Ezekiel 33

King James Version

Full text for Ezekiel Chapter 33

1¶ Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:

3If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;

4Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

5He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.

6But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take [any] person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

7So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

8When I say unto the wicked, O wicked [man], thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

9Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

10¶ Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins [be] upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?

11Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

12Therefore, 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.

13When 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.

14Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

15[If] the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

16None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

17Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.

18When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.

19But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.

20Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

21¶ And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, [that] one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten.

22Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.

23Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

24Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we [are] many; the land is given us for inheritance.

25Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?

26Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land?

27Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; [As] I live, surely they that [are] in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that [is] in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that [be] in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.

28For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.

29Then shall they know that I [am] the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.

30¶ Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.

31And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee [as] my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, [but] their heart goeth after their covetousness.

32And, lo, thou [art] unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

33And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Ezekiel is reaffirmed as a watchman, responsible for warning Israel of divine judgment, emphasizing individual accountability for sin and repentance. The Lord declares He desires the wicked to turn and live, judging each person by their current actions. The chapter also records the news of Jerusalem's fall, after which God condemns those remaining in the land for their wickedness, promising further desolation. Despite hearing Ezekiel's words, the people are depicted as hypocritical, listening but not obeying.

Medium Summary

The Lord re-establishes Ezekiel's role as a watchman for the house of Israel, tasking him with warning the people of impending judgment. He explains that if the watchman fails to warn, he is accountable for the people's death, but if he warns and they do not heed, their blood is on their own heads. God then addresses Israel's despair over their sins, declaring His desire for the wicked to turn from their ways and live, not to die. He clarifies that individual righteousness or wickedness is judged by present conduct: the righteous who sin will die, and the wicked who repent will live. A messenger then arrives, confirming Jerusalem's destruction, which also marks the opening of Ezekiel's mouth. Subsequently, God condemns those who remain in the desolate land, who falsely believe they will inherit it despite their idolatry and abominations, promising their utter destruction. The chapter concludes by revealing that the people listen to Ezekiel's prophecies as a pleasant song but do not act upon them, their hearts being set on covetousness.

Long Summary

Ezekiel 33 begins with the Lord reaffirming Ezekiel's appointment as a watchman over the house of Israel, a role carrying grave responsibility. The watchman's duty is to warn the people when he sees the "sword" coming; if he warns and they do not heed, their blood is upon themselves. However, if the watchman fails to warn, the people die in their iniquity, but their blood will be required at the watchman's hand. This analogy directly applies to Ezekiel, who is commanded to warn the wicked from their evil ways, thereby delivering his own soul, regardless of their response. The Lord then addresses the despair of the Israelites, who question how they can live under the weight of their transgressions. In response, God emphatically declares He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather desires that they "turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways" and live. He clarifies the principle of individual accountability, stating that a righteous person's past righteousness will not save them if they turn to iniquity, nor will a wicked person's past wickedness condemn them if they genuinely repent and do what is lawful and right. God asserts that His way is "equal" and just, judging each person according to their present actions. A pivotal moment occurs with the arrival of a messenger from Jerusalem, announcing that the city has been "smitten," confirming the prophecies of its destruction. This event also signifies the opening of Ezekiel's mouth, which had been divinely restrained, marking a new phase of his prophetic ministry. The Lord then turns His attention to those who remain in the desolate land of Israel, who presumptuously claim inheritance based on Abraham while engaging in abominable practices such as eating with blood, idolatry, and defiling their neighbors' wives. God sternly declares that these inhabitants will not possess the land but will fall by the sword, be devoured by beasts, or die by pestilence, leading to the land's utter desolation. Finally, the chapter exposes the hypocrisy of the people who gather to hear Ezekiel's words, treating them as a "very lovely song" from one with a pleasant voice. While they outwardly show love and listen attentively, their hearts are consumed by covetousness, and they consistently fail to obey the divine commands. The Lord concludes by stating that when these prophecies inevitably come to pass, they will then truly know that a prophet has been among them.

Core Concepts

  • Watchman's ResponsibilityEzekiel is appointed as a spiritual watchman for Israel, tasked with warning the wicked of their impending judgment. His failure to warn makes him accountable for their blood, while his faithful warning delivers his own soul.
  • Individual AccountabilityThe chapter strongly emphasizes that each person is judged based on their current actions, not past deeds. A righteous person who sins will die, and a wicked person who repents and acts justly will live.
  • Divine Justice and RepentanceGod declares His desire for the wicked to turn from their evil ways and live, expressing no pleasure in their death. He asserts that His judgment is "equal" and just, offering life to those who genuinely repent.
  • Jerusalem's Fall and DesolationThe arrival of a messenger confirms the long-prophesied destruction of Jerusalem. This event also marks the opening of Ezekiel's mouth, signaling a new phase in his prophetic ministry concerning the desolate land.
  • False Security and IdolatryThose remaining in the desolate land of Israel are condemned for their false sense of security and their continued practice of abominations, idolatry, and unrighteousness. God declares they will not inherit the land but face further judgment.
  • Hearers, Not DoersThe people are depicted as hypocritical listeners, eagerly gathering to hear Ezekiel's words as a pleasant song. However, their hearts are focused on covetousness, and they fail to obey the divine messages he delivers.