King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
[That] hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife,
Complete Jewish Bible:
He doesn't eat on the mountains, raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Isra'el, defile his neighbor's wife,
Berean Standard Bible:
He does not eat at the mountain or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
American Standard Version:
that hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbor’s wife,
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
That hath not eaten{H398} upon the mountains{H2022}, neither hath lifted up{H5375} his eyes{H5869} to the idols{H1544} of the house{H1004} of Israel{H3478}, hath not defiled{H2930} his neighbour's{H7453} wife{H802},
Cross-References (KJV):
Ezekiel 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,
Ezekiel 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;
Ezekiel 18:11
- And that doeth not any of those [duties], but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,
Ezekiel 18:13
- Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
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Commentary for Ezekiel 18:15
Ezekiel 18:15 is a part of the larger passage in Ezekiel that deals with the concept of individual responsibility and the fairness of divine justice. This verse, in particular, is situated within a discourse where Ezekiel is refuting a popular proverb of the time that suggested the fathers eat sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge, meaning that children suffer for the sins of their fathers. Ezekiel counters this by asserting that every individual is accountable for their own actions, not the actions of others.
The historical context of this verse is set during the Babylonian exile, a period when the people of Judah were either in exile in Babylon or under Babylonian rule in Judah. During this tumultuous time, the people were grappling with the reasons for their national disaster. The prevailing belief was that the exile was a punishment for the sins of previous generations.
In Ezekiel 18:15, the themes of moral purity and fidelity to God are emphasized. The verse describes a righteous person who has avoided common pagan practices of the time, such as idolatry and adultery. "Not eating upon the mountains" refers to partaking in idolatrous feasts that were typically held on high places or hilltops, which were common in the ancient Near East. "Not lifting up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel" indicates refraining from worshiping the false gods that had led many Israelites astray. Additionally, "not defiling his neighbour's wife" speaks to the commandment against adultery, upholding the sanctity of marriage and community relationships.
Ezekiel's message here is one of personal accountability and the assurance that each person's fate is determined by their own actions, not by the sins or righteousness of their ancestors. This was a radical shift in thinking for the Israelites and it served to redefine their understanding of God's justice and mercy. It also provided a path for personal and national restoration through repentance and obedience to God's laws.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H398
There are 825 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָכַל
Transliteration: ʼâkal
Pronunciation: aw-kal'
Description: a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively); [idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite. - Strong's Number: H2022
There are 485 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: הַר
Transliteration: har
Pronunciation: har
Description: a shortened form of הָרָר; a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively); hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion. - Strong's Number: H5375
There are 611 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָשָׂא
Transliteration: nâsâʼ
Pronunciation: naw-saw'
Description: or נָסָה; (Psalm 4:6 (אֲבַד)), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative; accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ([phrase] man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, [idiom] needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, [phrase] swear, take (away, up), [idiom] utterly, wear, yield. - Strong's Number: H5869
There are 830 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עַיִן
Transliteration: ʻayin
Pronunciation: ah'-yin
Description: probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape); affliction, outward appearance, [phrase] before, [phrase] think best, colour, conceit, [phrase] be content, countenance, [phrase] displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, [phrase] favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), [idiom] him, [phrase] humble, knowledge, look, ([phrase] well), [idiom] me, open(-ly), [phrase] (not) please, presence, [phrase] regard, resemblance, sight, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them, [phrase] think, [idiom] us, well, [idiom] you(-rselves). - Strong's Number: H1544
There are 45 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גִּלּוּל
Transliteration: gillûwl
Pronunciation: ghil-lool'
Description: or (shortened) גִּלֻּל; from גָּלַל; properly, a log (as round); by implication, an idol; idol. - Strong's Number: H1004
There are 1718 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בַּיִת
Transliteration: bayith
Pronunciation: bah'-yith
Description: probably from בָּנָה abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.); court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out). - Strong's Number: H3478
There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl
Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale'
Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel. - Strong's Number: H2930
There are 142 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: טָמֵא
Transliteration: ṭâmêʼ
Pronunciation: taw-may'
Description: a primitive root; to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated); defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, [idiom] utterly. - Strong's Number: H7453
There are 173 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רֵעַ
Transliteration: rêaʻ
Pronunciation: ray'-ah
Description: or רֵיעַ; from רָעָה; an associate (more or less close); brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, [idiom] (an-) other. - Strong's Number: H802
There are 729 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִשָּׁה
Transliteration: ʼishshâh
Pronunciation: ish-shaw'
Description: feminine of אִישׁ or אֱנוֹשׁ; irregular plural, נָשִׁים;(used in the same wide sense as אֱנוֹשׁ); a woman; (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.