Ezekiel 18:2-3

18:2 “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?’ ¹ 

18:3 “As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, ²  you will not quote this proverb in Israel anymore!

Ezekiel 18:1

Individual Retribution

18:1 The word of the Lord came to me:

Ezekiel 24:13

24:13 You mix uncleanness with obscene conduct. ³ 

I tried to cleanse you, ⁴  but you are not clean.

You will not be cleansed from your uncleanness ⁵ 

until I have exhausted my anger on you.

[18:2]  ¹ tn This word only occurs here and in the parallel passage in Jer 31:29-30 in the Qal stem and in Eccl 10:10 in the Piel stem. In the latter passage it refers to the bluntness of an ax that has not been sharpened. Here the idea is of the “bluntness” of the teeth, not from having ground them down due to the bitter taste of sour grapes but to the fact that they have lost their “edge,” “bite,” or “sharpness” because they are numb from the sour taste. For this meaning for the word, see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:197.

[18:3]  ² tn This expression occurs often in Ezekiel (5:11; 14:16, 18, 20; 16:48; 17:16, 19; 20:3, 31, 33; 33:11, 27; 34:8; 35:6, 11).

[24:13]  ³ tn Heb “in your uncleanness (is) obscene conduct.”

[24:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “because I cleansed you.” In this context (see especially the very next statement), the statement must refer to divine intention and purpose. Despite God’s efforts to cleanse his people, they resisted him and remained morally impure.

[24:13]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text adds the word “again.”