The Meaning of Ezekiel 18:24 Explained

Ezekiel 18:24

KJV: 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.

YLT: And in the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, According to all the abominations That the wicked hath done, he doth -- thus he liveth, All his righteousnesses that he hath done are not remembered, For his trespass that he hath trespassed, And for his sin that he hath sinned, For them he doth die.

Darby: And when the righteous turneth from his righteousness and practiseth what is wrong, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked doeth, shall he live? None of his righteous acts which he hath done shall be remembered: in his unfaithfulness which he hath wrought, and in his sin which he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

ASV: 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? None of his righteous deeds that he hath done shall be remembered: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Ezekiel 18:24 Mean?

Verse Meaning

A turn in the other direction would have the same result. If a person turned from righteous conduct and pursued a life of sin, God would punish him with premature death for his sins even though he had formerly done right.
"An individual"s relationship with God when the judgment arrives determines whether he will live or die." [1]
"A generation is not predetermined for judgment or for blessing by the previous one. Even within a generation, or within an individual life, the past does not necessarily determine the present or the future." [2]
"Ezekiel has hereby repudiated the notion of a "treasury of merit or demerit" on two counts. First, one generation cannot build up such a treasure [3] for another; each individual determines his or her own destiny by his or her own conduct. Second, an individual cannot build up such a treasury in one phase of his or her life and count on this to balance off a deficit later." [4]

Context Summary

Ezekiel 18:14-32 - The Reversal Of The Divine Judgment
The Jews of Ezekiel's day asserted that God's dealings with their nation were not just, because they were suffering, not for their own sins, but for their fathers'. God here makes it clear that He deals with individuals according to their deserts. The guilty son of a good father does not escape punishment because of his father's virtues; and the good son of evil parents reaps the reward of his own goodness. What a well of comfort is supplied by Ezekiel 18:21-22! God pledges Himself that forgiven sin shall not even be mentioned. This solemn covenant should be appropriated and its fulfillment claimed, by those who through all their lifetime have been subject to bondage because of their past. We must not be content with an outward amendment; there must be, and there can be, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, an inward and radical change. This impossible command drives us to the Holy Spirit, Psalms 51:10; Psalms 51:12. As Augustine puts it: "Give what thou requirest, and require what thou wilt." [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 18

1  God defends his justice
31  and exhorts to repentance

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 18:24 mean?

but when turns away a righteous man from his righteousness and commits iniquity according to all the abominations that does the wicked [man] and does and shall he live all - the righteousness which he has done not shall be remembered because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed because of them he shall die
וּבְשׁ֨וּב צַדִּ֤יק מִצִּדְקָתוֹ֙ וְעָ֣שָׂה עָ֔וֶל כְּכֹ֨ל הַתּוֹעֵב֜וֹת אֲשֶׁר־ עָשָׂ֧ה הָרָשָׁ֛ע יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה וָחָ֑י כָּל־ [צדקתו] (צִדְקֹתָ֤יו) אֲשֶׁר־ עָשָׂה֙ לֹ֣א תִזָּכַ֔רְנָה בְּמַעֲל֧וֹ אֲשֶׁר־ מָעַ֛ל וּבְחַטָּאת֥וֹ חָטָ֖א בָּ֥ם יָמֽוּת

וּבְשׁ֨וּב  but  when  turns  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
צַדִּ֤יק  a  righteous  man 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
מִצִּדְקָתוֹ֙  from  his  righteousness 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צְדָקָה  
Sense: justice, righteousness.
וְעָ֣שָׂה  and  commits 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
עָ֔וֶל  iniquity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָוֶל 
Sense: injustice, unrighteousness, wrong.
כְּכֹ֨ל  according  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַתּוֹעֵב֜וֹת  the  abominations 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: תֹּועֵבָה  
Sense: a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָשָׂ֧ה  does 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הָרָשָׁ֛ע  the  wicked  [man] 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה  and  does 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וָחָ֑י  and  shall  he  live 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
[צדקתו]  - 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
(צִדְקֹתָ֤יו)  the  righteousness 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צְדָקָה  
Sense: justice, righteousness.
עָשָׂה֙  he  has  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
תִזָּכַ֔רְנָה  shall  be  remembered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
בְּמַעֲל֧וֹ  because  of  the  unfaithfulness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מָעַל  
Sense: to act unfaithfully, act treacherously, transgress, commit a trespass.
אֲשֶׁר־  of  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
מָעַ֛ל  he  is  guilty 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מַעַל  
Sense: unfaithful or treacherous act, trespass.
וּבְחַטָּאת֥וֹ  and  the  sin 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
חָטָ֖א  he  has  committed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
בָּ֥ם  because  of  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
יָמֽוּת  he  shall  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.