But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.
Every person answers for his own wrongdoing and dies for his own sin, with the sour grape showing that the one who eats it is the one whose teeth are set on edge. It brings to an end the saying that the fathers ate a sour grape and the children's teeth are set on edge, rejecting the thought that children are put to death for their parents' or mother's sins, after a captivity in which children suffered with guilty parents for sins they had not themselves committed. It stands in the promise of the new covenant to Israel and Judah, in which God's law is written in heart and spirit, bringing individual accountability under the gospel, a promise fulfilled and established at Christ's first coming and not reserved for a future age. That covenant was ratified by Christ's death and confirmed to both houses through the last week of special confirmation, from His ministry to the lost sheep of Israel until the gospel turned to the Gentiles, while He ministers as High Priest and Mediator to forgive even transgressions under the first covenant and send the gospel from Jerusalem to all nations. This accountability does not deny that children feel the physical and moral effects of their parents' vices and inherit from Adam a mortal nature, with evil tendencies that may largely be overcome by good surroundings and habits, yet final death comes for personal sin and not merely by descent. No national covenant at Sinai can save anyone by pledged obedience, since those saved then and now are saved individually by faith in Christ, receiving forgiveness and having God's law written within so that its righteousness is fulfilled in them.
Personal Accountability and Setting
Everyone will die for his own wrongdoing, with no one dying for another's sin. The sour-grape image means the eater himself feels the sharp edge on his own teeth, rather than another suffering for it. The former proverb assigning children the consequences of their parents' sins is brought to an end. That proverb — the fathers have eaten a sour grape and the children's teeth are set on edge — is what the people say, not what God ever said. It is thereby rejected that children should be killed for their mother's sins.
In the earlier captivity children suffered alongside their parents for the parents' sins though the children were not guilty of those sins. A coming time ends that pattern of inherited punishment, when each bears his own guilt and consequences for his own wrongdoing. The prophecy has its general application to the time of the Babylonian captivity and exile.
It belongs to the weeping prophet's message in Judah amid false prophets, utter repudiation of God's law and righteousness, and persecutions of Jeremiah himself. It is left on record to show the enormity of sin and its sure consequences. This part of Jeremiah is not arranged chronologically and its book order is broken up. In time order, as part of the section from chapter 20 onward, it follows chapters 24 and 29 and 30 and comes before chapters 27, 28 and 21.
New Covenant Promise Fulfilled
Under the gospel dispensation the old saying about inherited consequences gives way to individual accountability, so that each person answers for personal wrongdoing and dies for his own iniquity rather than suffering for the sins of parents. The sour-grape image marks that change, showing the new-covenant order in which responsibility rests on the one who commits the sin.
The verse stands in a chapter that foretells the new covenant, whose people receive God's law written in their hearts and spirits. That promise made with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah was fulfilled and established at Christ's first coming, not reserved for a future age. It was ratified through Christ's death and confirmed to both houses before the gospel went to the Gentiles.
The confirmation came through the last week of special covenant confirmation cut off upon Israel and Judah in the seventy weeks, beginning with Christ's preaching to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and ending when the apostles turned to the Gentiles. The gospel of the kingdom had first to be spoken at Jerusalem and to the Jews, which proves the covenant was made with them, with Christ ministering as High Priest and Mediator to bring forgiveness even for transgressions under the first covenant, and then extending from them to all nations and to Gentiles. The verse also stands in the promise of return to Zion with songs and everlasting joy, and that return is altogether a type of the gospel dispensation.
Individual Responsibility Applied
Each one dies for his own wrongdoing, and the sour grape image means the teeth set on edge are the teeth of the one who ate it, not punishment laid on a child as if a parent's sin were the child's own. This does not mean children escape what their parents pass down, for acquired evil tendencies can be transmitted and shape the child's nature. Those inherited effects may still be largely overcome through a favorable environment and the forming of good habits.
The saying that the fathers ate a sour grape and the children's teeth are set on edge is what the people say, not what God ever said, and the promise is that no son bears the punishment due his father for his father's sin. The promise does not end the second commandment's visiting of the fathers' iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation, because that visiting is the physical and moral effects of the fathers' vices seen in the children. That transmission of effects remains just as true under the gospel as under the former dispensation so long as sin is passed from father to son. Personal accountability was already God's rule under the old covenant, and the ceasing of the saying belongs to the time when God watches over Israel and Judah to build and to plant after plucking up and destroying.
Death is not entailed merely by descent from Adam, for final destruction comes for personal sins. What is inherited from Adam in consequence of sin is a mortal, dying nature, while every one dies for his own iniquity.
No national covenant saves individuals, for the covenant made with Israel at Sinai rested only on the people's own promises and proved that man has no power in himself to do God's will. Those who were saved then were saved individually by faith in Christ to come, receiving forgiveness of sins and having God's law written in heart and mind so that they obeyed God from the heart. The same is true now, for those who try to keep God's law in their own strength perish by the way. Those who by faith receive Christ's righteousness and life have the righteousness of the law fulfilled in them and obey God in every known duty.
Every person answers for his own wrongdoing and dies for his own sin, with the sour grape showing that the one who eats it is the one whose teeth are set on edge. It brings to an end the saying that the fathers ate a sour grape and the children's teeth are set on edge, rejecting the thought that children are put to death for their parents' or mother's sins, after a captivity in which children suffered with guilty parents for sins they had not themselves committed. It stands in the promise of the new covenant to Israel and Judah, in which God's law is written in heart and spirit, bringing individual accountability under the gospel, a promise fulfilled and established at Christ's first coming and not reserved for a future age. That covenant was ratified by Christ's death and confirmed to both houses through the last week of special confirmation, from His ministry to the lost sheep of Israel until the gospel turned to the Gentiles, while He ministers as High Priest and Mediator to forgive even transgressions under the first covenant and send the gospel from Jerusalem to all nations. This accountability does not deny that children feel the physical and moral effects of their parents' vices and inherit from Adam a mortal nature, with evil tendencies that may largely be overcome by good surroundings and habits, yet final death comes for personal sin and not merely by descent. No national covenant at Sinai can save anyone by pledged obedience, since those saved then and now are saved individually by faith in Christ, receiving forgiveness and having God's law written within so that its righteousness is fulfilled in them.
Personal Accountability and Setting
Everyone will die for his own wrongdoing, with no one dying for another's sin. The sour-grape image means the eater himself feels the sharp edge on his own teeth, rather than another suffering for it. The former proverb assigning children the consequences of their parents' sins is brought to an end. That proverb — the fathers have eaten a sour grape and the children's teeth are set on edge — is what the people say, not what God ever said. It is thereby rejected that children should be killed for their mother's sins.
In the earlier captivity children suffered alongside their parents for the parents' sins though the children were not guilty of those sins. A coming time ends that pattern of inherited punishment, when each bears his own guilt and consequences for his own wrongdoing. The prophecy has its general application to the time of the Babylonian captivity and exile.
It belongs to the weeping prophet's message in Judah amid false prophets, utter repudiation of God's law and righteousness, and persecutions of Jeremiah himself. It is left on record to show the enormity of sin and its sure consequences. This part of Jeremiah is not arranged chronologically and its book order is broken up. In time order, as part of the section from chapter 20 onward, it follows chapters 24 and 29 and 30 and comes before chapters 27, 28 and 21.
New Covenant Promise Fulfilled
Under the gospel dispensation the old saying about inherited consequences gives way to individual accountability, so that each person answers for personal wrongdoing and dies for his own iniquity rather than suffering for the sins of parents. The sour-grape image marks that change, showing the new-covenant order in which responsibility rests on the one who commits the sin.
The verse stands in a chapter that foretells the new covenant, whose people receive God's law written in their hearts and spirits. That promise made with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah was fulfilled and established at Christ's first coming, not reserved for a future age. It was ratified through Christ's death and confirmed to both houses before the gospel went to the Gentiles.
The confirmation came through the last week of special covenant confirmation cut off upon Israel and Judah in the seventy weeks, beginning with Christ's preaching to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and ending when the apostles turned to the Gentiles. The gospel of the kingdom had first to be spoken at Jerusalem and to the Jews, which proves the covenant was made with them, with Christ ministering as High Priest and Mediator to bring forgiveness even for transgressions under the first covenant, and then extending from them to all nations and to Gentiles. The verse also stands in the promise of return to Zion with songs and everlasting joy, and that return is altogether a type of the gospel dispensation.
Individual Responsibility Applied
Each one dies for his own wrongdoing, and the sour grape image means the teeth set on edge are the teeth of the one who ate it, not punishment laid on a child as if a parent's sin were the child's own. This does not mean children escape what their parents pass down, for acquired evil tendencies can be transmitted and shape the child's nature. Those inherited effects may still be largely overcome through a favorable environment and the forming of good habits.
The saying that the fathers ate a sour grape and the children's teeth are set on edge is what the people say, not what God ever said, and the promise is that no son bears the punishment due his father for his father's sin. The promise does not end the second commandment's visiting of the fathers' iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation, because that visiting is the physical and moral effects of the fathers' vices seen in the children. That transmission of effects remains just as true under the gospel as under the former dispensation so long as sin is passed from father to son. Personal accountability was already God's rule under the old covenant, and the ceasing of the saying belongs to the time when God watches over Israel and Judah to build and to plant after plucking up and destroying.
Death is not entailed merely by descent from Adam, for final destruction comes for personal sins. What is inherited from Adam in consequence of sin is a mortal, dying nature, while every one dies for his own iniquity.
No national covenant saves individuals, for the covenant made with Israel at Sinai rested only on the people's own promises and proved that man has no power in himself to do God's will. Those who were saved then were saved individually by faith in Christ to come, receiving forgiveness of sins and having God's law written in heart and mind so that they obeyed God from the heart. The same is true now, for those who try to keep God's law in their own strength perish by the way. Those who by faith receive Christ's righteousness and life have the righteousness of the law fulfilled in them and obey God in every known duty.