King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: [and] not that he should return from his ways, and live?
Complete Jewish Bible:
Do I take any pleasure at all in having the wicked person die?" asks Adonai ELOHIM. "Wouldn't I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?
Berean Standard Bible:
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?
American Standard Version:
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? saith the Lord Jehovah; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Have I any pleasure{H2654} at all{H2654} that the wicked{H7563} should die{H4194}? saith{H5002} the Lord{H136} GOD{H3069}: and not that he should return{H7725} from his ways{H1870}, and live{H2421}?
Cross-References (KJV):
Ezekiel 33:11
- Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
1 Timothy 2:4
- Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
2 Peter 3:9
- ¶ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Ezekiel 18:32
- For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn [yourselves], and live ye.
Psalms 147:11
- The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
Luke 15:10
- Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Luke 15:32
- It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
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Commentary for Ezekiel 18:23
Ezekiel 18:23 is a verse that speaks to the heart of God's desire for humanity as conveyed through the prophet Ezekiel. The historical context of this verse is set during the Babylonian exile, a period when the people of Judah were taken into captivity by the Babylonians, primarily as a consequence of their disobedience to God's laws and covenant. During this time of national crisis and individual despair, Ezekiel ministered to his fellow exiles, delivering messages of both judgment and hope from God.
The themes of Ezekiel 18:23 revolve around divine justice, individual responsibility, and the possibility of repentance. In this verse, God is explicitly stating through Ezekiel that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked—a declaration that challenges the notion that God delights in punishment. Instead, God expresses a fervent wish that the wicked would turn from their sinful ways and live. This reflects God's character as compassionate and merciful, emphasizing that His discipline is intended to bring about repentance and restoration, not destruction.
The verse underscores the principle that each person is responsible for their own actions and that the fate of the individual is not predetermined by the deeds of their ancestors, as some may have believed. It serves as a call to personal accountability and an invitation to experience God's mercy and forgiveness through repentance. This message would have been particularly poignant to the exiles, as it offered them a path to redemption and a renewed relationship with God, despite their past failings and the current state of their nation.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H2654
There are 71 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָפֵץ
Transliteration: châphêts
Pronunciation: khaw-fates'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to incline to; by implication (literally but rarely) to bend; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire; [idiom] any at all, (have, take) delight, desire, favour, like, move, be (well) pleased, have pleasure, will, would. - Strong's Number: H7563
There are 249 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רָשָׁע
Transliteration: râshâʻ
Pronunciation: raw-shaw'
Description: from רָשַׁע; morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person; [phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong. - Strong's Number: H4194
There are 155 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מָוֶת
Transliteration: mâveth
Pronunciation: maw'-veth
Description: from מוּת; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin; (be) dead(-ly), death, die(-d). - Strong's Number: H5002
There are 358 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נְאֻם
Transliteration: nᵉʼum
Pronunciation: neh-oom'
Description: from נָאַם; an oracle; (hath) said, saith. - Strong's Number: H136
There are 910 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֲדֹנָי
Transliteration: ʼĂdônây
Pronunciation: ad-o-noy'
Description: an emphatic form of אָדוֹן; the Lord (used as a proper name of God only); (my) Lord. - Strong's Number: H3069
There are 295 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוִה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvih
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vee'
Description: a variation of יְהֹוָה (used after אֲדֹנָי, and pronounced by Jews as אֱלֹהִים, in order to prevent the repetition of the same sound, since they elsewhere pronounce יְהֹוָה as אֲדֹנָי); {YHWH}; God. - Strong's Number: H7725
There are 952 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׁוּב
Transliteration: shûwb
Pronunciation: shoob
Description: a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again; ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw. - Strong's Number: H1870
There are 627 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דֶּרֶךְ
Transliteration: derek
Pronunciation: deh'-rek
Description: from דָּרַךְ; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb; along, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever). - Strong's Number: H2421
There are 235 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָיָה
Transliteration: châyâh
Pronunciation: khaw-yaw'
Description: a primitive root (compare חָוָה, חָיָה); to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive; keep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole.