Contradictions and Paradoxes in Ezekiel 18:3

Check out Contradictions Catalog of Ezekiel 18:3 for the comprehensive list of verses that contradicts Ezekiel 18:3. Some key contradictions and paradoxes are described below.

According to Ezekiel, God is telling the people that they will no longer talk about things being unfair. Instead, everyone will be responsible for their own actions.

Ezekiel 18:3: [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have [occasion] any more to use this proverb in Israel.

Contradiction with Exodus 20:5

This verse contradicts Ezekiel 18:3 by stating that God visits "the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me," implying a generational punishment.

Exodus 20:5: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;

Contradiction with Deuteronomy 5:9

Similar to Exodus 20:5, this verse indicates that children can be punished for the sins of their parents, which contradicts Ezekiel 18:3's message that the proverb of children suffering for their father's sins shall not be used.

Deuteronomy 5:9: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me,

Contradiction with Jeremiah 32:18

This verse mentions that God "recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them," suggesting a continuation of generational consequences contrary to Ezekiel 18:3.

Jeremiah 32:18: Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, [is] his name,

Contradiction with Lamentations 5:7

The verse states, "Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities," highlighting the idea of bearing ancestral guilt, conflicting with Ezekiel 18:3's rejection of this principle.

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

Contradiction with Numbers 14:18

Here, God is described as "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation," supporting a doctrine of inherited punishment, which Ezekiel 18:3 opposes.

Numbers 14:18: The LORD [is] longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation].
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