The Meaning of Ezekiel 3:19 Explained

Ezekiel 3:19

KJV: 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.

YLT: And thou, because thou hast warned the wicked, and he hath not turned back from his wickedness, and from his wicked way, he in his iniquity dieth, and thou thy soul hast delivered.

Darby: But 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Ezekiel 3:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

If, however, Ezekiel did warn the people and they refused to repent, they would die, but the Lord would not hold Ezekiel responsible.

Context Summary

Ezekiel 3:12-27 - The Watchman's Responsibility
He was bitter because of his message, but hot because God's fire was burning within him. It is a blessed thing for preacher, leader, or Christian worker, when the hand of God is strong upon the soul. But whatever your inward condition, you will never be able to do your best work, unless you can sit where the people sit. In other words you must take their attitude, know by experience their circumstances, and share their lot. We must live very near to God, or we shall never hear the word of His mouth. There is no other way of obtaining messages that will effect His purpose. Ponder again Ezekiel 3:17. In Ezekiel 3:20 God is said to lay a stumbling-block only in the sense that He has constituted the world in that way. When the prophet went forth into the plain God revealed Himself. Whether He bids us go to the plain, or shut ourselves in the house, the place of obedience and duty will ever be the right one for the manifestation of His glory and the communication of His message. The secret of a successful ministry is to be absolutely yielded in thought and in speech to God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 3

1  Ezekiel eats the scroll
4  God encourages him
15  God shows him the rule of prophecy
22  God shuts and opens the prophet's mouth

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 3:19 mean?

And yet you if warn the wicked and not he does turn from his wickedness nor from his way wicked he in his iniquity shall die but you - your soul have delivered -
וְאַתָּה֙ כִּֽי־ הִזְהַ֣רְתָּ רָשָׁ֔ע וְלֹא־ שָׁב֙ מֵֽרִשְׁע֔וֹ וּמִדַּרְכּ֖וֹ הָרְשָׁעָ֑ה ה֚וּא בַּעֲוֺנ֣וֹ יָמ֔וּת וְאַתָּ֖ה אֶֽת־ נַפְשְׁךָ֥ הִצַּֽלְתָּ ס

וְאַתָּה֙  And  yet  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
הִזְהַ֣רְתָּ  warn 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: זָהַר 
Sense: to admonish, warn, teach, shine, send out light, be light, be shining.
רָשָׁ֔ע  the  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
וְלֹא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁב֙  he  does  turn 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
מֵֽרִשְׁע֔וֹ  from  his  wickedness 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֶשַׁע  
Sense: wrong, wickedness, guilt.
וּמִדַּרְכּ֖וֹ  nor  from  his  way 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
הָרְשָׁעָ֑ה  wicked 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
בַּעֲוֺנ֣וֹ  in  his  iniquity 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
יָמ֔וּת  shall  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְאַתָּ֖ה  but  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נַפְשְׁךָ֥  your  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
הִצַּֽלְתָּ  have  delivered 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation