Ezekiel 18 28

Ezekiel 18:28 kjv

Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Ezekiel 18:28 nkjv

Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

Ezekiel 18:28 niv

Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die.

Ezekiel 18:28 esv

Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

Ezekiel 18:28 nlt

They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die.

Ezekiel 18 verses

Ezekiel 18 28 Meaning

Ezekiel 18:28 conveys a clear declaration of God's justice and mercy: when a wicked person genuinely reflects on their past actions and actively abandons all their transgressions, God guarantees they will receive life, not death. It emphasizes individual responsibility and God's readiness to grant forgiveness and restoration to those who truly repent, challenging fatalistic views about inherited sin.

Ezekiel 18 28 Context

Ezekiel chapter 18 directly challenges a pervasive proverb among the exiles in Babylon: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" (Ezek 18:2). This saying expressed a fatalistic worldview, attributing their current suffering and punishment not to their own sins, but to the iniquities of previous generations, suggesting God's justice was arbitrary or based on inherited guilt.

In response, God, through Ezekiel, powerfully asserts the principle of individual accountability. The chapter repeatedly states that "the soul who sins shall die" (Ezek 18:4, 20). It meticulously outlines scenarios for righteous individuals, wicked individuals, and those who change their ways. Verse 28 specifically falls within this broader argument, demonstrating God's just character and boundless mercy. It addresses the plight of a previously wicked person, countering the despair of the exiles by offering a clear path to life through genuine repentance, regardless of past sins, thereby polemically refuting the notion of unchangeable, inherited doom and stressing personal moral agency.

Ezekiel 18 28 Word analysis

• Because he considers:
  • Hebrew: ki ra'ah (כִּי רָאָה)
  • ki: "because," "for," indicating cause and effect.
  • ra'ah: From the verb "to see," but in this context means "to perceive," "to understand deeply," or "to reflect upon." It implies an inner awakening or introspection where one grasps the true nature and implications of their actions. This is more than a glance; it is an intelligent and moral awareness leading to conviction.
• and turns away:
  • Hebrew: vayyishov (וַיִּשָׁב)
  • From the root shuv (שׁוּב): "to turn," "to return," "to repent." This is a crucial biblical term for active, volitional repentance—a complete change of direction, away from evil and back towards God. It denotes both a change of mind (metanoia) and a change of action.
• from all the transgressions:
  • Hebrew: mikkol-p̄šā‘āw (מִכָּל־פְּשָׁעָיו)
  • mikkol: "from all," emphasizing a comprehensive and total turning.
  • p̄šā‘āw: Plural of pesha', "transgression," "rebellion," "revolt." This term often refers to a deliberate, defiant breaking of God's covenant or laws.
  • Significance: The turning must be complete, from the entire spectrum of rebellious acts, indicating a thorough transformation of one's disposition and behavior.
• that he has committed:
  • Hebrew: ’ăšer ‘āśāh (אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה)
  • ‘āśāh: "he has done," "he has made," referring to past actions.
  • Significance: Reinforces the individual responsibility, focusing on his own specific acts of sin from which he is now turning away.
• he shall surely live:
  • Hebrew: ḥāyōh yiḥyeh (חָיֹה יִֽחְיֶה)
  • This is an emphatic Hebrew construction using the infinitive absolute (ḥāyōh) followed by the finite verb (yiḥyeh). It powerfully means "he shall most certainly live," "he shall indeed live."
  • Significance: This is a firm, undeniable divine promise of life in its holistic sense: deliverance from divine judgment, spiritual vitality, well-being, and a favored relationship with God.
• he shall not die:
  • Hebrew: lō yāmûṯ (לֹא יָמֽוּת)
  • lō: "not."
  • yāmûṯ: "he shall die."
  • Significance: An emphatic negation that serves to definitively contrast the outcome with the death that previously awaited his transgressions. It eliminates any doubt about the life-giving result of genuine repentance.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Because he considers and turns away": This phrase highlights the two inseparable components of genuine repentance. The "considering" is the intellectual and moral realization, the internal processing and recognition of wrong. This then prompts and empowers the "turning away," which is the outward, volitional act of forsaking sin. True repentance is thus both internal conviction and external action.
• "from all the transgressions that he has committed": This specifies the scope and target of the turning. It's not a partial or selective turning, but a comprehensive abandonment of all personally committed rebellious acts. This completeness underscores the authenticity of the repentance and rejection of a life of sin.
• "he shall surely live; he shall not die": This potent double affirmation and negation forms God's verdict and promise. The life promised is certain and divinely assured, a complete reversal of the condemnation previously incurred by sin. It showcases God's absolute commitment to granting life to the truly repentant.

Ezekiel 18 28 Bonus section

• The message in Ezekiel 18:28 strongly foreshadows New Testament teachings on individual faith, repentance, and the transformative power available to anyone who turns to God. While the full provision for eternal life is ultimately in Christ (John 3:16), this Old Testament passage firmly establishes the principle that God's door of mercy is open to the wicked who choose to repent, granting life over death.
• This verse effectively counters fatalism, a pervasive cultural sentiment then and now. It emphasizes human agency in choosing between life and death by accepting or rejecting God's call to repentance. This agency undercuts any excuses of being irreversibly bound by past errors or external circumstances.
• The Hebrew verb shuv (turn) is critically important in prophetic literature. It describes a spiritual U-turn, changing one's whole course of life back to God. Ezekiel repeatedly uses this term to emphasize the dynamic nature of an individual's spiritual standing with God—it is not static but determined by continuous moral choices.

Ezekiel 18 28 Commentary

Ezekiel 18:28 encapsulates the core message of the entire chapter: God's justice is perfect, individually applied, and mercifully redemptive. It serves as a lifeline for those despairing in exile, correcting the prevalent misconception that their fate was sealed by ancestral sin or their own unchangeable past. This verse asserts that divine judgment is not a final, unyielding decree against all prior wickedness, but a conditional consequence based on an individual's current moral stance.

The journey to "life" begins with an inward "consideration"—a deep, reflective process where one intellectually and spiritually grasps the offense and implications of their transgressions. This isn't superficial regret but a profound introspection leading to conviction. Following this conviction is the active "turning away," Teshuvah, a comprehensive reorientation of one's life away from "all the transgressions." This total abandonment signifies a new moral posture and a commitment to God's ways. God, who declares no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek 18:23, 33:11), then makes an emphatic promise: "he shall surely live; he shall not die." This absolute assurance demonstrates God's eagerness to forgive, restore, and grant life to the genuinely repentant, affirming His compassionate desire for the well-being of His people, one individual at a time. It stands as a powerful testament to the availability of grace through personal responsibility and true repentance, a principle that echoes throughout Scripture.