Ezekiel 33:1-16

Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman

1 The word of the LORD came to me:

2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman,

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

4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.

5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves.

6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’

7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.

8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for^[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.

9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.

10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of^[b] them. How then can we live?” ’

11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’

12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’

13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.

14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right—

15 if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die.

16 None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.

Ezekiel 33:1-16 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

• 1. S Leviticus 26:25; S Jeremiah 12:12
• 2. S 1 Samuel 14:16; Isaiah 21:6-9; S Jeremiah 51:12; Ezekiel 3:11
• 3. S Exodus 20:18; S Numbers 10:7; Hosea 5:8; Hosea 8:1
• 4. 2 Chronicles 25:16
• 5. S Leviticus 20:9; S Jeremiah 6:17; Ezekiel 18:13; Zechariah 1:4; Acts 18:6
• 6. S Leviticus 20:9
• 7. S Exodus 9:21
• 8. Isaiah 56:10-11; S Ezekiel 3:18
• 9. S Isaiah 52:8
• 10. Jeremiah 1:17; Jeremiah 26:2; Ezekiel 3:17
• 11. ver 14
• 12. S Isaiah 3:11; S Ezekiel 18:4
• 13. S Psalms 7:12
• 14. Ezekiel 3:17-19
• 15. S Leviticus 26:16; Ezekiel 24:23
• 16. S Leviticus 26:39; S Ezekiel 4:17
• 17. S Lamentations 3:33; Ezekiel 18:32; 2 Peter 3:9
• 18. S 2 Chronicles 30:9; S Isaiah 19:22; S Jeremiah 3:12
• 19. Jeremiah 44:7-8; S Ezekiel 18:23; Hosea 11:8; Joel 2:12; S 1 Timothy 2:4
• 20. ver 2
• 21. 2 Chronicles 7:14; S Ezekiel 3:20; S Ezekiel 18:21
• 22. Ezekiel 18:24; Hebrews 10:38; 2 Peter 2:20-21
• 23. S Jeremiah 22:3; Ezekiel 18:27
• 24. S Exodus 22:26
• 25. Exodus 22:1-4; S Leviticus 6:2-5
• 26. Isaiah 55:7; Jeremiah 18:7-8; Ezekiel 20:11; S Luke 19:8
• 27. S Jeremiah 50:20
• 28. S Isaiah 43:25; Ezekiel 18:22

Footnotes

• [a] Or "in" ; also in verse 9
• [b] Or "away in"