Ezekiel 18 · Verse 21

Ezekiel 18:21

But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Ezekiel 18:21, King James Version

Ezekiel 18:21 in other translations

BSBBut if the wicked man turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.
WEB“But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die.
ASVBut if the wicked turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
YLTAnd the wicked--when he turneth back From all his sins that he hath done, And he hath kept all My statutes, And hath done judgment and righteousness, He doth surely live, he doth not die.
DARBYAnd the wicked, if he turn from all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do judgment and justice, he shall certainly live, he shall not die.
BBEBut if the evil-doer, turning away from all the sins which he has done, keeps my rules and does what is ordered and right, life will certainly be his; death will not be his fate.
WebsterBut if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

What does Ezekiel 18:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ezekiel 18:21-24
21-24. 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 stubborn sinner oft is hard, Wrapt in his crimes, against the storm prepared, But when the milder beams of mercy play, He melts, and throws the cumbrous cloak away. Hitherto the cases had been of a change from bad to good, or vice versa, in one generation compared with another. Here it is such a change in one and the same individual. This, as practically affecting the persons here addressed, is properly put last. So far from God laying on men the penalty of others' sins, He will not even punish them for their own, if they turn from sin to righteousness; but if they turn from righteousness to sin, they must expect in justice that their former goodness will not atone for subsequent sin (He 10:38, 39; 2Pe 2:20-22). The exile in Babylon gave a season for repentance of those sins which would have brought death on the perpetrator in Judea while the law could be enforced; so it prepared the way for the Gospel [Grotius].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins - And afterwards walk according to the character of the righteous already specified shall he find mercy, and be for ever saved? Yes.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 18:21-29
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 18:26,27 speaks the fulness of pardoning mercy: when sin is forgiven, it is blotted out, it is remembered no more. In their righteousness they shall live; not for their righteousness, as if that were an atonement for their sins, but in their righteousness, which is one of the blessings purchased by the Mediator. What encouragement a repenting, returning sinner has to hope for pardon and life according to this promise! In verse 28 is the beginning and progress of repentance. True believers watch and pray, and continue to the end, and they are saved. In all our disputes with God, he is in the right, and we are in the wrong.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Ezekiel 18:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהָרָשָׁ֗עve.ha.ra.Sha'and the wicked [person]H7563
כִּ֤יkiifH3588
יָשׁוּב֙ya.Shuvhe will turn awayH7725
מִכָּל\־mi.kolfrom allH3605
חַטֹּאתָיו֙cha.ta.tovsins hisH2403
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834
עָשָׂ֔ה'a.Sahhe has doneH6213
וְשָׁמַר֙ve.sha.Marand he will keepH8104
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
חֻקּוֹתַ֔יchu.ko.Taistatutes myH2708
וְעָשָׂ֥הve.'a.Sahand he will doH6213
מִשְׁפָּ֖טmish.PatjusticeH4941
וּצְדָקָ֑הu.tze.da.Kahand righteousnessH6666
חָיֹ֥הcha.Yohcertainly <live>H2421
יִחְיֶ֖הyich.Yehhe will liveH2421
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
יָמֽוּת\׃ya.Muthe will dieH4191

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ezekiel 18:21

  • Ezekiel 33:19

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

  • Titus 2:11-14

    For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

  • Ezekiel 18:27-28

    Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

  • Romans 8:13

    For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

  • Acts 3:19

    Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

  • Proverbs 28:13

    He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

  • Ezekiel 18:9

    Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.

  • Luke 24:47

    And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

  • Ezekiel 18:5

    But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

  • 1 Timothy 1:13-16

    Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

  • James 2:26

    For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

  • James 4:8-10

    Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
if the.
27,28,30; 33:11-16,19; 2Ch 33:12,13; Pr 28:13; Isa 1:16-20; 55:6,7
Lu 24:47; Ac 3:19; 26:18-20; 1Ti 1:13-16; Jas 4:8-10
and keep.
9; 36:27; Ge 26:5; Ps 119:80,112; Lu 1:6; Jas 2:14,26
and do.
5,19,27; Ps 119:1; Ga 5:22-24; Tit 2:11-14
he shall surely.
17,28; 3:21; Ro 8:13

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ezekiel 18:20

    The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

  • Ezekiel 18:21

    But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

  • Ezekiel 18:22

    All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

Read all of Ezekiel 18

Ezekiel 18:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas el impío, si se apartare de todos sus pecados que hizo, y guardare todas mis ordenanzas, é hiciere juicio y justicia, de cierto vivirá; no morirá.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le méchant, s’il se détourne de tous ses péchés qu’il a commis, et qu’il garde tous mes statuts, et qu’il pratique le jugement et la justice, certainement il vivra; il ne mourra pas.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wenn aber der Gesetzlose umkehrt von allen seinen Sünden, die er getan hat, und alle meine Satzungen hält und Recht und Gerechtigkeit übt, so soll er gewißlich leben, er soll nicht sterben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si autem impius egerit pœnitentiam ab omnibus peccatis suis quæ operatus est, et custodierit omnia præcepta mea, et fecerit judicium et justitiam, vita vivet, et non morietur.