Ezekiel 18:1

Study note

Setting — The LORD speaks to Ezekiel, delivering a prophetic message immediately before the people voice a complaint about inherited guilt. This opening formula establishes divine authority for the immediate rebuttal of their proverb.

The words — The phrase דְבַר יְהוָה (de.var Yah.weh) literally means "word of Yahweh," and וַ/יְהִ֥י (va/y.Hi) translates as "and it came," marking the formal arrival of a divine utterance.

The thread — This verse introduces a prophetic oracle addressing communal responsibility, continuing the theme of individual accountability that runs through Ezekiel 18:2-32. The formulaic delivery signals a direct divine response to the people's quoted saying.

Why it lands — It demands the reader recognize that the following message originates from authoritative divine speech rather than human tradition. The verse requires immediate attention to the content that follows, treating the incoming word as the sole basis for judgment.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.