Ezekiel 3 · Verse 20

Ezekiel 3:20

Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Ezekiel 3:20, King James Version

Ezekiel 3:20 in other translations

BSB	Now if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. And I will hold you responsible for his blood.
WEB	“Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he will die. Because you have not given him warning, he will die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered; but I will require his blood at your hand.
ASV	Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy hand.
YLT	‘And in the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, and he hath done perversity, and I have put a stumbling-block before him, he dieth; because thou hast not warned him, in his sin he dieth, and not remembered is his righteousness that he hath done, and his blood from thy hand I require.
DARBY	And when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and do what is wrong, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die; because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous acts which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy hand.
BBE	Again, when an upright man, turning away from his righteousness, does evil, and I put a cause of falling in his way, death will overtake him: because you have given him no word of his danger, death will overtake him in his evil-doing, and there will be no memory of the upright acts which he has done; but I will make you responsible for his blood.
Webster	Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy hand.

What does Ezekiel 3:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

20. righteous ... turn from ... righteousness--not one "righteous" as to the root and spirit of regeneration (Psa 89:33; 138:8; Is 26:12; 27:3; Joh 10:28; Php 1:6), but as to its outward appearance and performances. So the "righteous" (Pr 18:17; Mt 9:13). As in Eze 3:19 the minister is required to lead the wicked to good, so in Eze 3:20 he is to confirm the well-disposed in their duty. commit iniquity--that is, give himself up wholly to it (1Jo 3:8, 9), for even the best often fall, but not wilfully and habitually. I lay a stumbling-block--not that God tempts to sin (Jas 1:13, 14), but God gives men over to judicial blindness, and to their own corruptions (Psa 9:16, 17; 94:23) when they "like not to retain God in their knowledge" (Ro 1:24, 26); just as, on the contrary, God makes "the way of the righteous plain" (Pr 4:11, 12; 15:19), so that they do "not stumble." Calvin refers "stumbling-block" not to the guilt, but to its punishment; "I bring ruin on him." The former is best. Ahab, after a kind of righteousness (1Ki 21:27-29), relapsed and consulted lying spirits in false prophets; so God permitted one of these to be his "stumbling-block," both to sin and its corresponding punishment (1Ki 22:21-23). his blood will I require--(He 13:17).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 20 When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness - Which these words plainly state he may do, and commit iniquity and die in his sin; and consequently die eternally, which is also here granted; if he have not been warned, though he die in his sin, the blood - the life and salvation, of this person also will God require at the watchman's hand. Pastor hunc occidit, quia eum tacendo morti tradidit. "This man the pastor kills; for in being silent, he delivers him over to death." - Gregory. From these passages we see that a righteous man may fall from grace, and perish everlastingly. Should it be said that it means the self-righteous, I reply, this is absurd; for self-righteousness is a fall itself, and the sooner a man falls from it the better for himself. Real, genuine righteousness of heart and life is that which is meant. Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall. And I lay a stumbling-block before him - That is, I permit him to be tried, and he fall in the trial. God is repeatedly represented as doing things which he only permits to be done. He lays a stumbling-block, i.e., he permits one to be laid.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 3:12-21

This mission made the holy angels rejoice. All this was to convince Ezekiel, that the God who sent him had power to bear him out in his work. He was overwhelmed with grief for the sins and miseries of his people, and overpowered by the glory of the vision he had seen. And however retirement, meditation, and communion with God may be sweet, the servant of the Lord must prepare to serve his generation. The Lord told…

Read the full comment on Ezekiel 3:12-21 →

Ezekiel 3:20 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.

