Ezekiel 18 · Verse 4

Ezekiel 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.
Ezekiel 18:4, King James Version

Ezekiel 18:4 in other translations

BSBBehold, every soul belongs to Me; both father and son are Mine. The soul who sins is the one who will die.
WEBBehold, 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.
ASVBehold, 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.
YLTLo, all the souls are Mine, As the soul of the father, So also the soul of the son--they are Mine, The soul that is sinning--it doth die.
DARBYBehold, all the 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.
BBESee, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so the soul of the son is mine: death will be the fate of the sinner's soul.
WebsterBehold, 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.

What does Ezekiel 18:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. all souls are mine--Therefore I can deal with all, being My own creation, as I please (Jr 18:6). As the Creator of all alike I can have no reason, but the principle of equity, according to men's works, to make any difference, so as to punish some, and to save others (Ge 18:25). "The soul that sinneth it shall die." The curse descending from father to son assumes guilt shared in by the son; there is a natural tendency in the child to follow the sin of his father, and so he shares in the father's punishment: hence the principles of God's government, involved in Ex 20:5 and Jr 15:4, are justified. The sons, therefore (as the Jews here), cannot complain of being unjustly afflicted by God (La 5:7); for they filled up the guilt of their fathers (Mt 23:32, 34-36). The same God who "recompenses the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children," is immediately after set forth as "giving to every man according to his ways" (Jr 32:18, 19). In the same law (Ex 20:5) which "visited the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation" (where the explanation is added, "of them that hate me," that is, the children hating God, as well as their fathers: the former being too likely to follow their parents, sin going down with cumulative force from parent to child), we find (De 24:16), "the fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither the children for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin." The inherited guilt of sin in infants (Ro 5:14) is an awful fact, but one met by the atonement of Christ; but it is of adults that he speaks here. Whatever penalties fall on communities for connection with sins of their fathers, individual adults who repent shall escape (2Ki 23:25, 26). This was no new thing, as some misinterpret the passage here; it had been always God's principle to punish only the guilty, and not also the innocent, for the sins of their fathers. God does not here change the principle of His administration, but is merely about to manifest it so personally to each that the Jews should no longer throw on God and on their fathers the blame which was their own. soul that sinneth, it shall die--and it alone (Ro 6:23); not also the innocent.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 All souls are mine - Equally so; I am the Father of the spirits of all flesh, and shall deal impartially with the whole. The soul that sinneth, it shall die - None shall die for another's crimes, none shall be saved by another's righteousness. Here is the general judgment relative to the righteousness and unrighteousness of men, and the influence of one man's state on that of another; particularly in respect to their moral conduct.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 18:1-20

God has no respect of persons. (Ezek 18:1-20) The Divine providence is vindicated. (Ezek 18:21-29) A gracious invitation to repentance. (Ezek 18:30-32) Verses 1-20 The soul that sinneth it shall die. As to eternity, every man was, is, and will be dealt with, as his conduct shows him to have been under the old covenant of works, or the new covenant of grace. Whatever outward sufferings come upon men through the sins…

Read the full comment on Ezekiel 18:1-20 →

Ezekiel 18:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הֵ֤ןhenhere!H2005
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הַנְּפָשׁוֹת֙ha.ne.fa.shOt<the> livesH5315
לִ֣יli[belong] to me
הֵ֔נָּהHe.nahtheyH2007
כְּנֶ֧פֶשׁke.Ne.feshas [the] life ofH5315
הָאָ֛בha.'Avthe parentH1
וּכְנֶ֥פֶשׁu.khe.Ne.feshand as [the] life ofH5315
הַבֵּ֖ןha.Benthe childH1121
לִי\־li-[belong] to me
הֵ֑נָּהHe.nahtheyH2007
הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁha.Ne.feshthe soulH5315
הַחֹטֵ֖אתha.cho.Tetwhich sinsH2398
הִ֥יאhi'itH1931
תָמֽוּת\׃\ \סta.Mutit will dieH4191

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ezekiel 18:4

  • Ezekiel 18:20

    The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

  • Romans 6:23

    For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

  • Numbers 16:22

    And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

  • Hebrews 12:9

    Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

  • Galatians 3:10-13

    For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

  • Zechariah 12:1

    The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

  • Galatians 3:22

    But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

  • Numbers 27:16

    Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,

  • Isaiah 42:5

    Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
all souls.
Nu 16:22; 27:16; Zec 12:1; Heb 12:9
the soul that.
20; Ro 6:23; Ga 3:10-13,22

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ezekiel 18:3

    As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

  • Ezekiel 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.

  • Ezekiel 18:5

    But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

Read all of Ezekiel 18

Ezekiel 18:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		He aquí que todas las almas son mías; como el alma del padre, así el alma del hijo es mía; el alma que pecare, esa morirá.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Voici, toutes les âmes sont à moi; comme l’âme du père, ainsi aussi l’âme du fils est à moi: l’âme qui péchera, celle-là mourra.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Siehe, alle Seelen sind mein; wie die Seele des Vaters, so auch die Seele des Sohnes: Sie sind mein; die Seele, welche sündigt, die soll sterben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ecce omnes animæ meæ sunt: ut anima patris, ita et anima filii mea est: anima quæ peccaverit, ipsa morietur.