Ezekiel 18:4 (KJV)

Passage

Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Nearby Context

Ezekiel 18:2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?

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

Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Ezekiel 18:5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

Ezekiel 18:6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "souls", "mine", and "father". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "souls", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "As I live saith the Lord GOD..." into verse 5's "But if a man be just and...", so "behold" and "souls" belong inside that flow. In Ezekiel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "behold" and "souls" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.