Ezekiel 18:23

Ezekiel 18:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
• New International Version (NIV)Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

Context of Ezekiel 18:23

21“But if the wicked person turns 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. 22All his offenses which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he would turn from his ways and live? 24“But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness, commits injustice and does according to all the abominations that the wicked person does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die. 25Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Hear now, house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right?

Ezekiel 18:23 word by word

הֶחָפֹ֤ץ אֶחְפֹּץ֙ מ֣וֹת רָשָׁ֔ע נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה הֲל֛וֹא בְּשׁוּב֥וֹ מִדְּרָכָ֖יו וְחָיָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear

• Do I takeחָפֵץchâphêts · to delight inH2654
• anyחָפֵץchâphêts · to delight inH2654
• in the deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
• of the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
• declaresנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
• the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
• Godיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• ratherלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• turnשׁוּבshûb · to return: repentH7725
• from his waysדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870

Cross-references for Ezekiel 18:23

• Ezekiel 18:32For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live!”
• Ezekiel 33:11Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure at all in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then should you die, house of Israel?’
• Lamentations 3:33For He does not afflict willingly Or grieve the sons of mankind.
• Hosea 11:8How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I surrender you, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me, All My compassions are kindled.
• 1 Timothy 2:4who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
• 2 Peter 3:9The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.
• Exodus 34:6Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth;
• Job 33:27He will sing to people and say, ‘I have sinned and perverted what is right, And it is not proper for me.
• Psalms 147:11The Lord favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His faithfulness.
• Jeremiah 31:20Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will certainly have mercy on him,” declares the Lord.
• Micah 7:18Who is a God like You, who pardons wrongdoing And passes over a rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.
• Luke 15:4“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the other ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
• Luke 15:23and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let’s eat and celebrate;
• James 2:13For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 18:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? - No! That is foreign to him whose name is love, and whose nature is mercy. On the contrary he "wills that he should return from his evil ways and live." And if God can have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, he cannot have made a decree to abandon him to the evil of his nature, and then damn him for what he could not avoid: for as God can do nothing with which he is not pleased, so he can decree…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-29Verses 21-29 The wicked man would be saved, if he turned from his evil ways. The true penitent is a true believer. None of his former transgressions shall be mentioned unto him, but in the righteousness which he has done, as the fruit of faith and the effect of conversion, he shall surely live. The question is not whether the truly righteous ever become apostates. It is certain that many who for a time were thought to be righteous, do so, while Ezek…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23-24God does not want wicked people to die. He made Ezekiel a watchman to guide the wicked toward a godly life and to warn the righteous not to stray (Ezekiel 3:16–19; 33:1–9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2421-24. Two last cases, showing the equity of God: (1) The penitent sinner is dealt with according to his new obedience, not according to his former sins. (2) The righteous man who turns from righteousness to sin shall be punished for the latter, and his former righteousness will be of no avail to him. he shall surely live--Despair drives men into hardened recklessness; God therefore allures men to repentance by holding out hope [Calvin]. To threats the…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 18:23

• Children
• Death
• God Continued...
• Judgment
• Penitent
• Repentance
• Responsibility
• Seekers
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• Cruelly
• Live
• Accountability
• Conversion
• Ezekiel
• Prophecy; Prophets
• Resurrection
• Salvation

Commentaries on Ezekiel 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings