Ezekiel 18:2
New International Version
“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: “’The parents eat 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’?

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’?

Berean Standard Bible
“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge’?

King James Bible
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 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 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’?

NASB 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 ‘?

NASB 1977
“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’?

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’?

Christian Standard Bible
“What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel: ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel: The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth 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?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Son of man, why do you speak this parable in the land of Israel, and you are saying, ‘The parents ate sour grapes and the teeth of the children are set on edge?’

Brenton Septuagint Translation
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?

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."

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.

English Revised 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?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"What do you mean when you use this proverb about the land of Israel: 'Fathers have eaten sour grapes, and their children's 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.'

International Standard Version
"Why do you cite this proverb when you talk about Israel's land: 'The fathers eat sour grapes but it's their children's teeth that have become numb.'

JPS Tanakh 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?

Literal Standard Version
“What [is it] to you [that] you are using this allegory | Concerning the ground of Israel, saying, | Fathers eat unripe fruit, | And the sons’ teeth are blunted?

Majority Standard Bible
“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge’?

New American Bible
what is the meaning of this proverb you recite in the land of Israel: “Parents eat sour grapes, but the children’s teeth are set on edge”?

NET Bible
"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 Revised Standard Version
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”?

New Heart 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?'

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?

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’?

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?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Proverb about Israel
1Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge’? 3As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.…

Cross References
Job 21:19
It is said that God lays up one's punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so he will know it.

Isaiah 3:15
Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?" declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.

Jeremiah 31:29
"In those days, it will no longer be said: 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.'

Lamentations 5:7
Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their punishment.

Ezekiel 12:22
"Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel: 'The days go by, and every vision fails'?

Ezekiel 16:44
Behold, all who speak in proverbs will quote this proverb about you: 'Like mother, like daughter.'

Ezekiel 18:1
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,


Treasury of Scripture

What mean you, 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?

mean

Ezekiel 17:12
Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;

Isaiah 3:15
What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

Romans 9:20
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

the land

Ezekiel 6:2,3
Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, …

Ezekiel 7:2
Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.

Ezekiel 25:3
And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;

The fathers

Jeremiah 15:4
And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 31:29,30
In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge…

Lamentations 5:7
Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.

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Ezekiel 18
1. God defends his justice
31. and exhorts to repentance














(2) What mean ye?--Almost the same expression occurs in Ezekiel 12:22. The literal translation would be, What is it to you who are using this proverb? and the sense is "Why do you, &c.?" Proverb shows that it was a common saying, a way in which the people habitually sought to shirk the responsibility for their guilt. The same proverb is quoted in Jeremiah 31:29, and condemned in the same way. "Concerning the land" should rather be in the land, i.e., among the people, including both those at Jerusalem and in captivity. The teaching of this chapter concerning individual responsibility is, in one form or another, often repeated by Ezekiel. It is set forth in regard to the prophet and people, in Ezekiel 3:18-21; in regard to those upon whom the mark was set, in Ezekiel 9:4-6; in regard to those who enquire of the Lord, in Ezekiel 14:3-9; and generally the teaching of this chapter is repeated in Ezekiel 33:1-20. . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“What
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

do you people
אַתֶּם֙ (’at·tem)
Pronoun - second person masculine plural
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

mean
לָּכֶ֗ם (lā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

by quoting this
הַזֶּ֔ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

proverb
מֹֽשְׁלִים֙ (mō·šə·lîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 4911: To liken, to use, language, in, to resemble

about
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the land
אַדְמַ֥ת (’aḏ·maṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 127: Ground, land

of Israel:
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

‘The fathers
אָבוֹת֙ (’ā·ḇō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1: Father

eat
יֹ֣אכְלוּ (yō·ḵə·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 398: To eat

sour grapes,
בֹ֔סֶר (ḇō·ser)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1155: Unripe or sour grapes

but the children’s
הַבָּנִ֖ים (hab·bā·nîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

teeth
וְשִׁנֵּ֥י (wə·šin·nê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - cdc
Strong's 8127: A tooth, ivory, a cliff

are set on edge’?
תִּקְהֶֽינָה׃ (tiq·he·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural
Strong's 6949: To be blunt or dull


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 18:2 What do you mean that you use (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 18:1
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