top of page
Search

Does Ezekiel 18:20 Contradict Exodus 20:5?

There are various reasons a person may offer when asked why they can't accept Christianity. From the problem of evil to the problem of miracles, one of the most common reasons is that the Bible supposedly is full of contradicting verses and passages. Many of these contradictions simply are non-existent and are the result of various mistakes we (modern people) make when reading ancient literature.1 Most often, analyzing the context effectively resolves these "contradictions," and this holds true for this article as well. Addressing every alleged contradiction would require multiple volumes, and many extensive works have already been dedicated to this topic.


Despite previous works, the contradiction in focus today is that between Exodus 20:5 and Ezekiel 18:20.


"...punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me." (Exodus 20:5b)

Exodus seems to be saying, says the critic, that God will punish the children of men for generations. It seems like people's children are punished for the sins of their parents, which seems to directly contradict Ezekiel 18:20.


"The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son." (Ezekiel 18:20)

Ezekiel explicitly says that the children do not, in fact, bear the sins of their parents. It is blatantly obvious that there is a direct contradiction here, but is it genuine? On the surface, it may seem so, but once we understand the context of the passages, this issue will be resolved and non-existent. Long story short, these verses are describing different aspects of how sin affects individuals and those around them. Both Ezekiel and Exodus are expanding on the overall concept of sin by focusing on specific aspects of it; that being an individual's accountability with God, and the social effects that sin has on us all.


Exodus 20:5


"You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me..."

Exodus 20:5 highlights God's uncompromising holiness and the consequences of sin, which last for about three to four generations. While Ezekiel is talking about a person's accountability with relation to their own choices, Exodus is informing us that the social consequences of sin are "visited" on the children.2 In antiquity, men were the dominant figures of the family. So that if a father turned to idolatry, their wife and children would follow suit, which affects the following generations, being raised into this belief that lasts for a few generations.3 The wording, in the second half alone and with no context, may seem like it is God who is directly punishing the children. But this verse is part of the first commandment, "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). But this is in line with Romans 1:24-28, which describes God giving people over to their sinful desires to reap the natural fruit it yields in their lives (Psalm 81:11-12, Galatians 6:7-8).


“Although this verse seems to say that God punishes children for the sins of their parents, that is not the case… A parent’s substance abuse, manipulation, or other dysfunctional behaviour establishes a pattern that children model as they mature…”4

Children often mimic or repeat the actions and beliefs of their parents. So in the context of this verse, if a man decides to worship an idol, his family will most certainly do the same and be under the same judgment as their father. And this makes sense, as the Hebrew word for visiting in Exodus 20:5 is Poqed (פֹּקֵד), and it carries the meaning of affliction, or to hand something over. God also says that these effects last around 3-4 generations, and this is supported by modern data, where immigrants in a new culture take about three to four generations to fully assimilate into it and away from their original culture.5 If a man changes the worship focus of his family, the first generation will follow their father; the next may partake in some of their father's sins, but may also be skeptical of it (especially later on in Israel's history with the prophets speaking on God's behalf and warning about sin); the last would perhaps (1) forgotten the original sins of their grandfather and thus not participate, (2) observed the mistakes of their father's and repent to make it right, or (3) simply continue in their father's sin.


Exodus 20:5 is the first of the Ten Commandments, describing the social consequences of sin for those who go against the LORD (that being their children, who most likely continue in their sin).


Ezekiel 18:20


"The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them."

By contrast, Ezekiel 18:20 states that The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son,” which highlights that punishment for one's sins is borne by that person's choice to sin. 6 This is speaking about personal accountability, and that no child bears the guilt for their parent's transgression, but they will still be affected by it. If a father or mother chooses to use drugs, their children will not be held accountable to God for their parents' actions, but the results of their father's sin will affect them and their lives. They themselves may begin to use drugs, or become bitter towards their father and by extension, other people, and even God. This may affect their future relationships and marriages.


So the father's actions do not condemn his children, but the way it may affect them and their individual choices will lead to their own self-condemnation. It depends on the child's reaction to their father's sin, not their father's sin directly. It then continues to talk about how a child will not be condemned if they choose to live righteously (verses 21-24), which assumes personal accountability for sin and does not assume the natural effects of it (like Exodus 20:5). Ezekiel 18 is speaking about one's accountability before God, and Exodus 20:3-5 is talking about the lasting effects that sin has on us, our family and friends, and those around us.7 A person will not be judged based on their parents' sin; they will, on the other hand, experience the effects from the judgment their parents receive via the social effects of sin.


The Key Is In The Context


But what about original sin, asks the critic, how can that be harmonized with Ezekiel 18:20? Don't people inherit sin from Adam? This question, though valid, is confusing the doctrine of original sin. This means that through Adam's sin, our world was corrupted, so that mankind is born into a broken and corrupted state, far from the "good" state God created Adam and Eve in (Genesis 1:31). We actually see a sort of age of recognition/accountability elsewhere in scripture, a time before a person matures to a point in their life where they can understand the concept of sin against God, right and wrong, thus condemning them by their own choices (2 Samuel 12:15-23). So, no, this verse does not contradict the doctrine of original sin or personal accountability.


When we examine the context of the passage, we can clearly see how the "contradiction" has been resolved, and upon further examination, actually never existed. The resolution lies in understanding the difference between guilt before God and the natural consequences of our choices. Exodus 20:5 is basically saying that children will repeat the sins of their fathers, while Ezekiel 18:20 is informing the children that they do not have to partake in the same sins as their fathers, abstaining them from condemnation of those same sins.


"Children are akin to their parents and tend to repeat the sins of their forebears, so God “punishing the children” is simply another way of saying that the children are repeating the fathers’ sins."6
"...The result can be a repetition of their parents’ emotional brokeness leading to conflict, divorce, poverty, or other conditions that make their children’s, and even their grandchildren’s, lives difficult.”4

The cycle of idolatry and its social consequences continues, but can be broken when a younger generation turns to God in repentant faith.3 Both of these verses are making true statements about sin: the generational consequences (or curse) flow from parental sin, but the individual's guilt remains a personal choice. There is no contradiction, but rather, they complement each other, expanding our understanding of sin and how it operates in our lives. (Ezekiel 18:14-17, Jeremiah 31:29-30, Galations 3:13, Romans 8:1-2, 2 Corinthians 5:17)



(2) (Douglas A. Jacoby, Your Bible Questions Answered: Clear, Concise, Compelling)

(3) (John F. MacArthur Jr., Safe in the Arms of God: Truth from Heaven about the Death of a Child, pgs 42–43.)

(4) (See, Holman, The Apologetics Study Bible, pg 96, n. 20:5)

(6) (Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered [Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2002–2013])

(7)  (Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, The Big Book of Bible Difficulties: Clear and Concise Answers from Genesis to Revelation, pg 285)





Comments

bottom of page