Ezekiel 18:31
in Ezekiel 18Cast away from yourselves all the transgressions you have committed, and fashion for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Cast away from you all your transgressions, wherein ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
KJV
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
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This verse in Ezekiel 18
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
John Calvin1509–1564
Commentaries on the Prophet Ezekiel, volume 2, Lecture 58, on Ezekiel 18:31 to 32
But God is not content with that partition, since he is deprived of half his right: for he does not say that he would assist men to renew themselves and to repent; but he attributes the work to himself entirely: I will give you a new heart and a new spirit.
feature document the-new-heart-and-the-new-spirit
This site's exposition
Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways
on Ezekiel 18:30-32
The chapter closes on command, make you a new heart, an appeal that anticipates the new heart the Lord himself promises to give at 36:26. Keil reads the juxtaposition as deliberate, the same chapter that has argued individual responsibility ends by admitting the new heart is finally God's own gift.
This site's exposition
a new heart and a new spirit
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the command as one no man can keep by himself, given to drive him to seek the Holy Spirit. The LORD pleads with the house of Israel. The door stands open.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Why are you dying? Do not go into the trap. These are the reminders given to the believers, that by walking in them and striving in the commandments they will do the works worthy of eternal life.
"Make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit" that you may become a subject of joy for the citizens of heaven. For if there is joy "over one sinner who repents," according to the Gospel, how much more will the salvation of so many souls gladden the blessed saints? You have entered on a good and glorious course: run the holy race in good earnest.
(Verse 31.) Turn away and repent from all your iniquities, and iniquity will not be your downfall. Cast away all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed. This message is specifically directed towards the Israelites, urging them to repent and abandon their iniquities or transgressions against God. However, it can also be understood as applicable to both the Israelites and the crowd of Gentiles, encouraging them to forsake their vices and turn to the one who can heal their brokenness. And make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Thus far that is right which is implied in this proverbial saying, That those who are guilty of wilful sin eat sour grapes; they do that which they will feel from, sooner or later. The grapes may look well enough in the temptation, but they will be bitter as bitterness itself in the reflection. They will set the sinner's teeth on edge.
Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed,.... As unprofitable and pernicious, to be abhorred and abstained from, and to be cast off, as loads and burdens upon them.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
As God is to judge them "according to their ways" (Pr 1:31), their only hope is to "repent"; and this is a sure hope, for God takes no delight in judging them in wrath, but graciously desires their salvation on repentance.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The command to do what men cannot themselves do is designed to drive them (instead of laying the blame, as the Jews did, elsewhere rather than on themselves) to feel their own helplessness, and to seek God's Holy Spirit (Ps 51:11, 12). Thus the outward exhortation is, as it were, the organ or instrument which God uses for conferring grace.
Cast away - With a holy violence, dash away every transgression and incentive to it.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ | hashlikhu | throw away | H7993 → | 125 times |
| מֵעֲלֵיכֶ֗ם | mealeikhem | from with <the> you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| פִּשְׁעֵיכֶם֙ | pisheikhem | transgressions your | H6588 → | 93 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| פְּשַׁעְתֶּ֣ם | pesha'tem | you have transgressed | H6586 → | 41 times |
| בָּ֔ם | bam | by them | ||
| וַעֲשׂ֥וּ | vaasu | and make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לָכֶ֛ם | lakhem | for yourselves | ||
| לֵ֥ב | lev | a heart | H3820 → | 595 times |
| חָדָ֖שׁ | chadash | new | H2319 → | 53 times |
| וְר֣וּחַ | veruach | and a spirit | H7307 → | 378 times |
| חֲדָשָׁ֑ה | chadashah | new | H2319 → | 53 times |
| וְלָ֥מָּה | velamah | and <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| תָמֻ֖תוּ | tamutu | will you die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | O house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּthrow away
hashlikhuH7993 →125 times
מֵעֲלֵיכֶ֗םfrom with <the> you
mealeikhemH5921 →5755 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
פִּשְׁעֵיכֶם֙transgressions your
pisheikhemH6588 →93 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
פְּשַׁעְתֶּ֣םyou have transgressed
pesha'temH6586 →41 times
בָּ֔םby them
bam
וַעֲשׂ֥וּand make
vaasuH6213 →2628 times
לָכֶ֛םfor yourselves
lakhem
לֵ֥בa heart
levH3820 →595 times
חָדָ֖שׁnew
chadashH2319 →53 times
וְר֣וּחַand a spirit
veruachH7307 →378 times
חֲדָשָׁ֑הnew
chadashahH2319 →53 times
וְלָ֥מָּהand <to> why?
velamahH4100 →752 times
תָמֻ֖תוּwill you die
tamutuH4191 →839 times
בֵּ֥יתO house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 51:10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 11:19
And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,
- Ephesians 4:22–24
to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
- Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
- Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of…
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Through
Ezekiel 36:26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
it leads to
- Psalms 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 11:19–20
And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,
- Deuteronomy 30:6
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
- Psalms 51:10
Where this verse is studied
About Ezekiel
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 1:1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Calvin, Commentaries on the Prophet Ezekiel, volume 2, Lecture 58, on Ezekiel 18:31 to 32; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Pachomius the Great, LETTERS 3:9.