11 Say H559 unto them, As I live, H2416 saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD, H3069 I have no pleasure H2654 in the death H4194 of the wicked; H7563 but that the wicked H7563 turn H7725 from his way H1870 and live: H2421 turn H7725 ye, turn H7725 ye from your evil H7451 ways; H1870 for why will ye die, H4191 O house H1004 of Israel? H3478
12 Therefore, thou son H1121 of man, H120 say H559 unto the children H1121 of thy people, H5971 The righteousness H6666 of the righteous H6662 shall not deliver H5337 him in the day H3117 of his transgression: H6588 as for the wickedness H7564 of the wicked, H7563 he shall not fall H3782 thereby in the day H3117 that he turneth H7725 from his wickedness; H7562 neither shall the righteous H6662 be able H3201 to live H2421 for his righteousness in the day H3117 that he sinneth. H2398
13 When I shall say H559 to the righteous, H6662 that he shall surely H2421 live; H2421 if he trust H982 to his own righteousness, H6666 and commit H6213 iniquity, H5766 all his righteousnesses H6666 shall not be remembered; H2142 but for his iniquity H5766 that he hath committed, H6213 he shall die H4191 for it.
14 Again, when I say H559 unto the wicked, H7563 Thou shalt surely H4191 die; H4191 if he turn H7725 from his sin, H2403 and do H6213 that which is lawful H4941 and right; H6666
15 If the wicked H7563 restore H7725 the pledge, H2258 give again H7999 that he had robbed, H1500 walk H1980 in the statutes H2708 of life, H2416 without committing H6213 iniquity; H5766 he shall surely H2421 live, H2421 he shall not die. H4191
16 None of his sins H2403 that he hath committed H2398 shall be mentioned H2142 unto him: he hath done H6213 that which is lawful H4941 and right; H6666 he shall surely H2421 live. H2421
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 33
Commentary on Ezekiel 33 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 33
The prophet has now come off his circuit, which he went as judge, in God's name, to try and pass sentence upon the neighbouring nations, and, having finished with them, and read them all their doom, in the eight chapters foregoing, he now returns to the children of his people, and receives further instructions what to say to them.
Eze 33:1-9
The prophet had been, by express order from God, taken off from prophesying to the Jews, just then when the news came that Jerusalem was invested, and close siege laid to it, ch. 24:27. But now that Jerusalem is taken, two years after, he is appointed again to direct his speech to them; and there his commission is renewed. If God had abandoned them quite, he would not have sent prophets to them; nor, if he had not had mercy in store for them, would he have shown them such things as these. In these verses we have,
Eze 33:10-20
These verses are the substance of what we had before (ch. 18:20, etc.) and they are so full and express a declaration of the terms on which people stand with God (as the former were of the terms on which ministers stand) that it is no wonder that they are here repeated, as those were, though we had the substance of them before. Observe here,
Now lay all this together, and then judge whether the way of the Lord be not equal, whether this will not justify God in the destruction of sinners and glorify him in the salvation of penitents. The conclusion of the whole matter is (v. 20): "O you house of Israel, though you are all involved now in the common calamity, yet there shall be a distinction of persons made in the spiritual and eternal state, and I will judge you every one after his ways.' Though they were sent into captivity by the lump, good fish and bad enclosed in the same net, yet there he will separate between the precious and the vile and will render to every man according to his works. Therefore God's way is equal and unexceptionable; but, as for the children of thy people, God turns them over to the prophet, as he did to Moses (Ex. 32:7): "They are thy people; I can scarcely own them for mine.' As for them, their way is unequal; this way which they have got of quarrelling with God and his prophets is absurd and unreasonable. In all disputes between God and his creatures it will certainly be found that he is in the right and they are in the wrong.
Eze 33:21-29
Here we have,
Eze 33:30-33
The foregoing verses spoke conviction to the Jews who remained in the land of Israel, who were monuments of sparing mercy and yet returned not to the Lord; in these verses those are reproved who were now in captivity in Babylon, under divine rebukes, and yet were not reformed by them. They are not indeed charged with the same gross enormities that the others are charged with. They made some show of religion and devotion; but their hearts were not right with God. The thing they are here accused of is mocking the messengers of the lord, one of their measure-filling sins, which brought this ruin upon them, and yet they were not cured of it. Two ways they mocked the prophet Ezekiel:-