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Ezekiel 33:12

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 33:12 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And 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; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall he that is righteous be able to live thereby in the day that he sinneth.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And 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; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall he that is righteous be able to live thereby in the day that he sinneth.
Ezekiel 33:12 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 33

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
9Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he turn not from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul.
10And thou, son of man, say unto the house of Israel: Thus ye speak, saying, Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we pine away in them; how then can we live?
11Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, 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?
12And 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; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall he that is righteous be able to live thereby in the day that he sinneth.
13When I say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his righteousness, and commit iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in his iniquity that he hath committed, therein shall he die.
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;
15if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that which he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.
← Ezekiel 33:11Ezekiel 33:13 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, &c.] (See Gill on “<263302>Ezekiel 33:2”). The purport of what the prophet is bid to say in this and some following verses is, that the righteousness of a man that trusts in it, he sinning and not repenting, shall not save him; and that the wickedness of a repenting sinner shall not damn him: the righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; this must be understood, not of a truly righteous man, or of the righteousness of Christ, by which such an one is made so; for that righteousness does deliver those to whom it is imputed, from sin and the condemnation of it, even in the day of his…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“not fall . . . in the day that he turneth-- (Ch2 7:14; see Eze 3:20; Eze 18:24).”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“33:12-16 The principle stated in 33:10-11 is worked out in two case studies. The first involves righteous people who trust in their past righteousness to save them, even though they turn to sin. God will destroy these people in their sins, notwithstanding their earlier righteous behavior. The second case study involves wicked people who repent of wickedness. Complete forgiveness is available from the Lord. Whatever their past, those who turn from their sins and do what is just and right will live. As with the word concerning the watchman, what had been said earlier is revisited. In ch 18, the people said that they were being punished for their parents’ sins. Here they were apparently saying…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“say: Eze 33:2 The righteousness: Eze 33:18, Eze 3:20, Eze 3:21, Eze 18:24-26 as for: Eze 33:19, Eze 18:21, Eze 18:27-32; Kg1 8:48-50; Ch2 7:14; Mat 21:28-31; Rom 3:25 neither: Jo1 2:1 Ezekiel 33:13”
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Related study paths

Read Ezekiel 33 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification