Ezekiel 33:17

Translation
King James Version
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Yet the children H1121 of thy people H5971 say H559, The way H1870 of the Lord H136 is not equal H8505: but as for them, their way H1870 is not equal H8505.
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Complete Jewish Bible
"Now your people say, 'Adonai's way isn't fair!' But it is their way, theirs, that isn't fair!
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Berean Standard Bible
Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just.
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American Standard Version
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
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World English Bible Messianic
Yet the children of your people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equall: but their owne way is vnequall.
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Young's Literal Translation
And the sons of thy people have said: The way of the Lord is not pondered, As to them--their way is not pondered.
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See also
Matthew 25:24Matthew 25:26Ezekiel 18:29Ezekiel 18:25Ezekiel 33:20Job 35:2Job 40:8
In the KJVVerse 21,298 of 31,102

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SUMMARY

Ezekiel 33:17 encapsulates a profound divine-human confrontation, where the exiled Israelites, grappling with the consequences of their sin, boldly accuse God of injustice, declaring, "The way of the Lord is not equal." This complaint, however, is met with an immediate and powerful divine refutation, as God turns the accusation back upon them, asserting, "but as for them, their way is not equal." The verse masterfully highlights the stark tension between humanity's flawed, self-serving perception of divine justice and God's unwavering, perfect righteousness, exposing the people's deep-seated hypocrisy and their stubborn refusal to acknowledge their own culpability in their suffering.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: This verse is strategically positioned within a pivotal shift in Ezekiel's prophetic ministry, occurring immediately after the devastating news of Jerusalem's fall in 586 BC. Chapter 33 marks a transition from Ezekiel primarily delivering messages of impending judgment to now offering instruction, hope, and a renewed emphasis on individual responsibility for the exiles. The preceding verses Ezekiel 33:1-9 re-commission Ezekiel as a "watchman" for Israel, underscoring his vital role in warning the people of their sin and God's righteous judgment, while also presenting the path to life through repentance. This foundational principle of individual accountability, powerfully introduced in Ezekiel 18, is then meticulously elaborated upon in Ezekiel 33:10-16. Here, God unequivocally states His desire for the wicked to "turn from his way and live" Ezekiel 33:11, illustrating that a righteous person who turns to sin will die, and a wicked person who repents will live. It is precisely in response to this emphatic declaration of individual accountability and the possibility of a changed destiny that the people voice their complaint in verse 17, struggling to reconcile God's perfect justice with their perceived suffering and the collective trauma of exile.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The historical backdrop for Ezekiel 33:17 is the profound national trauma of the Babylonian exile. Stripped of their land, the sacred Temple, and their monarchy, the Israelites faced an existential and theological crisis. Many struggled to comprehend God's actions, often resorting to blaming their ancestors for their plight, as encapsulated in the popular proverb, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" Ezekiel 18:2. This proverb served as a convenient means to deflect personal responsibility. Culturally, ancient Israel possessed a strong corporate identity, where the fate of the individual was frequently intertwined with the destiny of the nation. However, Ezekiel's message forcefully challenges this traditional understanding, shifting the focus to individual accountability and moral choice. The people's accusation in Ezekiel 33:17 reflects their deep-seated resentment and a pervasive human tendency to blame God when confronted with hardship, rather than engaging in honest self-examination of their own conduct and spiritual state.
  • Key Themes: The central and most prominent theme in Ezekiel 33:17 is the profound tension between Divine Justice versus Human Perception. The people's accusation directly challenges the very character of God and the equity of His dealings with humanity. This complaint emanates from their limited, self-serving, and often biased perspective, which struggles to grasp God's perfect, consistent, and unwavering righteousness. Another crucial theme is Individual Accountability, a doctrine Ezekiel meticulously develops throughout his prophecy, particularly in Ezekiel 18 and powerfully reiterated in Ezekiel 33:12-16. The verse starkly highlights the Hypocrisy and Self-Deception of the people; they are quick to judge God's "way" as unequal while remaining blind to the profound inequality and unrighteousness of their own "way." This exposes a deep moral blindness and spiritual stubbornness. Ultimately, the verse serves as a powerful affirmation of God's Unchanging Standard of Righteousness, asserting that His "way" is always perfectly just, even when human beings, in their fallen state, fail to perceive, acknowledge, or accept it.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • children (Hebrew, bên', H1121): This noun signifies "a son" or "child" in its broadest sense, encompassing literal offspring, as well as figurative relationships such as subjects or members of a nation. In the phrase "the children of thy people," it specifically refers to the Israelites in exile, emphasizing their identity as God's chosen covenant people, paradoxically now in a state of rebellion and accusation against Him. This highlights the profound irony that the complaint originates from those who should possess the deepest understanding of God's character and covenant faithfulness.
  • way (Hebrew, derek', H1870): This term literally denotes a "road" or "path." However, figuratively, it extends to signify a "course of life," "mode of action," or a particular set of principles and conduct. When the people refer to "the way of the Lord," they are speaking of God's moral governance, His methods of dealing with humanity, and His principles of justice and judgment. Conversely, when God refers to "their way," He is pointing directly to the Israelites' own conduct, their moral choices, their patterns of behavior, and their overall spiritual trajectory.
  • equal (Hebrew, tâkan', H8505): This primitive root means "to balance," "to measure out (by weight or dimension)," or "to equalize." Figuratively, it conveys the idea of arranging, levelling, or testing, implying a state of being just, balanced, and fair. When the people claim God's way is "not equal," they are accusing Him of being unbalanced, unfair, or unjust in His judgments and dealings with them. God's powerful retort, that "their way is not equal," signifies that their own actions, moral judgments, and spiritual state are imbalanced, unrighteous, and fundamentally unjust in His sight.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Yet the children of thy people say": This opening clause immediately identifies the source of the grievance: the very people whom Ezekiel is commissioned to serve, warn, and guide. Despite God's clear and repeated declarations regarding individual responsibility and His profound desire for repentance and life, the exiles persist in their self-justifying accusations. This highlights their spiritual blindness, their stubborn resistance to divine truth, and their unwillingness to accept accountability for their own circumstances.
  • "The way of the Lord is not equal": This is the core accusation hurled against the Almighty. The people, experiencing the severe and painful consequences of their collective and individual sins (culminating in the Babylonian exile), perceive God's actions as unjust, disproportionate, or inconsistent. They believe His dealings are not balanced, fair, or congruent with what they believe they deserve, or perhaps they feel He is not applying His standards equally to all. This reflects a profound misunderstanding, or perhaps a willful rejection, of God's perfect righteousness and His unyielding commitment to justice.
  • "but as for them, their way is not equal": This is God's immediate, unequivocal, and devastating rebuttal. He swiftly turns the accusation back upon the accusers, exposing their profound hypocrisy and moral inconsistency. The fundamental problem is not with God's "way" (His character, His justice, His dealings, which are eternally perfect), but rather with their "way"—their unrighteous conduct, their persistent rebellion, their refusal to repent, and their biased, self-serving judgments. God's justice is always perfect and consistent; it is human sin, self-deception, and moral imbalance that are truly unequal and unjust.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 33:17 is powerfully constructed using Antithesis, presenting a stark and irreconcilable contrast between "the way of the Lord" and "their way." This deliberate juxtaposition serves to highlight the vast chasm between divine perfection and human depravity, and between God's unwavering, absolute justice and humanity's flawed perception and unrighteous conduct. The verse also employs a potent form of Irony, as the very people who accuse God of inequality are themselves demonstrably guilty of precisely that same moral imbalance. Their complaint is profoundly self-incriminating, revealing their own deep-seated moral blindness and spiritual perversity while attempting to project it onto the perfectly righteous God. Furthermore, the direct, declarative nature of God's response functions as a sharp Rebuke, leaving absolutely no room for ambiguity regarding the truth of the situation and the source of the actual inequality.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 33:17 profoundly articulates the unchanging biblical truth that God's justice is unimpeachable, perfect, and eternally righteous, even when it appears harsh, mysterious, or incomprehensible to human eyes. It directly confronts the pervasive human tendency to blame God for the painful consequences of sin, rather than humbly accepting personal responsibility and acknowledging one's own culpability. This verse forcefully reinforces the absolute sovereignty of God, whose "way" is always righteous, perfectly balanced, and eternally true, regardless of human accusations or limited understanding. It also underscores the inherent human inclination towards self-justification, moral blindness, and the profound difficulty of acknowledging one's own sinfulness, a pervasive theme woven throughout the tapestry of Scripture. The ultimate theological connection is to God's unchanging nature as a just and righteous judge, who, in His boundless mercy, also offers a clear pathway to life and restoration for all who genuinely repent and turn to Him.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 33:17 serves as a timeless and convicting mirror for believers across generations, challenging us to deeply examine our own hearts and perceptions, particularly when we encounter difficult circumstances, experience suffering, or witness apparent injustices in the world. It is a natural, yet spiritually dangerous, inclination to question God's fairness, wisdom, or even His love when our expectations are unmet, our prayers seem unanswered, or when hardship touches our lives. This verse calls us to profound humility, reminding us that God's perspective is infinitely greater, His knowledge boundless, and His justice perfectly calibrated, even when our finite minds cannot fully grasp its intricacies. It compels us to shift our focus from accusing God to diligently examining our own "way"—our attitudes, our actions, our judgments, and our spiritual posture. True spiritual maturity involves trusting God's character implicitly, even when His methods are mysterious or His timing seems delayed, and taking full, unwavering responsibility for our own spiritual walk. It fosters a posture of honest self-reflection and genuine repentance, rather than self-justification, blame, or spiritual complaint.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what specific areas of your life or in what difficult circumstances might you be subtly accusing God of being "unequal" or unfair in His dealings?
  • How does this verse challenge your natural inclination to blame external circumstances, other people, or even God for your struggles, rather than honestly examining your own choices and spiritual state?
  • What does it mean practically to trust that God's "way" is always perfectly equal, just, and good, even when it doesn't align with your immediate understanding, desires, or comfort?

FAQ

Why did the people accuse God of being "unequal"?

Answer: The people, experiencing the devastating consequences of the Babylonian exile, felt that their suffering was disproportionate, undeserved, or unjust. They were likely comparing their fate to that of other nations, clinging to a sense of entitlement as God's chosen people, or simply struggling to reconcile their hardships with their understanding of God's character. They often deflected blame by pointing to the sins of their ancestors or simply refusing to acknowledge their own culpability and persistent rebellion against God's covenant. Their accusation stemmed from a self-serving and limited human perspective that failed to grasp the depth of their own sin and the perfect righteousness of God's judgment, which had been clearly articulated in previous chapters, such as the comprehensive teaching on individual responsibility in Ezekiel 18.

What does it mean that "their way is not equal"?

Answer: When God declares, "but as for them, their way is not equal," He is exposing the profound hypocrisy, moral inconsistency, and spiritual imbalance of the Israelites. While they accuse God of injustice and inequality, their own actions, choices, and judgments are far from righteous, balanced, or fair in God's sight. Their "way" (their conduct, their moral standards, their spiritual state, and their judgments of God) is unequal because it is profoundly marked by sin, rebellion, self-deception, and a persistent failure to live up to God's covenant demands. They are quick to judge God but unwilling to examine their own unrighteousness and moral failings. This statement serves as a powerful divine indictment, turning the accusation back on the true source of inequality and injustice: humanity's fallen nature and persistent sin.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Ezekiel 33:17, with its stark contrast between God's perfectly "equal" way and humanity's inherently "unequal" way, finds its ultimate and glorious fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The accusation that "the way of the Lord is not equal" highlights humanity's fundamental inability to comprehend or attain true righteousness on its own, and our fallen tendency to project our own moral failings and injustices onto a perfectly just and holy God. Christ, however, is the very embodiment of God's "equal" and perfect way, the one who lived a life of absolute and unwavering righteousness, perfectly fulfilling every demand of the law Matthew 5:17. Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, Jesus takes upon Himself humanity's "unequal way"—our sin, our rebellion, our unrighteousness, and the just penalty for it—and in exchange, offers His perfect "way," His righteousness, to all who believe 2 Corinthians 5:21. He is the Lamb of God who truly takes away the sin of the world John 1:29, making a new and living way for humanity to be reconciled to a perfectly just and holy God. In Christ, God's justice is fully satisfied, and His boundless mercy is perfectly extended, demonstrating that His "way" is not only eternally equal and just but also profoundly redemptive, offering a new and living "way" of salvation and righteousness for all who place their faith in Him Hebrews 10:20.

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Commentary on Ezekiel 33 verses 10–20

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points(1.) (2.) Details

These verses are the substance of what we had before (Eze 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,

I. The cavils of the people against God's proceedings with them. God was now in his providence contending with them, but their uncircumcised hearts were not as yet humbled, for they were industrious to justify themselves, though thereby they reflected on God. Two things they insisted upon, in their reproaches of God, and in both they added iniquity to their sin and misery to their punishment: - 1. They quarrelled with his promises and favours, as having no kindness nor sincerity in them, Eze 33:10. God had set life before them, but they plead that he had set it out of their reach, and therefore did but mock them with the mention of it. The prophet had said, some time ago (Eze 24:23), You shall pine away for your iniquities; with that word he had concluded his threatenings against Judah and Jerusalem; and this they now upbraided him with, as if it had been spoken absolutely, to drive them to despair; whereas it was spoken conditionally, to bring them to repentance. Thus are the sayings of God's ministers perverted by men of corrupt minds, who are inclined to pick quarrels. He puts them in hopes of life and happiness; and herein they would make him contradict himself; "for" (say they) "if our transgressions and our sins be upon us, as thou hast often told us they are, and if we must, as thou sayest, pine away in them, and wear out a miserable captivity in a fruitless repentance, how shall we then live? If this be our doom, there is no remedy. We die, we perish, we all perish." Note, It is very common for those that have been hardened with presumption when they were warned against sin to sink into despair when they are called to repent, and to conclude there is no hope of life for them. 2. They quarrelled with his threatenings and judgments, as having no justice or equity in them. They said, The way of the Lord is not equal (Eze 17:20), suggesting that God was partial in his proceedings, that with him there was respect of persons and that he was more severe against sin and sinners than there was cause.

II. Here is a satisfactory answer given to both these cavils.

1.Those that despaired of finding mercy with God are here answered with a solemn declaration of God's readiness to show mercy, Eze 33:11. When they spoke of pining away in their iniquity God sent the prophet to them, with all speed, to tell them that though their case was sad it was not desperate, but there was yet hope in Israel. (1.) It is certain that God has no delight in the ruin of sinners, nor does he desire it. If they will destroy themselves, he will glorify himself in it, but he has no pleasure in it, but would rather they should turn and live, for his goodness is that attribute of his which is most his glory, which is most his delight. He would rather sinners should turn and live than go on and die. He has said it, he has sworn it, that by these two immutable things, in both which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation. We have his word and his oath; and, since he could swear by no greater, he swears by himself: As I live. They questioned whether they should live, though they did repent and reform; yea, says God, as sure as I live, true penitents shall live also; for their life is hid with Christ in God. (2.) It is certain that God is sincere and in earnest in the calls he gives sinners to repent: Turn you, turn you, from your evil way. To repent is to turn from our evil way; this God requires sinners to do; this he urges them to do by repeated pressing instances: Turn you, turn you. O that they would be prevailed with to turn, to turn quickly, without delay! This he will enable them to do if they will but frame their doings to turn to the Lord, Hos 5:4. For he has said, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, Pro 1:23. And in this he will accept of them; for it is not only what he commands, but what he courts them to. (3.) It is certain that, if sinners perish in their impenitency, it is owing to themselves; they die because they will die; and herein they act most absurdly and unreasonably: Why will you die, O house of Israel? God would have heard them, and they would not be heard.

2.Those that despaired of finding justice with God are here answered with a solemn declaration of the rule of judgment which God would go by in dealing with the children of men, which carries along with it the evidence of its own equity; he that runs may read the justice of it. The Jewish nation, as a nation, was now dead; it was ruined to all intents and purposes. The prophet must therefore deal with particular persons, and the rule of judgment concerning them is much like that concerning a nation, Jer 18:8-10. If God speak concerning it to build and to plant, and it do wickedly, he will recall his favours and leave it to ruin. But if he speak concerning it to pluck up and destroy, and it repent, he will revoke the sentence and deliver it. So it is here. In short, The most plausible professors, if they apostatize, shall certainly perish for ever in their apostasy from God; and the most notorious sinners, if they repent, shall certainly be happy for ever in their return to God. This is here repeated again and again, because it ought to be again and again considered, and preached over to our own hearts. This was necessary to be inculcated upon this stupid senseless people, that said, The way of the Lord is not equal; for these rules of judgment are so plainly just that they need no other confirmation of them than the repetition of them.

(1.)If those that have made a great profession of religion throw off their profession, quit the good ways of God and grow loose and carnal, sensual and worldly, the profession they made and all the religious performances with which they had for a great while kept up the credit of their profession shall stand them in no stead, but they shall certainly perish in their iniquity, Eze 33:12, Eze 33:13, Eze 33:18. [1.] God says to the righteous man that he shall surely live, Eze 33:13. He says it by his word, by his ministers. He that lives regularly, his own heart tells him, his neighbours tell him, He shall live. Surely such a man as this cannot but be happy. And it is certain, if he proceed and persevere in his righteousness, and if, in order to that, he be upright and sincere in it, if he be really as good as he seems to be, he shall live; he shall continue in the love of God and be for ever happy in that love. [2.] Righteous men, who have very good hopes of themselves and whom others have a very good opinion of, are yet in danger of turning to iniquity by trusting to their righteousness. So the case is put here: If he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, and come to make a trade of sin - if he not only take a false step, but turn aside into a false way and persist in it. This may possibly be the case of a righteous man, and it is the effect of his trusting to his own righteousness. Note, Many eminent professors have been ruined by a proud conceitedness of themselves and confidence in themselves. He trust to the merit of his own righteousness, and thinks he has already made God so much his debtor that now he may venture to commit iniquity, for he has righteousness enough in stock to make amends for it; he fancies that whatever evil deeds he may do hereafter he can be in no danger from them, having so many good deeds beforehand to counterbalance them. Or, He trust to the strength of his own righteousness, thinks himself now so well established in a course of virtue that he may thrust himself into any temptation and it cannot overcome him, and so by presuming on his own sufficiency he is brought to commit iniquity. By making bold on the confines of sin he is drawn at length into the depths of hell. This ruined the Pharisees; they trusted to themselves that they were righteous, and that their long prayers, and fasting twice in the week, would atone for their devouring widows' houses. [3.] If righteous men turn to iniquity, and return not to their righteousness, they shall certainly perish in their iniquity, and all the righteousness they have formerly done, all their prayers, and all their alms, shall be forgotten. No mention shall be made, no remembrance had, of their good deeds; they shall be overlooked, as if they had never been. The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him from the wrath of God, and the curse of the law, in the day of his transgression. When he becomes a traitor and a rebel, and takes up arms against his rightful Sovereign, it will not serve for him to plead in his own defence that formerly he was a loyal subject, and did many good services to the government. No; he shall not be able to live. The remembrance of his former righteousness shall be no satisfaction either to God's justice or his own conscience in the day that he sins, but rather shall, in the estimate of both, highly aggravate the sin and folly of his apostasy. And therefore for his iniquity that he committed he shall die, Eze 33:13. And again (Eze 33:18), He shall even die thereby; and it is owing to himself.

(2.)If those that have lived a wicked life repent and reform, forsake their wicked ways and become religious, their sins shall be pardoned, and they shall be justified and saved, if they persevere in their reformation. [1.] God says to the wicked, "Thou shalt surely die. The way that thou art in leads to destruction. The wages of thy sin is death, and thy iniquity will shortly be thy ruin." It was said to the righteous man, Thou shalt surely live, for his encouragement to proceed and persevere in the way of righteousness; but he made an ill use of it, and was emboldened by it to commit iniquity. It was said to the wicked man, Thou shalt surely die, for warning to him not to persist in his wicked ways; and he makes a good use of it, and is quickened thereby to return to God and duty. Thus even the threatenings of the word are to some, by the grace of God, a savour of life unto life, while even the promises of the word become to others, by their own corruption, a savour of death unto death. When God says to the wicked man, Thou shalt surely die, die eternally, it is to frighten him, not out of his wits, but out of his sins. [2.] There is many a wicked man who was hastening apace to his own destruction who yet is wrought upon by the grace of God to return and repent, and live a holy life. He turns from his sin (Eze 33:14), and is resolved that he will have no more to do with it; and, as an evidence of his repentance for wrong done, he restores the pledge (Eze 33:15) which he had taken uncharitably from the poor, he gives again that which he had robbed and taken unjustly from the rich. Nor does he only cease to do evil, but he learns to do well; he does that which is lawful and right, and makes conscience of his duty both to God and man - a great change, since, awhile ago, he neither feared God nor regarded man. But many such amazing changes, and blessed ones, have been wrought by the power of divine grace. He that was going on in the paths of death and the destroyer now walks in the statues of life, in the way of God's commandments, which has both life in it (Pro 12:28) and life at the end of it, Mat 19:17. And in this good way he perseveres without committing iniquity, though not free from remaining infirmity, yet under the dominion of no iniquity. He repents not of his repentance, nor returns to the commission of those gross sins which he before allowed himself in. [3.] He that does thus repent and return shall escape the ruin he was running into, and his former sins shall be no prejudice to his acceptance with God. Let him not pine away in his iniquity, for, if he confess and forsake it, he shall find mercy. He shall surely live; he shall not die, Eze 33:15. Again (Eze 33:16), He shall surely live. Again (Eze 33:19), He has done that which is lawful and right, and he shall live thereby. But will not his wickednesses be remembered against him? No; he shall not be punished for them (Eze 33:12): As for the wickedness of the wicked, though it was very heinous, yet he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turns from his wickedness. Now that it has become his grief it shall not be his ruin. Now that there is a settled separation between him and sin there shall be no longer a separation between him and God. Nay, he shall not be so much as upbraided with them (Eze 33:16): None of his sins that he has committed shall be mentioned unto him, either as a clog to his pardon or an allay to the comfort of it, or as any blemish and diminution to the glory that is prepared for him.

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 (Eze 33:20): "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 (Exo 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.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 10–20. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 35, 36, and following) And I will bring you into a desert of peoples, and there I will judge you face to face. Just as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, says the Lord. And I will subject you to my scepter, and I will bring you into the bonds of the covenant, and I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked: from their place of residence I will bring them out, and they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord: I will do for you who are in Babylon, and now serve idols, what I did for your ancestors in Egypt. I will lead you into the desert of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face, just as I contended with them in judgment when they came out of Egypt. And after I have judged you, I will subject you to my scepter and rule, and I will make a covenant with you and bring you into your land with the bonds of love, so that bound by my love, you will never be able to depart from me. But I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked, who persist in the hardness of their hearts in evil deeds, not for possession, but for rejection. And I will indeed bring them out of the land of their dwelling, so that when they are brought out, they will not enter the land of Israel; but they will perish in various regions. And by the distinction between good and evil, you shall know that I am the Lord, who judges all things. The rest of the discourse hastens, and we briefly go through each point, in order to provide only the meaning to the readers.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Versed 10ff.) Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them: 'Our transgressions and sins are upon us, and we waste away because of them. How then can we live?' Say to them: 'As surely as I live, declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?' And you, son of man, say to your people: 'The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to stumble when he turns from it. The righteous man cannot live by his righteousness when he sins.' Even if I say to the just, that he shall surely live; and relying on his justice he commits iniquity, all his justices shall be forgotten, and in his iniquity which he has wrought, he shall die. But if I shall say to the wicked: Thou shalt surely die; and he does penance for his sin, and does judgment and justice, and if he restore the pledge, and render what he had robbed, and walk in the commandments of life, and do no unjust thing, he shall surely live, and shall not die. All sins ((Vulg. adds of him)), which he has committed, shall not be imputed to him: for judgment and justice he has done, he shall live: And the children of your people have said: The way of the Lord is not equal, whereas their way is unjust. When the just turns himself away from his justice, and commits iniquity, he shall die therein: in the same manner, when the wicked turns himself away from his wickedness, and does judgment and justice, he shall live therein. And you say: The way of the Lord is not right. Each one I will judge according to his ways, o house of Israel. If we read negligentl, the same prophecy seems to us which is said above, in which it is said: Do I desire the death of the wicked, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways, and live? (Ezek. XVIII, 23). And in the end of the same prophecy: Return ye, and turn yourselves from all your impieties, and there shall not be iniquity that may be your ruin (Ibid., 8). For there, indeed, a conversation is had with those who desire to do penance and to expiate their sins with justice, so that they may convert with confidence and perform penance with a full heart. But here, He speaks to those who, due to the magnitude of their sins, or rather their impieties, despair of salvation and say: Our iniquities and sins are upon us, and we waste away in them. How then can we live? And the meaning is: Since death has once been proposed to us and no medicine can restore health to our wounds, why must we labor and be consumed in vain, and not transact this present life in despair, so that at least we may enjoy it, since we have lost the future life? To whom God responds, that he does not want the death of the wicked, but that they should turn back and live. And he addresses a apostrophe to the despairing wicked: Turn away from your wicked ways. And so that we may know who the wicked are to whom he speaks, the following discourse demonstrates: Why should you die, O house of Israel? However, life and death in this context do not signify the common life or death shared with animals according to the natural law, but rather that which is written, I will please the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 114:9); and, The soul that sins shall die. And with a special warning, because he was speaking to the house of Israel, he proceeds to a general discussion: that even if the just do not save their past righteousness, if they are engaged in new sins, and even if sinners or wicked people do not lose their old sins, if they correct their previous mistakes with righteous actions, God does not judge in both cases based on the past, but on the present. If I say, he says, to the righteous, you shall live, and I promise him the rewards of righteousness, and he, relying on that, sins, all his previous righteousness will be forgotten, and he will die in his present unrighteousness. My opinion has not changed, for I cannot give to the same sinner what I promised to the righteous. And if I, being a sinner and wicked, pronounce and say: Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown; and he shall repent of his sins, and amend his old error with good works, so that he may do justice and righteousness, restore the pledge, and give back the plunder, and walk in the commandments of life, and not do anything unjust: should not the life, which is Christ, live and never die, since the punishment of the sinner should not punish the righteous? This is what the divine word speaks to Jeremiah when he goes down to the potter's house and hears either the promises or the threats of God, in order to either provoke people to salvation or deter them from sin (Jer. XVIII). Hence those who say that the way of the Lord is not just are argued against because their opinion is unjust, possessed of a very evil eye, and not at all new, but of those who have passed judgment in the past. To all of whom it is shown that the sinner should not despair of salvation if he repents; nor should the righteous person place confidence in his righteousness if he negligently loses what he had earnestly sought after. We pass over those things which are clearly stated, so that we may dwell on those which are more obscure, in which the present prophecy differs from the past, and in which it speaks similar things, the comparison of both can indicate. Moreover, what it means to pass judgment and to be just, to restore a pledge, to repay robbery, to walk in the commandments of life, and other things, we have spoken of in this same prophet above.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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