Ezekiel 3:19
in Ezekiel 3But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
KJV
Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
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This verse in Ezekiel 3
Commentary
7 notes on this verse(Verse 18, 19.) If I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. There are two wicked or iniquitous persons, as the Septuagint has translated.
This site's exposition
he will die in his iniquity
on Ezekiel 3:19-21
If Ezekiel warns a wicked man who does not turn, “he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.” The same rule holds for “a righteous man” who “turns from his righteousness”: unwarned, he dies. Chapter 18 takes up the righteous man who turns away.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
If he does this, he goes out from there, not by physical withdrawal but defended by his behavior; he has done what he had to do, even if the other person did not heed the warning he should have heeded.
For even though the soil which we cultivate bring forth no fruit, if we have shown all industry, the Lord of it and of us will not suffer us to depart with disappointed hopes, but will give us a recompense; for, says St. Paul, "Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor," not according to the event of things. And that it is so, hearken: "And Thou," he saith, "Son of man, testify unto this people, if they will hear, and if they will understand." And Ezekiel says, "If the watchman give warning what it behooves to flee from, and what to choose, he hath delivered his own soul, although there be none that will take heed."
The Medieval Church1 voice
For then your subject dies without you, when in the cause of death he has endured you as one who does not speak against it. For you are joined to the death which you do not oppose. And it should be noted what things ought to be preached by the watchman, namely faith and works. For he says: "But if you have announced to the wicked man, and he has not been converted from his wickedness and from his wicked way." For wickedness pertains to unbelief, but the wicked way pertains to depraved action.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Yet if thou warn the wicked,....
Those that are faithful shall have their reward, though they be not successful. (2.) Some of those he had to deal with were righteous, at least he had reason to think, in a judgment of charity, that they were so; and he must warn them not to apostatize and turn away from their righteousness,
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַתָּה֙ | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הִזְהַ֣רְתָּ | hizharta | you have warned | H2094 → | 22 times |
| רָשָׁ֔ע | rasha' | a wicked [person] | H7563 → | 263 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁב֙ | shav | he has turned away | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| מֵֽרִשְׁע֔וֹ | merisho | from wickedness his | H7562 → | 30 times |
| וּמִדַּרְכּ֖וֹ | umidarko | and from way his | H1870 → | 707 times |
| הָרְשָׁעָ֑ה | hareshaah | <the> wicked | H7563 → | 263 times |
| ה֚וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| בַּעֲוֹנ֣וֹ | baavono | for iniquity his | H5771 → | 233 times |
| יָמ֔וּת | yamut | he will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| וְאַתָּ֖ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נַפְשְׁךָ֥ | nafshekha | life your | H5315 → | 754 times |
| הִצַּֽלְתָּ׃ ס | hitzalta | you have delivered | H5337 → | 212 times |
וְאַתָּה֙and you
veatahH859 →1094 times
כִּֽי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הִזְהַ֣רְתָּyou have warned
hizhartaH2094 →22 times
רָשָׁ֔עa wicked [person]
rasha'H7563 →263 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
שָׁב֙he has turned away
shavH7725 →1056 times
מֵֽרִשְׁע֔וֹfrom wickedness his
merishoH7562 →30 times
וּמִדַּרְכּ֖וֹand from way his
umidarkoH1870 →707 times
הָרְשָׁעָ֑ה<the> wicked
hareshaahH7563 →263 times
ה֚וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
בַּעֲוֹנ֣וֹfor iniquity his
baavonoH5771 →233 times
יָמ֔וּתhe will die
yamutH4191 →839 times
וְאַתָּ֖הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
נַפְשְׁךָ֥life your
nafshekhaH5315 →754 times
הִצַּֽלְתָּ׃ סyou have delivered
hitzaltaH5337 →212 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
1 Timothy 4:16Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
it leads to
- Titus 1:9
He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it.
- Titus 2:7
In everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your teaching show integrity, dignity,
- 2 John 1:8–9
Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be fully rewarded.
- 1 Corinthians 3:10–11
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds.
- Ezekiel 33:7–9
As for you, O son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word from My mouth and give them the warning from Me.
- Titus 1:9
Through
Hebrews 12:25See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if…
it leads to
- Hebrews 8:5
The place where they serve is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you…
- Hebrews 2:1–3
We must pay closer attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
- Hebrews 8:5
Through
Ezekiel 14:20then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. Their righteousness could deliver only themselves.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 14:14
then even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, their righteousness could deliver only themselves, declares the Lord GOD.
- Ezekiel 14:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 88:23; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Gregory the Dialogist, Homilies on Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 11; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of John 13; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.