Ezekiel 9:2

9:2 Next, I noticed ¹  six men ²  coming from the direction of the upper gate ³  which faces north, each with his war club in his hand. Among them was a man dressed in linen with a writing kit ⁴  at his side. They came and stood beside the bronze altar.

Ezekiel 18:20

18:20 The person who sins is the one who will die. A son will not suffer ⁵  for his father’s iniquity, and a father will not suffer ⁶  for his son’s iniquity; the righteous person will be judged according to his righteousness, and the wicked person according to his wickedness. ⁷ 

Ezekiel 20:39

20:39 “‘As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Each of you go and serve your idols, ⁸  if you will not listen to me. ⁹  But my holy name will not be profaned ¹⁰  again by your sacrifices ¹¹  and your idols.

[9:2]  ¹ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[9:2]  ² sn The six men plus the scribe would equal seven, which was believed by the Babylonians to be the number of planetary deities.

[9:2]  ³ sn The upper gate was built by Jotham (2 Kgs 15:35).

[9:2]  ⁴ tn Or “a scribe’s inkhorn.” The Hebrew term occurs in the OT only in Ezek 9 and is believed to be an Egyptian loanword.

[18:20]  ⁵ tn Heb “lift up, bear.”

[18:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “lift up, bear.”

[18:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “the righteousness of the righteous one will be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked one will be upon him.”

[20:39]  ⁹ sn Compare the irony here to Amos 4:4 and Jer 44:25.

[20:39]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and after, if you will not listen to me.” The translation leaves out “and after” for smoothness. The text is difficult. M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 1:374) suggests that it may mean “but afterwards, if you will not listen to me…” with an unspoken threat.

[20:39]  ¹¹ sn A similar concept may be found in Lev 18:21; 20:3.

[20:39]  ¹² tn Or “gifts.”