Ezekiel 18:32 kjv
For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
Ezekiel 18:32 nkjv
For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live!"
Ezekiel 18:32 niv
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!
Ezekiel 18:32 esv
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live."
Ezekiel 18:32 nlt
I don't want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn back and live!
Ezekiel 18 32 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eze 33:11 | "As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure...that the wicked turn from his way and live..." | God's oath confirms His desire for life and repentance. |
| 2 Pet 3:9 | "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise...but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." | Echoes God's universal patience and desire for repentance. |
| 1 Tim 2:4 | "who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." | Reinforces God's universal salvific will. |
| Isa 55:7 | "let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him...for he will abundantly pardon." | Invitation to repent and receive abundant mercy. |
| Jon 3:9-10 | "Who knows? God may turn...and we shall not perish...God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way..." | God's responsiveness to repentance from Nineveh. |
| Joel 2:13 | "return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love..." | Describes God's character as the basis for turning. |
| Acts 3:19 | "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out..." | Direct command to repent for cleansing. |
| Luke 13:3 | "unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." | The consequence of not repenting is death. |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | Contrast of sin's consequence with God's gift of life. |
| John 3:16 | "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son...whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." | God's provision for life instead of perishing. |
| John 10:10 | "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." | Christ's mission to grant full and abundant life. |
| Psa 145:9 | "The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made." | God's inherent goodness and compassion extend universally. |
| Lam 3:33 | "For he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men." | God does not delight in human suffering or destruction. |
| Jer 31:29-30 | "Everyone who eats sour grapes, his own teeth shall be set on edge." | Directly relates to the proverb in Eze 18, emphasizing individual accountability. |
| Deu 30:19 | "choose life, that you and your offspring may live..." | Call to make a deliberate choice for life. |
| Isa 1:18-20 | "Come now, let us reason together...If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land..." | God's invitation for restoration and life through obedience. |
| Pro 1:23 | "If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you..." | Wisdom's call to turn and receive divine grace. |
| Phil 2:13 | "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." | God's enabling work in human repentance. |
| Mic 7:18 | "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity...He does not retain his anger forever because he delights in steadfast love." | God's delight is in showing mercy, not judgment. |
| Exo 34:6-7 | "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness..." | Defines God's character which underlies His desire for life. |
Ezekiel 18 verses
Ezekiel 18 32 Meaning
Ezekiel 18:32 reveals the heart of the Almighty, declaring His profound disinterest and lack of delight in the spiritual and ultimate death of any person. Instead, it expresses His active desire for all individuals to turn from their sin through repentance, thereby embracing and receiving life—a life of fellowship with Him and an ultimate state of flourishing. This verse underscores divine mercy and calls humanity to personal responsibility for their destiny.
Ezekiel 18 32 Context
Ezekiel 18:32 is the concluding verse of a pivotal chapter in the prophet Ezekiel's message, delivered to the Israelites in Babylonian exile. The chapter directly addresses and refutes a prevailing proverb among the exiles: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" (Eze 18:2; Jer 31:29). This proverb reflected a sense of fatalism and collective guilt, implying that the current generation was being punished solely for the sins of their ancestors, negating individual responsibility.
Ezekiel 18 firmly establishes the principle of individual accountability before God. It systematically demonstrates that God judges each person according to their own actions, not those of their parents or children. A righteous person who sins will die; a wicked person who repents will live. This stands in stark contrast to the fatalistic worldview and served as a polemic against the idea that their plight was inescapable due to hereditary sin. The chapter culminates with God's heartfelt declaration in verse 32, emphasizing that His ultimate desire is not punishment or death but repentance and life, thereby putting the responsibility—and the hope—squarely back on the individual.
Ezekiel 18 32 Word analysis
- For: Introduces a reason, providing the divine motive behind the preceding command to repent and make a new heart/spirit (Eze 18:31).
- I have no pleasure: Hebrew: chêphets (חֵפֶץ), meaning delight, desire, pleasure, or purpose. Used with a negation, it conveys God's strong disinterest or even aversion. This is not a passive indifference but an active negation of enjoyment in that outcome. God actively desires the opposite.
- in the death: Hebrew: mâweth (מָוֶת), signifying both physical and spiritual death. In this context, it refers primarily to spiritual separation from God, which leads to ultimate destruction. It's the antithesis of the life God offers.
- of anyone: Hebrew: mêṯ (מֵת) "anyone," meaning of one who dies or of the dead person. The universality here is critical, indicating God's compassion extends to all people, regardless of their past. It shatters the notion of preordained demise.
- declares: Hebrew: n'um (נְאֻם), an authoritative declaration, often used for prophetic or divine pronouncements, indicating the certainty and divine origin of the statement.
- the Lord God: Hebrew: ’ăḏōnāy Yahweh (אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה). Adonai (Lord) signifies God as Sovereign Master and Ruler; Yahweh (GOD) is the covenant-keeping, personal, self-existent God. The combination emphasizes both His authority and His personal relationship with humanity, grounding the declaration in His very nature.
- so turn: Hebrew: shûḇ (שׁוּב), meaning to return, repent, or turn back. It's a fundamental biblical command calling for a decisive change in direction from a life of sin toward God. This action is empowered by grace but requires human volition.
- and live: Hebrew: ḥāyâ (חָיָה), meaning to live, revive, preserve life. This denotes not just mere physical existence but full spiritual vitality, fellowship with God, and ultimate well-being, both now and eternally. It is the promised outcome of genuine repentance.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone": This phrase reveals God's intrinsic character. It establishes divine benevolence and refutes the perception of God as a harsh, unfeeling judge who desires destruction. His justice is tempered by mercy. This serves as the divine motivation for the command that follows, emphasizing His merciful disposition towards all humanity.
- "declares the Lord God": This affirmation underscores the authority and truthfulness of the statement. It is not merely a human sentiment but a divine decree from the ultimate sovereign authority, binding and trustworthy. The divine names reinforce God's absolute nature and His commitment to His word.
- "so turn, and live": This phrase functions as a direct, imperative command and promise. "So turn" is the call to repentance, emphasizing personal agency and the necessity of choosing God's way. "And live" is the direct and desired consequence, presenting God's offer of life—a spiritual renewal and ultimate salvation—as the immediate and accessible alternative to death. This short phrase encapsulates the essence of the gospel message: God offers life to those who repent.
Ezekiel 18 32 Bonus section
The teaching in Ezekiel 18:32 about individual responsibility and God's desire for repentance paved the theological groundwork that finds its fullest expression in the New Testament's doctrine of personal faith and salvation through Christ. The emphasis on "turn, and live" is a pre-gospel articulation of the principle of conversion and the promise of new life for those who embrace God's pathway. It also sets boundaries on how we understand divine judgment, illustrating that it is not arbitrary or an act of spite, but a necessary consequence when God's loving call to repentance is continually rejected. Furthermore, the universal "anyone" extends God's gracious invitation beyond Israel, hinting at a global scope of redemption.
Ezekiel 18 32 Commentary
Ezekiel 18:32 encapsulates the compassionate heart of God, offering a profound counter-narrative to human fatalism and despair. In a culture grappling with the weight of sin and punishment, believing they were hopelessly bound by ancestral wrongdoings, this verse passionately declares that God takes no delight in human destruction. His pleasure is found in restoration and life. It serves as a strong refutation of any notion that God is a capricious deity who enjoys human suffering or that individual destiny is predetermined solely by lineage or external forces. Instead, it powerfully asserts God's moral perfection and His active desire for humanity's well-being. The command to "turn" (repent) is both an invitation and an imperative, signifying a call to a complete change of mind, heart, and direction. This repentance is the divinely ordained pathway to "live," to experience genuine life that transcends mere physical existence, encompassing spiritual vitality and fellowship with the Creator. The responsibility is thus placed on each individual to respond to God's gracious offer, demonstrating that salvation is contingent upon one's own turning towards the God who delights in mercy and life, not death. This verse underscores that while God's justice demands a reckoning for sin, His boundless mercy actively seeks the sinner's repentance and offers new life.