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Read the Bible

English Revised Version

Ezekiel 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?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Children;   Grape;   Heredity;   Infidelity;   Proverbs;   Punishment;   Responsibility;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - Agriculture-Horticulture;   Fruit, Natural;   Grapes;   Heredity;   Parent's Sins;   The Topic Concordance - Execution;   Profit;   Violence;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Vine, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ancestors;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Punishment;   Responsibility;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Repentance;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Grape;   Tooth;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Death;   Ezekiel;   Life;   Teeth;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Death;   Ethics;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Individual;   Man;   Protevangelium;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Proverb;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Lead;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Rapes;   Sour;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Tooth;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Edge;   Eschatology of the Old Testament (with Apocryphal and Apocalyptic Writings);   Ezekiel;   Games;   Imputation;   Proverb;   Sour;   Vine;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Grape;   Right and Righteousness;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel:
Hebrew Names Version
What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning Eretz-Yisra'el, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
King James Version
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?
English Standard Version
"What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?
New American Standard Bible
"What do you people mean by using this proverb about the land of Israel, saying, 'The fathers eat sour grapes, But it is the children's teeth that have become blunt'?
New Century Version
"What do you mean by using this saying about the land of Israel: ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, and that caused the children to grind their teeth from the sour taste'?
Amplified Bible
"What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, 'The fathers eat sour grapes [they sin], But the children's teeth are set on edge'?
World English Bible
What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
Geneva Bible (1587)
What meane ye that ye speake this prouerbe, concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes, and the childrens teeth are set on edge?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"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'?
Legacy Standard Bible
"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'?
Berean Standard Bible
"What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: 'The fathers eat sour grapes, but the children's teeth are set on edge'?
Contemporary English Version
Ezekiel, I hear the people of Israel using the old saying, "Sour grapes eaten by parents leave a sour taste in the mouths of their children."
Complete Jewish Bible
"What does it mean, that you keep quoting this proverb in the land of Isra'el — ‘When parents eat sour grapes, their children's teeth are set on edge'?
Darby Translation
What mean ye, ye who use this proverb of the land of Israel, saying, [The] fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
Easy-to-Read Version
"Why do you people say this proverb: ‘The parents ate the sour grapes, but the children got the sour taste'?"
George Lamsa Translation
Son of man, why do you use this proverb in the land of Israel, saying, The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the childrens teeth are set on edge?
Good News Translation
and said, "What is this proverb people keep repeating in the land of Israel? ‘The parents ate the sour grapes, But the children got the sour taste.'
Lexham English Bible
"What do you mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers, they ate unripe fruit, and the teeth of the child became blunt.'
Literal Translation
What is it to you that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the teeth of the sons are dull?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
what meane ye by this comon prouerbe, that ye vse in the londe of Israel, sayenge: The fathers haue eaten soure grapes, and the childres teth are set on edge?
American Standard Version
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?
Bible in Basic English
Why do you make use of this saying about the land of Israel, The fathers have been tasting bitter grapes and the children's teeth are on edge?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'What mean ye, that ye use this proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
King James Version (1611)
What meane ye that yee vse this prouerbe concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes, and the childrens teeth are set on edge?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
What meane ye by this comon prouerbe that ye vse in the lande of Israel, saying: The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes, and the chyldrens teeth are set on edge?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Son of man, what mean ye by this parable among the children of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten unripe grapes, and the children’s teeth have been set on edge?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he seide, What is it, that ye turnen a parable among you in to this prouerbe, in the lond of Israel, and seien, Fadris eeten a bittir grape, and the teeth of sones ben an egge, ether astonyed?
Update Bible Version
What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the sons are set on edge?
Webster's Bible Translation
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?
New English Translation
"What do you mean by quoting this proverb concerning the land of Israel, "‘The fathers eat sour grapes And the children's teeth become numb?'
New King James Version
"What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge'?
New Living Translation
"Why do you quote this proverb concerning the land of Israel: ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children's mouths pucker at the taste'?
New Life Bible
"What do you mean by using this saying about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers eat the sour grapes, but the children get the sour taste'?
New Revised Standard
What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge"?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
What occasion have ye, to be using this proverb, concerning the so of Israel, saying, - Fathers eat sour grapes, And the children's teeth are blunted?
Douay-Rheims Bible
That you use among you this parable as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.
Revised Standard Version
"What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?
Young's Literal Translation
`What -- to you, ye -- using this simile Concerning the ground of Israel, saying: Fathers do eat unripe fruit, And the sons' teeth are blunted?

Contextual Overview

1 The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, 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? 3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. 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. 5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, 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 woman in her separation; 7 and hath not wronged 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; 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, 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

mean: Ezekiel 17:12, Isaiah 3:15, Romans 9:20

the land: Ezekiel 6:2, Ezekiel 6:3, Ezekiel 7:2, Ezekiel 25:3, Ezekiel 36:1-6, Ezekiel 37:11, Ezekiel 37:19, Ezekiel 37:25

The fathers: Jeremiah 15:4, Jeremiah 31:29, Jeremiah 31:30, Lamentations 5:7, Matthew 23:36

Reciprocal: Leviticus 26:39 - and also Job 40:2 - he that reproveth Ezekiel 12:22 - what Ezekiel 16:44 - every Ezekiel 18:29 - General Hosea 7:13 - spoken Jonah 1:6 - What Acts 21:13 - What

Cross-References

Genesis 18:3
and said, My lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
Genesis 18:6
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.
Genesis 18:7
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hasted to dress it.
Genesis 18:11
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
Genesis 18:16
And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
Genesis 19:1
And the two angels came to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth;
Genesis 23:7
And Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
Genesis 32:24
And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
Genesis 43:26
And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down themselves to him to the earth.
Genesis 43:28
And they said, Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive. And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel,.... This is spoken to the Jews in Babylon, who used the following proverb concerning the land of Israel; not the ten tribes, but the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, concerning the desolation of the land, and the hardships the Jews laboured under, since the captivity of Jeconiah, and they became subject to the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar: this expostulation with them suggests that they had no just cause, or true reason, to make use of the proverb; that it was impious, impudent, and insolent in them, and daring and dangerous; and that they did not surely well consider what they said. The proverb follows:

saying, the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? that is, as the Targum explains it,

"the fathers have sinned, and the children are smitten,''

or punished, as the ten tribes for the sins of Jeroboam, and the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin for the sins of Manasseh; hereby wiping themselves clean; and as if they were innocent persons, and free from sin, and were only punished for their forefathers' sins, and so charging God with injustice and cruelty; whereas, though the Lord threatened to visit the iniquity of parents upon their children, and sometimes did so, to deter parents from sinning, lest they should entail a curse, and bring ruin upon their posterity; yet he never did this but when children followed their fathers' practices, and committed the same sins, or worse; so that this was no act of unrighteousness in God, but rather an instance of his patience and long suffering; see

Jeremiah 31:29.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Concerning the land of Israel - Rather, “in the land of Israel,” i. e., upon Israel’s soil, the last place where such a paganish saying should be expected. The saying was general among the people both in Palestine and in exile; and expressed the excuse wherewith they ascribed their miserable condition to anyone’s fault but their own - to a blind fate such as the pagan recognized, instead of the discriminating judgment of an All-holy God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 18:2. The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? — We have seen this proverb already, Jeremiah 31:29, &c., and have considered its general meaning. But the subject is here proposed in greater detail, with a variety of circumstances, to adapt it to all those cases to which it should apply. It refers simply to these questions: How far can the moral evil of the parent be extended to his offspring? And, Are the faults and evil propensities of the parents, not only transferred to the children, but punished in them? Do parents transfer their evil nature, and are their children punished for their offences?


 
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