Now suppose that man has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these things,
Parallel translations
- WEB “If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things,
- KJV If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,
- ESV “If he fathers a son who is violent, a shedder of blood, who does any of these things
- NKJV “If he begets a son who is a robber Or a shedder of blood, Who does any of these things
- NASB “However, he may father a violent son who sheds blood, and does any one of these things to a brother
- NLT “But suppose that man has a son who grows up to be a robber or murderer and refuses to do what is right.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Now God describes a violent son of the righteous man, a robber who sheds blood. A godly father's faith is not automatically inherited.
Overview
The second case is a wicked son who commits violence and bloodshed, unlike his righteous father. This directly counters the proverb of inherited guilt by reversing it. Each generation stands or falls on its own response to God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Exod 21:12Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
- Lev 19:13You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.
- John 18:40“Not this man,” they shouted, “but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was an insurrectionist.)
- Gen 9:5–6And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man:
- Num 35:31You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.
- Mal 3:8–9Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings.
- 1 Jn 3:12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.
- Exod 22:2If a thief is caught breaking in and is beaten to death, no one shall be guilty of bloodshed.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 18:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.