Ezekiel 33:10

“Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, &c.] Such of them as were with him in the captivity: thus ye speak, saying; reasoning and arguing within and among themselves; which the Lord heard, and made known to the prophet, who is bid to repeat it to them in order to give an answer: if our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them; as the prophet said they should, (<262423>Ezekiel 24:23), with which he had concluded his prophecies to them; and now they take it up, and argue against themselves, and against him; if our sins and transgressions are laid upon us, and we must answer for them; if the guilt of them is charged on us, and they are unexpiated…”

“be upon us--that is, their guilt remain on us. pine away in them--if we suffer the penalty threatened for them in Eze 24:23, according to the law (Lev 26:39). how should we . . . live?--as Thou dost promise in Eze 33:5 (compare Eze 37:11; Isa 49:14).”

“Our sins - The unpardoned guilt, and the unsupportable punishment of our sins, in the wasting of our country, burning our city, abolishing the publick worship of God; we shall pine away, 'tis too late to hope. How - How can it be better with us? Ezekiel 33:21”

“33:10-11 Our sins are heavy upon us . . . How can we survive? Now that the people of Israel were finally taking the prophet’s warnings seriously, there was danger of despair rather than a response of repentance and faith. Unlike deterministic fate, God’s judgment leaves room for forgiveness. The sovereign Lord takes no pleasure in the death of wicked people. Even wicked people . . . can live if they repent and turn from their wickedness.”

“If our: The impenitent Jews seem to have charged the prophet's messages with inconsistency. for whilst he warned them to repent, and assured the penitent of forgiveness, he also predicted that the people "would pine away in their transgressions." The prediction, however, merely implied that God foresaw that the people in general would be impenitent, though some individuals would repent and be pardoned. Eze 24:23; Lev 26:39 how: Eze 37:11; Psa 130:7; Isa 49:14, Isa 51:20; Jer 2:25 Ezekiel 33:11”

“As watchman over Israel, Ezekiel is to announce to those who are despairing of the mercy of God, that the Lord will preserve from destruction those who turn from their sin, and lead them into life. - Eze 33:10. Thou then, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Ye rightly say, Our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and in them we vanish away; how, then, can we live? Eze 33:11. Say to them, As truly as I live, is the saying of the Lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the sinner; but when the sinner turneth from his way, he shall live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways! for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Eze 33:12. And thou, son of man, say to the sons of thy people,…”