Yechezkel 33:1-20

1 3 Again the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

2 Ben Adam, speak to the Bnei Amecha, and say unto them, When I bring the cherev upon eretz, if the Am HaAretz take ish echad (one man) within their midst, and appoint him for their tzofeh (watchman, sentinel),

3 If when he seeth the cherev come upon HaAretz, he blow the shofar, and warn HaAm;

4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the shofar, and taketh not warning; if the cherev come, and take him away, his dahm shall be upon his own rosh.

5 He heard the sound of the shofar, and took not warning; his dahm shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall save his nefesh.

6 But if the tzofeh (watchman, sentinel) see the cherev coming, and blow not the shofar, and HaAm be not warned; if the cherev come, and take any nefesh from among them, he is taken away in his avon (iniquity); but for his dahm will I require [an accounting] at the yad HaTzofeh.

7 So thou, O Ben Adam, I have set thee a tzofeh unto the Bais Yisroel; therefore thou shalt hear the Davar at My mouth, and give them warning from Me.

8 When I say unto the rashah (wicked man), O rashah, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the rashah from his derech, that rashah shall die in his avon (iniquity); but for his dahm will I require [an accounting] at thine yad.

9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the rashah of his derech to turn from it; if he does not turn from his derech, he shall die in his avon (iniquity); but thou hast saved thy nefesh.

10 Therefore, O thou Ben Adam, speak unto Bais Yisroel: Thus ye have spoken, saying, If peysha’einu (our transgressions, rebellions) and chattoteinu (our sins) be upon us, and because of them we are rotting away, how should we then live?

11 Say unto them, As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, I have no pleasure in the mot of the rashah; but that the rashah make teshuvah from his derech and live; shuvu (turn ye), shuvu (turn ye) from your drakhim hara’im; for why will ye die, O Bais Yisroel?

12 Therefore, thou Ben Adam, say unto the Bnei Amecha, The tzidkat hatzaddik (righteousness of a righteous man) shall not save him in his Yom Peysha (Day of Rebellion, Day of his Transgession); as for the rishat harashah, he shall not fall thereby in his Yom Shuv (Day of Turning, Repentance) from his resha; neither shall the tzaddik be able to live his tzedakah in his Yom Chattot (day when he commits sin).

13 When I shall say to the tzaddik, that he shall surely live, if he trust in his own tzedakah, and commit evil, all his tzidkot (righteousnesses) shall not be remembered; but for his evil that he hath committed, he shall die in it.

14 Again, when I say unto the rashah, Thou shalt surely die and he turn from his chattat, and do that which is mishpat and tzedakah;

15 If the rashah give back the chavol (borrower’s pledge), give back what he has stolen, walk in the chukkot hachayyim, without committing evil; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

16 None of his chattot that he hath committed shall be remembered against him; he hath done that which is mishpat and tzedakah; he shall surely live.

17 Yet the Bnei Amecha say, The Derech Adonoi is not proper; but as for them, their derech is not proper.

18 When the tzaddik turneth from his tzedakah, and committeth evil, he shall even die thereby.

19 But if the rashah turn from his resha, and do that which is mishpat and tzedakah, he shall live thereby.

20 Yet ye say, The Derech Adonoi is not proper. O ye Bais Yisroel, I will judge you every one according to his drakhim.

Yechezkel 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.