New King James Version
Ezekiel 18:24
24“But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.
Ezekiel 18:24 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
- New International Version (NIV)“But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.
- New Living Translation (NLT)However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.
Context of Ezekiel 18:24
22None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 23Do 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? “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die. 25“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? 26When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies.
Read all of Ezekiel 18Ezekiel 18:24 word by word
וּבְשׁ֨וּב צַדִּ֤יק מִצִּדְקָתוֹ֙ וְעָ֣שָׂה עָ֔וֶל כְּכֹ֨ל הַתּוֹעֵב֜וֹת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֧ה הָרָשָׁ֛ע יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה וָחָ֑י כָּל־צִדְקֹתָ֤יו אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה֙ לֹ֣א תִזָּכַ֔רְנָה בְּמַעֲל֧וֹ אֲשֶׁר־מָעַ֛ל וּבְחַטָּאת֥וֹ אֲשֶׁר־חָטָ֖א בָּ֥ם יָמֽוּת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But when the righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
- turneth awayשׁוּבshûb · to return: repentH7725
- from his righteousnessצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
- and committethעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- iniquityעָ֫וֶל‛evel ‛âvel ‛avlâh ‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · injusticeH5766
- according to all the abominationsתּוֹעֵבַהtô‛êbah tô‛êbah · abominationH8441
- that the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
- shall he liveחָיַיchâyay · to liveH2425
- shall not be mentionedזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
- in his trespassמָעַלmâ‛al · be unfaithfulH4603
- that he hath trespassedמַ֫עַלma‛al · unfaithfulnessH4604
- and in his sinחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sinH2403
- that he hath sinnedחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
- in them shall he dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
Cross-references for Ezekiel 18:24
- Ezekiel 18:26When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies.
- Ezekiel 3:20“Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.
- Ezekiel 33:12“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.’
- 1 Samuel 15:11“I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night.
- 2 Chronicles 24:2Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
- Psalms 36:3The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
- Psalms 125:5As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, The Lord shall lead them away With the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel!
- Zephaniah 1:6Those who have turned back from following the Lord, And have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of Him.”
- Matthew 13:20But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
- John 6:66From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
- Galatians 5:7You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
- Hebrews 10:38Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
- 2 Peter 2:18For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.
- 1 John 2:19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
- 1 John 5:16If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.
- Jude 1:12These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;
Commentaries on Ezekiel 18:24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness - Here is the second case. Can a man who was once holy and pure fall away so as to perish everlastingly? Yes. For God says, "If he turn away from his righteousness;" not his self-righteousness, the gloss of theologians: for God never speaks of turning away from that, for, in his eyes, that is a nonentity. There is no righteousness or holiness but what himself infuses into the soul of man, and as to…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 18:24
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries