10 "Now as for you, son of man , say to the house of Israel , 'Thus you have spoken , saying , "Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we survive ?"' 11 "Say to them, ' As I live !' declares the Lord GOD , 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked , but rather e that the wicked turn from his way and live . Turn back , turn back from your evil ways ! Why then will you die , O house of Israel ?' 12 "And you, son of man , say to your fellow citizens , 'The righteousness of a righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression , and as for the wickedness of the wicked , he will not stumble because of it in the day when he turns from his wickedness ; whereas a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin .' 13 "When I say to the righteous he will surely live , and he so trusts in his righteousness that he commits iniquity , none e of his righteous deeds will be remembered ; but in that same iniquity of his which he has committed he will die . 14 "But when I say to the wicked , 'You will surely die ,' and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness , 15 if a wicked man restores a pledge , pays back what he has taken by robbery , walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing iniquity , he shall surely live ; he shall not die . 16 " None e of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has practiced justice and righteousness ; he shall surely live . 17 "Yet your fellow citizens say , 'The way of the Lord is not right ,' when it is their own way that is not right . 18 "When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity , then he shall die in it. 19 "But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and practices justice and righteousness , he will live by them. 20 "Yet you say , ' The way of the Lord is not right .' O house of Israel , I will judge each of you according to his ways ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 33:10-20
Commentary on Ezekiel 33:10-20
(Read Ezekiel 33:10-20)
Those who despaired of finding mercy with God, are answered with a solemn declaration of God's readiness to show mercy. The ruin of the city and state was determined, but that did not relate to the final state of persons. God says to the righteous, that he shall surely live. But many who have made profession, have been ruined by proud confidence in themselves. Man trusts to his own righteousness, and presuming on his own sufficiency, he is brought to commit iniquity. If those who have lived a wicked life repent and forsake their wicked ways, they shall be saved. Many such amazing and blessed changes have been wrought by the power of Divine grace. When there is a settled separation between a man and sin, there shall no longer be a separation between him and God.