Ezekiel 33:1-20

Ezekiel as Israel's Watchman

1 The word of the Lord came to me:

2 "Son of man, speak to your people and tell them: Suppose I bring the sword against a land,^[a] and the people of that land select a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman,

3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows his trumpet to warn the people.

4 Then, if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet but ignores the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head.

5 [Since] he heard the sound of the trumpet but ignored the warning, his blood is on his own hands.^[b] If he had taken warning, he would have saved his life.

6 However, if the watchman sees the sword coming but doesn't blow the trumpet, so that the people aren't warned, and the sword comes and takes away their lives, then they have been taken away because of their iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.

7 "As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.

8 If I say to the wicked: Wicked one, you will surely die,^[c] but you do not speak out to warn him about his way, that wicked person will die for his iniquity, yet I will hold you responsible for his blood.

9 But if you warn a wicked person to turn from his way and he doesn't turn from it, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.^[d]

10 "Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel: You have said this: Our transgressions and our sins are [heavy] on us, and we are wasting away because of them!^[e] How then can we survive?^[f]

11 Tell them: As I live"-the declaration of the Lord God -"I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?^[g]

12 "Now, son of man, say to your people: The righteousness of the righteous person will not save him on the day of his transgression; neither will the wickedness of the wicked person cause him to stumble on the day he turns from his wickedness. The righteous person won't be able to survive by his righteousness on the day he sins.

13 When I tell the righteous person that he will surely live, but he trusts in his righteousness and commits iniquity, then none of his righteousness will be remembered, and he will die because of the iniquity he has committed.^[h]

14 "So when I tell the wicked person: You will surely die, but he repents of his sin and does what is just and right-

15 he returns collateral, makes restitution for what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without practicing iniquity-he will certainly live; he will not die.

16 None of the sins he committed will be held against him. He has done what is just and right; he will certainly live.^[i]

17 "But your people say: The Lord's way isn't fair, even though it is their own way that isn't fair.

18 When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he will die on account of this.

19 But when a wicked person turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live because of this.

20 Yet you say: The Lord's way isn't fair. I will judge each of you according to his ways, house of Israel."^[j]

Ezekiel 33:1-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 33

This chapter treats of the prophet's duty, and the people's sins; contains a vindication of the justice of God; a threatening of destruction to those who remained in the land after the taking of the city; and a detection of the hypocrisy of the prophet's hearers. The duty of a watchman in general is declared, Eze 33:1-6, an application of this to the prophet, Eze 33:7: the sum of whose business is to warn the wicked man of his wickedness; and the consequence of doing, or not doing it, is expressed, Eze 33:8,9, an objection of the people, and the prophet's answer to it, Eze 33:10,11, who is bid to acquaint them, that a righteous man trusting to his righteousness, and sinning, should not live; and that a sinner repenting of his sins should not die, Eze 33:12-16, the people's charge of inequality in the ways of God is retorted upon them, and removed from the Lord, and proved against them, Eze 33:17-20, then follows a prophecy, delivered out after the news was brought of the taking of the city, threatening with ruin those that remained in the land, confident of safety, and that for their sins, which are particularly enumerated, Eze 33:21-29, and the chapter is closed with a discovery of the hypocrisy of those that attended the prophet's ministry, Eze 33:30-33.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ezk 21:8-12
• [b]. Lit on him
• [c]. Ezk 18:4
• [d]. Ezk 3:17-19
• [e]. Ezk 4:17; 24:23; Lv 26:39
• [f]. Ezk 37:11
• [g]. Ezk 18:23,30-32
• [h]. Ezk 3:20
• [i]. Ezk 18:21-22
• [j]. Ezk 18:25-30