וּבְשׁ֨וּבu.ve.Shuvand when turns awayH7725

צַדִּ֤יקtza.Dika righteous [person]H6662

מִצִּדְקוֹ֙mi.tzid.Kofrom righteousness hisH6664

וְעָ֣שָׂהve.'A.sahand he will doH6213

עָ֔וֶל'A.velinjusticeH5766

וְנָתַתִּ֥יve.na.ta.Tiand I will putH5414

מִכְשׁ֛וֹלmikh.Sholan obstacleH4383

לְפָנָ֖יוle.fa.Nav<to> before himH6440

ה֣וּאhu'heH1931

יָמ֑וּתya.Muthe will dieH4191

כִּ֣יkiifH3588

לֹ֤אlo'notH3808

הִזְהַרְתּוֹ֙hiz.har.Toyou warned himH2094

בְּחַטָּאת֣וֹbe.cha.ta.Tofor sin hisH2403

יָמ֔וּתya.Muthe will dieH4191

וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808

תִזָּכַ֗רְןָti.za.Khar.nathey will be rememberedH2142

צִדְקֹתָיו֙tzid.ko.Tavrighteousness<es> hisH6666

אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834

עָשָׂ֔ה'a.Sahhe didH6213

וְדָמ֖וֹve.da.Moand blood hisH1818

מִיָּדְךָ֥mi.ya.de.Khafrom hand yourH3027

אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ\׃'a.va.KeshI will requireH1245

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

Cross references for Ezekiel 3:20

Ezekiel 18:24
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.
Ezekiel 33:12-13
Therefore, 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. When 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.
Ezekiel 18:26
When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
Hebrews 10:38
Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Ezekiel 3:18
When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Romans 2:7-8
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Psalms 125:5
As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.
2 Peter 2:18-22
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. …
Psalms 119:165
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
1 John 2:19
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

When.
18:24,26; 33:12,13; 2Ch 24:2,17-22; Ps 36:3; 125:5; Zep 1:6
Mt 13:20,21; Heb 10:38; 2Pe 2:18-22; 1Jo 2:19
righteousness. Heb. righteousnesses.
Isa 64:6; Da 9:18
and I lay.
7:19; 14:3,7-9; De 13:3; Ps 119:165; *marg:
Isa 8:14; Jer 6:21; Lu 2:34; Ro 9:32,33; 11:9; 1Co 1:23; 2Th 2:9-12
1Pe 2:8
because.
18; Le 19:17; 2Sa 12:7-13; 2Ch 19:2-4; 25:15; Pr 25:12; Mt 18:15
and his.
18:24,26; 33:12,13; Mt 12:43-45; Lu 8:15; Ro 2:7,8; Heb 10:38
2Pe 2:21
but his.
18; 33:6; Heb 13:17

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

Context

Ezekiel 3:19
Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
Ezekiel 3:20
Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Ezekiel 3:21
Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

Read all of Ezekiel 3

Ezekiel 3:20 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y cuando el justo se apartare de su justicia, é hiciere maldad, y pusiere yo tropiezo delante de él, él morirá, porque tú no le amonestaste; en su pecado morirá, y sus justicias que había hecho no vendrán en memoria; mas su sangre demandaré de tu mano.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et si le juste se détourne de sa justice et commet l’iniquité, et que je mette une pierre d’achoppement devant lui, il mourra; parce que tu ne l’as point averti, il mourra dans son péché, et ses actes justes qu’il a faits ne viendront pas en mémoire; mais je redemanderai son sang de ta main.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und wenn ein Gerechter von seiner Gerechtigkeit umkehrt und unrecht tut, und ich einen Anstoß vor ihn lege, so soll er sterben. Wenn du ihn nicht warnst, so wird er wegen seiner Sünde sterben, und seiner gerechten Taten die er getan hat, wird nicht gedacht werden; aber sein Blut werde ich von deiner Hand fordern.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Sed et si conversus justus a justitia sua fuerit, et fecerit iniquitatem, ponam offendiculum coram eo: ipse morietur quia non annuntiasti ei. In peccato suo morietur, et non erunt in memoria justitiæ ejus quas fecit: sanguinem vero ejus de manu tua requiram.