Ezekiel 33:17
in Ezekiel 33Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
KJV
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
⋯
This verse in Ezekiel 33
Commentary
5 notes on this verseHere 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,
This site's exposition
The way of the Lord is not just
on Ezekiel 33:17-20
The people's complaint that the Lord's way is unjust returns a second time, and the Lord turns the charge back on them. Verse 20 closes the exchange, “I will judge each of you according to his ways”. Wesley notes the prophet answers the same complaint twice in the one book.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(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 Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), 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. Here is a satisfactory answer given to both these cavils. Those that despaired of finding mercy with God are here answered with a solemn declaration of God's readiness to show mercy,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Yet the children of thy people say,....
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאָמְרוּ֙ | veameru | and they say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] children of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| עַמְּךָ֔ | ʾamekha | people your | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִתָּכֵ֖ן | yitakhen | it is correct | H8505 → | 18 times |
| דֶּ֣רֶךְ | derekh | [the] way of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֑י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| וְהֵ֖מָּה | vehemah | and they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| דַּרְכָּ֥ם | darkam | own way their | H1870 → | 707 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִתָּכֵֽן׃ | yitakhen | it is correct | H8505 → | 18 times |
וְאָמְרוּ֙and they say
veameruH559 →5305 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] children of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
עַמְּךָ֔people your
ʾamekhaH5971 →1873 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִתָּכֵ֖ןit is correct
yitakhenH8505 →18 times
דֶּ֣רֶךְ[the] way of
derekhH1870 →707 times
אֲדֹנָ֑י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
וְהֵ֖מָּהand they
vehemahH1992 →553 times
דַּרְכָּ֥םown way their
darkamH1870 →707 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִתָּכֵֽן׃it is correct
yitakhenH8505 →18 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
Ezekiel 33:20Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to his ways, O house of Israel.”
it leads to
- Ezekiel 18:25
Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is it My way that is unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
- Ezekiel 18:25
Through
Job 40:8Would you really annul My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?
it leads to
- Romans 3:4
Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”
- Job 32:2
This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God,
- Romans 3:4
Through
Ezekiel 18:25Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is it My way that is unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
it leads to
- Malachi 3:13–15
“Your words against Me have been harsh,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we spoken against You?’
- Ezekiel 33:20
Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to his ways, O house of Israel.”
- Zephaniah 3:5
The LORD within her is righteous; He does no wrong. He applies His justice morning by morning; He does not fail at dawn, yet the unjust know no shame.
- Malachi 2:17
You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and in them He…
- Malachi 3:13–15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.