Ezekiel 33:12

Ezekiel 33:12 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)“Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’
• English Standard Version (ESV)"And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’

Context of Ezekiel 33:12

10“Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus you have said, “Truly our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we are rotting away because of them; how then can we live?” ’ 11Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back (change your way of thinking), turn back [in repentance] from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ And you, son of man, say to the sons of your people, ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him in the day of his transgression; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stagger because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness, whereas a righteous man will not be able to live because of his [previous acts of] righteousness on the day when he commits sin.’ 13When I say to the righteous that he will most certainly live, and he trusts in his [previous acts of] righteousness [to save him] and commits injustice, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but he will die for his injustice that he committed. 14But when I say to the wicked, ‘You will certainly die,’ and he turns from his sin and practices that which is just (fair) and right—

Ezekiel 33:12 word by word

וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֗ם אֱמֹ֤ר אֶל־בְּנֵֽי־עַמְּךָ֙ צִדְקַ֣ת הַצַּדִּ֗יק לֹ֤א תַצִּילֶ֙נּוּ֙ בְּי֣וֹם פִּשְׁע֔וֹ וְרִשְׁעַ֤ת הָֽרָשָׁע֙ לֹֽא־יִכָּ֣שֶׁל בָּ֔הּ בְּי֖וֹם שׁוּב֣וֹ מֵֽרִשְׁע֑וֹ וְצַדִּ֗יק לֹ֥א יוּכַ֛ל לִֽחְי֥וֹת בָּ֖הּ בְּי֥וֹם חֲטֹאתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Therefore, thou sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of thy peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• The righteousnessצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
• of the righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
• shall not deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
• him in the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of his transgressionפֶּ֫שַׁעpesha‛ · transgressionH6588
• as for the wickednessרִשְׁעָהrish‛âh · wickednessH7564
• of the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
• he shall not fallכָּשַׁלkâshal · to stumbleH3782
• that he turnethשׁוּבshûb · to return: repentH7725
• from his wickednessרֶ֫שַׁעresha‛ · wickednessH7562
• be ableיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
• to liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• that he sinnethחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398

Cross-references for Ezekiel 33:12

• Ezekiel 33:2“Son of man, speak to the sons of your people [who are exiled in Babylon] and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword on a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman,
• Ezekiel 33:18When the righteous turns back from his righteousness and commits injustice, he will also die because of it.
• Ezekiel 3:20Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness (right standing with God) and sins, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered; but you will be responsible for his blood.
• Ezekiel 18:24“But when the righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits sin and acts in accordance with all the repulsive things that the wicked man does, will he live? All of his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered because of the treachery that he has committed and for his sin which he has committed; for them he shall die.
• Ezekiel 33:19But when a wicked man turns back from his wickedness and practices what is just (fair) and right, he will live because of it.
• Ezekiel 18:21“But if the wicked man turns [away] from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.
• 1 Kings 8:48if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and they pray to You toward their land [of Israel] which You gave to their fathers, the city [of Jerusalem] which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your Name and Presence;
• 2 Chronicles 7:14and My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear [them] from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.
• Matthew 21:28“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’
• Romans 3:25whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin], because in His forbearance [His deliberate restraint] He passed over the sins previously committed [before Jesus’ crucifixion].
• 1 John 2:1My little children (believers, dear ones), I am writing you these things so that you will not sin and violate God’s law. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate [who will intercede for us] with the Father: Jesus Christ the righteous [the upright, the just One, who conforms to the Father’s will in every way—purpose, thought, and action].

Commentaries on Ezekiel 33:12

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-20Verses 10-20 Those who despaired of finding mercy with God, are answered with a solemn declaration of God's readiness to show mercy. The ruin of the city and state was determined, but that did not relate to the final state of persons. God says to the righteous, that he shall surely live. But many who have made profession, have been ruined by proud confidence in themselves. Man trusts to his own righteousness, and presuming on his own sufficiency, he is…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-16The principle in Ezekiel 33:10–11 is explained through two examples. The first example concerns righteous people. Some trust in their past good behavior to save them. But later they turn to sin. God says he will judge them for their present sin, even if they once lived righteously. Their past obedience will not protect them if they now reject what is right. The second example concerns wicked people who repent. If they turn away from their evil actions and…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. not fall ... in the day that he turneth--(2Ch 7:14; see Eze 3:20; 18:24).Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 33:12

• Apostasy
• Backsliders
• Condescension of God
• God Continued...
• Opportunity
• Penitent
• Repentance
• Responsibility
• Supererogation
• Wicked (People)
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Son of man
• Ezekiel, Book of
• Turn
• Evil
• Ezekiel
• Imputation
• Prophecy; Prophets
• Resurrection
• Salvation
• Teach; Teacher; Teaching

Commentaries on Ezekiel 33

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings