Ezekiel 33:12
in Ezekiel 33Therefore, son of man, say to your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression; neither will the wickedness of the wicked man cause him to stumble on the day he turns from his wickedness. Nor will the righteous man be able to survive by his righteousness on the day he sins.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thou, son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall he that is righteous be able to live thereby in the day that he sinneth.
KJV
Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
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This verse in Ezekiel 33
Commentary
9 notes on this verseIn the lives of Christians we look not to the beginnings but to the endings. Paul began badly but ended well. The start of Judas wins praise; his end is condemned because of his treachery.
This site's exposition
righteous man will not deliver him
on Ezekiel 33:12-16
The chapter restates the argument of chapter 18: past righteousness cannot cover a present fall, and past wickedness cannot condemn a present turning. Verses 14 to 16 give the case of a wicked man. The Lord says, “None of the sins he has committed will be held against him”.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
When God offers us conversion on whatever day one may be willing to practice it, why do they not instead crown with grateful praises him who aids them, instead of foolishly and (we might say) contumaciously opposing him? For by so doing they bring condemnation on their own heads and call down on themselves inevitable wrath.
We must press on and persevere in the faith and virtue and in the consummation of heavenly and spiritual grace, that we may be able to arrive at the palm and the crown.
(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?'
The Medieval Church1 voice
But behold, while we search out the secrets of the heavenly citizens, we have digressed far from the order of our exposition. Let us therefore sigh toward those of whom we speak, but let us return to ourselves. For we ought to remember that we are flesh. Let us be silent meanwhile about the secrets of heaven, but before the eyes of our Creator let us wipe away the stains of our dust with the hand of repentance. Behold, divine mercy itself promises, saying: There shall be joy in heaven over one sinner doing penance; and yet through the prophet the Lord says: In whatever day the just man shall sin, all his righteousnesses shall be in oblivion before me. Let us consider, if we can, the dispensation of heavenly loving-kindness. To those who stand, if they should fall, he threatens punishment; but to the fallen, that they might desire to rise, he promises mercy. He terrifies those, lest they presume upon their good works; he comforts these, lest they despair in their evils. You are just—fear wrath, lest you fall; you are a sinner—trust in mercy, that you may rise.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Here is a particular message sent to those who yet remained in the land of Israel, and (which is very strange) grew secure there, and confident that they should take root there again, to tell them that their hopes would fail them because they persisted in their sins,
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): 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.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people,.... See Gill on Eze 33:
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
none.. will be remembered to save him from being punished for his sin.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַתָּ֣ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | O son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָ֗ם | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| אֱמֹ֤ר | ʾemor | say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | [the] children of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| עַמְּךָ֙ | ʾamekha | people your | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| צִדְקַ֣ת | tzidkat | [the] righteousness of | H6666 → | 157 times |
| הַצַּדִּ֗יק | hatzadik | the righteous [person] | H6662 → | 206 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַצִּילֶ֙נּוּ֙ | tatzilenu | it will deliver him | H5337 → | 212 times |
| בְּי֣וֹם | beyom | on [the] day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| פִּשְׁע֔וֹ | pisho | transgression his | H6588 → | 93 times |
| וְרִשְׁעַ֤ת | verishat | and [the] wickedness of | H7564 → | 15 times |
| הָֽרָשָׁע֙ | harasha' | the wicked [person] | H7563 → | 263 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִכָּ֣שֶׁל | yikashel | he will stumble | H3782 → | |
| בָּ֔הּ | bah | in it | ||
| בְּי֖וֹם | beyom | on [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| שׁוּב֣וֹ | shuvo | turns back he | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| מֵֽרִשְׁע֑וֹ | merisho | from wickedness his | H7562 → | 30 times |
| וְצַדִּ֗יק | vetzadik | and a righteous [person] | H6662 → | 206 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יוּכַ֛ל | yukhal | he will be able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| לִֽחְי֥וֹת | lichyot | to live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| בָּ֖הּ | bah | in it | ||
| בְּי֥וֹם | beyom | on [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| חֲטֹאתֽוֹ׃ | chatoto | sins he | H2398 → | 238 times |
וְאַתָּ֣הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
בֶן־O son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
אָדָ֗םhumankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
אֱמֹ֤רsay
ʾemorH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בְּנֵֽי־[the] children of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
עַמְּךָ֙people your
ʾamekhaH5971 →1873 times
צִדְקַ֣ת[the] righteousness of
tzidkatH6666 →157 times
הַצַּדִּ֗יקthe righteous [person]
hatzadikH6662 →206 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תַצִּילֶ֙נּוּ֙it will deliver him
tatzilenuH5337 →212 times
בְּי֣וֹםon [the] day of
beyomH3117 →2304 times
פִּשְׁע֔וֹtransgression his
pishoH6588 →93 times
וְרִשְׁעַ֤תand [the] wickedness of
verishatH7564 →15 times
הָֽרָשָׁע֙the wicked [person]
harasha'H7563 →263 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִכָּ֣שֶׁלhe will stumble
yikashelH3782 →
בָּ֔הּin it
bah
בְּי֖וֹםon [the] day
beyomH3117 →2304 times
שׁוּב֣וֹturns back he
shuvoH7725 →1056 times
מֵֽרִשְׁע֑וֹfrom wickedness his
merishoH7562 →30 times
וְצַדִּ֗יקand a righteous [person]
vetzadikH6662 →206 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יוּכַ֛לhe will be able
yukhalH3201 →194 times
לִֽחְי֥וֹתto live
lichyotH2421 →282 times
בָּ֖הּin it
bah
בְּי֥וֹםon [the] day
beyomH3117 →2304 times
חֲטֹאתֽוֹ׃sins he
chatotoH2398 →238 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
2 Chronicles 7:14and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and…
it leads to
- Lamentations 3:40–41
Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.
- Isaiah 55:6–7
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
- James 4:9–10
Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom.
- Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
- 2 Chronicles 6:37–39
and when they come to their senses in the land to which they were taken, and they repent and plead with You in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and done…
- Lamentations 3:40–41
Through
Romans 3:25God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.
it leads to
- Romans 3:23–24
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
- 1 Peter 1:18–20
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- 1 John 4:10
And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
- Romans 3:23–24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ezekiel

This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Cyprian, Treatise XI. Exhortation to Martyrdom 5:8; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE 149; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 34; Jerome, LETTER 54.6; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.
