Ezekiel 14:20

Ezekiel 14:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
• English Standard Version (ESV)even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, declares the Lord God, they would deliver neither son nor daughter. They would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness.
• New King James Version (NKJV)even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved by their righteousness.

Context of Ezekiel 14:20

18as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved. 19“Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath on it through bloodshed, killing its people and their animals, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness. 21“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals! 22Yet there will be some survivors—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it.

Ezekiel 14:20 word by word

וְנֹ֨חַ דָּנִיֵּ֣אל וְאִיּוֹב֮ בְּתוֹכָהּ֒ חַי־אָ֗נִי נְאֻם֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה אִם־בֵּ֥ן אִם־בַּ֖ת יַצִּ֑ילוּ הֵ֥מָּה בְצִדְקָתָ֖ם יַצִּ֥ילוּ נַפְשָֽׁם׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Though Noahנֹחַnôach · NoahH5146
• Danielדָּנִיֵּאל, דָּנִאֵלdânîyê'l dâni'êl · DanielH1840
• and Jobאִיּוֹב'îyôb · JobH347
• in itתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• I liveחַיchay · aliveH2416
• saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
• the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
• Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
• they shall deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
• neither sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• norאִם'im · ifH518
• daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• their own soulsנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• by their righteousnessצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666

Cross-references for Ezekiel 14:20

• Ezekiel 14:14even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.
• Daniel 1:1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
• 2 Kings 23:36Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah.
• 2 Kings 8:1Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.”
• 2 Kings 24:6Jehoiakim rested with his ancestors. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.
• Ezekiel 18:20The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.
• Job 5:19From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will touch you.
• Psalms 33:18But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
• Isaiah 3:10Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.
• Hosea 10:12Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.
• Zephaniah 2:3Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.
• Acts 10:35but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.
• 1 John 2:29If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
• 1 John 3:7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 14:20

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12-23Verses 12-23 Ezekiel 14:12 Or, “When a land” - the case is first put in a general form, and then ism brought with increased force home to Jerusalem - “sinneth against me by trespassing grievously,” and I stretch out “mine hand upon it,” and break the staff of bread “thereof,” and send famine “upon it and” cut off “man and beast: though these three men” etc. Ezekiel 14:14 Noah, Daniel, and Job - Three striking instances of men who, for their integrity…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-23Verses 12-23 National sins bring national judgments. Though sinners escape one judgment, another is waiting for them. When God's professing people rebel against him, they may justly expect all his judgments. The faith, obedience, and prayers of Noah prevailed to the saving of his house, but not of the old world. Job's sacrifice and prayer in behalf of his friends were accepted, and Daniel had prevailed for the saving his companions and the wise men of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-20Israel had not been treated unfairly. God did not judge Israel without reason. If any nation sinned against the Lord in this way, that nation would face the same result. However, this passage clearly speaks about Israel. The words used to describe their sin also describe breaking the covenant (the binding promises between God and his people). Israel had broken this covenant. Because of that, the nation would rightly experience the covenant curses (the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-2115-21. The argument is cumulative. He first puts the case of the land sinning so as to fall under the judgment of a famine (Eze 14:13); then (Eze 14:15) "noisome beasts" (Le 26:22); then "the sword"; then, worst of all, "pestilence." The three most righteous of men should deliver only themselves in these several four cases. In Eze 14:21 he concentrates the whole in one mass of condemnation. If Noah, Daniel, Job, could not deliver the land, when deserving…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 14:20

• Animals
• Intercession
• Job
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Daniel
• God
• Job
• Noah
• Daniel, Book of
• Lothing
• Job, Book of
• Resurrection
• Salvation

Commentaries on Ezekiel 14

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings