Through his prophet the Lord rebuts a popular proverb that God holds the succeeding generation accountable for the sins of the previous generation (18:2). If the children’s teeth (those in exile?) are set on edge, it is because they have eaten sour grapes, and not their fathers. After disposing of this misconception, Ezekiel constructs a theological/legal argument in support of the thesis of individual responsibility. To establish his case, he uses a three-generational model. The first generation is represented by the righteous father (18:5–9). He is characterized by no fewer than twelve virtues. He is free of cultic, sexual, and sociomoral sins. Verses 10–13 deal with the second generation, the son. Unlike his father, he is a renegade. He defiantly breaks the laws of the Lord. In such a …