Ezekiel 33:15-25

15 if the wicked 1restores the pledge, 2gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks 3in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
16 4None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.
17 "Yet 5your people say, 6'The way of the Lord is not just,' when it is their own way that is not just.
18 7When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it.
19 And 8when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this.
20 Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' O house of Israel, 9I will judge each of you according to his ways."

Jerusalem Struck Down

21 In the 10twelfth year 11of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, 12a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, 13"The city has been struck down."
22 14Now 15the hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.
23 The word of the LORD came to me:
24 16"Son of man, the inhabitants of these 17waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, 18'Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but 19we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.'
25 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: 20You eat flesh with the blood and 21lift up your eyes to your idols and 22shed blood; shall you then possess the land?

Ezekiel 33:15-25 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.

Cross References 22

  • 1. Ezekiel 18:7
  • 2. Lev. 6:2, 4, 5; [Luke 19:8]
  • 3. See Ezekiel 20:11
  • 4. Ezekiel 18:22
  • 5. [See ver. 12 above]
  • 6. Ezekiel 18:25, 29
  • 7. [ver. 12, 13; See Ezekiel 18:26]
  • 8. Ezekiel 18:27; [ver. 11, 12]
  • 9. See Ezekiel 18:30
  • 10. See Ezekiel 20:1
  • 11. Ezekiel 40:1; See Ezekiel 1:2
  • 12. Ezekiel 24:26
  • 13. Ezekiel 40:1; [Ezekiel 26:2]; See 2 Kings 25:2-11
  • 14. Ezekiel 24:26, 27
  • 15. See Ezekiel 1:3
  • 16. See Ezekiel 2:1
  • 17. [Ezekiel 36:4]
  • 18. Isaiah 51:2; [Acts 7:5]
  • 19. [Matthew 3:9; Luke 3:8]
  • 20. [Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 3:17]
  • 21. Ezekiel 18:6
  • 22. See Ezekiel 22:3
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.