Ezekiel 33:3-6

3 and he sees the sword coming upon the land and 1blows on the trumpet and warns the people,
4 then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and 2does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his 3blood will be on his own head.
5 'He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have 4delivered his life.
6 'But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is 5taken away in his iniquity; but his 6blood I will require from the watchman's hand.'

Ezekiel 33:3-6 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 6

  • 1. Nehemiah 4:18-20; Isaiah 58:1; Ezekiel 33:9; Hosea 8:1; Joel 2:1
  • 2. 2 Chronicles 25:16; Jeremiah 6:17; Zechariah 1:4
  • 3. Ezekiel 18:13; Ezekiel 33:5, 9; Acts 18:6
  • 4. Exodus 9:19-21; Hebrews 11:7
  • 5. Ezekiel 18:20, 24; Ezekiel 33:8, 9
  • 6. Ezekiel 3:18, 20

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or "for," and so throughout the ch
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