181 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying , 2 " What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel , saying , ' The fathers eat the sour grapes , But the children's teeth are set on edge '? 3 "As I live ," declares the Lord GOD , "you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore . 4 "Behold , all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die . 5 "But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness , 6 and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel , or defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period - 7 if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge , does not commit robbery , but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing , 8 if he does not lend money on interest or take increase , if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man , 9 if he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully - he is righteous and will surely live ," declares the Lord GOD .
10 "Then he may have a violent son who sheds blood and who does any e of these things to a brother 11 (though he himself did not do any of these things ), that is, he even eats at the mountain shrines, and defiles his neighbor's wife , 12 oppresses the poor and needy , commits robbery , does not restore a pledge , but lifts up his eyes to the idols and commits abomination , 13 he lends money on interest and takes increase ; will he live ? He will not live ! He has committed all these abominations , he will surely be put to death ; his blood will be on his own head. 14 "Now behold , he has a son who has observed all his father's sins which he committed , and observing does not do likewise . 15 "He does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel , or defile his neighbor's wife , 16 or oppress anyone , or retain a pledge , or commit robbery , but he gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing , 17 he keeps his hand from the poor , does not take interest or increase , but executes My ordinances , and walks in My statutes ; he will not die for his father's iniquity , he will surely live . 18 "As for his father , because he practiced extortion , robbed his brother and did what was not good among his people , behold , he will die for his iniquity . 19 "Yet you say , ' Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity ?' When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all My statutes and done them, he shall surely live . 20 "The person who sins will die . The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity , nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity ; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 18:1-20
Commentary on Ezekiel 18:1-20
(Read Ezekiel 18:1-20)
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 of others, they deserve for their own sins all they suffer; and the Lord overrules every event for the eternal good of believers. All souls are in the hand of the great Creator: he will deal with them in justice or mercy; nor will any perish for the sins of another, who is not in some sense worthy of death for his own. We all have sinned, and our souls must be lost, if God deal with us according to his holy law; but we are invited to come to Christ. If a man who had shown his faith by his works, had a wicked son, whose character and conduct were the reverse of his parent's, could it be expected he should escape the Divine vengeance on account of his father's piety? Surely not. And should a wicked man have a son who walked before God as righteous, this man would not perish for his father's sins. If the son was not free from evils in this life, still he should be partaker of salvation. The question here is not about the meritorious ground of justification, but about the Lord's dealings with the righteous and the wicked.