Ezekiel 18:3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
In Scripture, proverbs common amongst the people of Israel were recorded. They were the result of human observation. They were brief encapsulations about life intended to teach something. These proverbs are not to be confused with the Book of Proverbs given by God Himself as Scripture. Instead, these observations were invented by people and passed down as “wisdom.” Here are a few examples.
(1 Samuel 10:12) And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?
(1 Samuel 24:13) As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
(Ezekiel 16:44) Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter.
(Genesis 22:14) And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
- The observation of Abraham is encapsulated in a saying recorded in this verse. “As it is said to this day,” is not to be confused as an inspired word given by the Lord. But rather it is a phrase that teaches the meaning or intent of the name Jehovahjireh.
It is God Himself Who tells Israel to stop repeating this proverb. It was wicked because it communicated the hopelessness of God’s people. They portrayed themselves as “victims” of the sins of their forefathers. God sets Israel straight by rejecting the idea that their distress is a result of generational guilt.
