Ezekiel 33:13 kjv
When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
Ezekiel 33:13 nkjv
When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die.
Ezekiel 33:13 niv
If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.
Ezekiel 33:13 esv
Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die.
Ezekiel 33:13 nlt
When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins.
Ezekiel 33 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 3:20 | "But when a righteous person turns from righteousness to do sin, and I put a stumbling block before him..." | Ezekiel 18:24 |
| Ezekiel 18:26 | "When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity and dies in it, the iniquity that he has done shall cause him to die." | Romans 6:23, James 1:15 |
| Ezekiel 18:27 | "Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life." | 2 Peter 3:9 |
| Proverbs 24:16 | "For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in to ruin." | Galatians 6:7, 8 |
| Romans 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | Ezekiel 18:20, 24, 27 |
| 2 Peter 2:20 | "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome..." | Hebrews 6:4-6 |
| Hebrews 6:4 | "For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit..." | 2 Peter 2:20, 21 |
| Revelation 20:15 | "And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." | Daniel 12:1, Rev 3:5 |
| Galatians 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | Ezekiel 18:24, 28 |
| John 15:6 | "If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown outward like a branch and withers..." | Romans 11:19, 22 |
| Jeremiah 31:30 | "but each will die for his own iniquity..." | Deuteronomy 24:16 |
| Acts 15:38 | "but Paul thought best not to take with them him who had departed from them from Pamphylia and did not join them in the work." | 2 Timothy 4:10 |
| 1 John 1:9 | "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." | Psalm 32:5 |
| Matthew 7:22 | "On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’" | Matthew 25:44, 45 |
| Mark 13:13 | "you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." | Matthew 24:13 |
| 1 Corinthians 15:2 | "and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to what I preached to you, unless you believed in vain." | Acts 15:37 |
| Hebrews 10:26 | "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins..." | Hebrews 6:4-6 |
| Psalm 51:4 | "Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight..." | 2 Samuel 12:13 |
| Genesis 6:3 | "then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is but flesh; yet his days shall be 120 years.”" | Genesis 18:20 |
| Ezekiel 33:12 | "Son of man, say to your countrymen, ‘The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver them in the day of their transgression..." | Ezekiel 18:24, 27 |
Ezekiel 33 verses
Ezekiel 33 13 Meaning
When the righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits iniquity, they will die in it, for the iniquities they have committed. This signifies that persistent unrighteousness invalidates past righteous acts, leading to judgment.
Ezekiel 33 13 Context
Ezekiel 33 continues the prophetic message to the exiles in Babylon, reiterating God's justice and the personal responsibility of every individual. The previous verse (33:12) established that past righteousness does not shield from consequences if the righteous person sins. This verse (33:13) reinforces this by stating the consequence: death, meaning spiritual and eternal death, will come upon the righteous who turn to iniquity due to their unrighteous deeds. The chapter's overall theme is God's unfailing justice, presented through the metaphor of the watchman. The people had felt their past obedience (in Israel) was an excuse for their current suffering, but Ezekiel declares that individual accountability is paramount.
Ezekiel 33 13 Word Analysis
- כִּֽי־ (ki) - "When," "if," or "because." This is a conjunction introducing a conditional clause.
- יָשׁוּב (yashuv) - "he turns back," "he turns away." This signifies a deliberate act of departure from a previous state. From the root שוב (shuv), meaning to return or turn.
- צַדִּיק (tzadik) - "righteous." This describes one who is just, upright, and in right standing with God.
- מִצִּדְקָתוֹ (mitzdikato) - "from his righteousness." The preposition "min" (מ) indicates separation or origin. It highlights the forsaking of a previously held position of righteousness.
- וְעָשָׂה (ve’asah) - "and commits," "and does." The conjunction "vav" (ו) connects the turning with the subsequent action. The verb עשה (asah) means to do or make.
- עָוֶל (avval) - "iniquity," "wrongdoing," "injustice." This refers to a departure from what is right and just, a transgression against God's law.
- בּוֹ (bo) - "in it." This pronoun refers back to the iniquity or the state of sin. It signifies that the death experienced will be a direct consequence of the committed sin.
- יָמוּת (yamut) - "he shall die." This is the penalty for the sin. It carries the implication of both physical and spiritual death, severing the relationship with God.
- בְּעַוְלֹתָיו (be’avlavotav) - "in his iniquities." The preposition "bet" (ב) emphasizes that the death is contained within, or is a result of, his transgressions. The plural form emphasizes the totality and variety of his unrighteous acts.
- אֲשֶׁר־ (asher) - "which." A relative pronoun introducing the specific iniquities.
- עָשָׂה (asah) - "he has done." This verb reiterates the active commission of these deeds.
Phrase/Group Analysis:
- "When the righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity": This phrase emphasizes the complete reversal of state. It's not a minor lapse but a deliberate turning away from a declared or practiced righteous standing, followed by an action of sin. The implication is that one's identity or position with God is contingent on ongoing faithfulness, not merely past actions.
- "they will die in it, for the iniquities they have committed": This clearly states the consequence and its direct cause. The death is not incidental but is intrinsically linked to the sin committed. "In it" suggests the death is the very environment or embodiment of the sin.
Ezekiel 33 13 Bonus Section
The concept presented here contrasts sharply with certain misinterpretations of predestination that might suggest once saved, always saved, regardless of one's lifestyle. Ezekiel is prophesying a period where the exiles were reassessing their spiritual condition. God through Ezekiel is re-emphasizing that covenant relationship and individual acts have direct consequences. The New Testament echoes this through warnings against falling away, as seen in passages like Hebrews and 2 Peter. The key distinction is that this passage focuses on individuals who were righteous, implying an active commitment, rather than an innate state of sinlessness. It highlights the possibility of a righteous person choosing to turn to sin and thereby forfeiting their standing.
Ezekiel 33 13 Commentary
This verse is a stark declaration of personal accountability before God. It asserts that a standing of righteousness, however formerly established, can be nullified by subsequent persistent sin. This is not a commentary on the inability of believers to sin, but rather on the gravity of apostasy or a radical turning away from God after having known and practiced His ways. It underscores that God's judgment is based on an individual's final disposition and actions. The righteousness that saves is one that endures; a turn towards wickedness renders past righteous acts insufficient for salvation from those sins. The principle echoes throughout Scripture: what matters is one's present and future obedience, not just past allegiance if it is abandoned.