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?
EBD NTB TTT
Eze 18:3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
NTB
Eze 18:4 Behold, 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.
NTB TTT
Eze 18:5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
NTB
Eze 18:6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,
NTB
Eze 18:7 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
NTB TTT
Eze 18:8 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
EBD NTB SBD TTT
Eze 18:9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.
NTB

Answer 6

Ezek. 18:4: “The soul that is sinning—it itself will die.” (RS, NE, KJ, and Dy all render the Hebrew word ne′phesh in this verse as “soul,” thus saying that it is the soul that dies. Some translations that render ne′phesh as “soul” in other passages use the expression “the man” or “the one” in this verse. So, the ne′phesh, the soul, is the person, not an immaterial part of him that survives when his body dies.)
Ps. 146:4: “His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish.” (The Hebrew word here translated “spirit” is a derivative of ru′ach. Some translators render it “breath.” When that ru′ach, or active life-force, leaves the body, the person’s thoughts perish; they do not continue in another realm.)

Answer 7

Ditto Paula R.

agapefromnc

Answer 8

The soul that sins shall suffer the second death.

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Answer 9

It means that anyone who sins, dies. And all humans sin - thus anyone who has ever lived either has died already or will die in the future. You can count on it.

Answer 10

It's telling us we are all responsible for our own sins. We must all take responsibility for our own sins. We must choose to be saved to get eternal life. The consequence of not doing that is going to Hell.