If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die! 22 None of the crimes he has committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the justice he has shown. 23 Do I find pleasure in the death of the wicked—oracle of the Lord God? Do I not rejoice when they turn from their evil way and live? 24 And if the just turn from justice and do evil, like all the abominations the wicked do, can they do this evil and still live? None of the justice they did shall be remembered, because they acted treacherously and committed these sins; because of this, they shall die. 25 You say, “The Lord’s way is not fair!” Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair? Are not your ways unfair? 26 When the just turn away from justice to do evil and die, on account of the evil they did they must die. 27 But if the wicked turn from the wickedness they did and do what is right and just, they save their lives; 28 since they turned away from all the sins they committed, they shall live; they shall not die.
Ezekiel 18:21–28 emphasizes individual responsibility before God, teaching that each person will be judged according to his/her actions rather than the sins of their ancestors. If a wicked person repents, they will live, while a righteous person who turns to sin will face death. This passage refutes a fatalistic view of inherited guilt, “Our ancestors, who sinned, are no more; but now we bear their guilt" (Lamentations 5:7) and underscores God’s justice and mercy (cf. Deut. 24:16; 2 Kings 14:6).
This passage highlights that God's justice is not arbitrary but tied to one’s current moral state. It counters Israel’s belief in collective punishment and affirms personal accountability, which becomes central in later Jewish thought. The call to conversion is always open, revealing God’s desire for repentance rather than punishment (Ezek. 18:23; 33:11).
This theme connects directly to Luke 15:11–32, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, where the younger son represents the wicked who repent and receive mercy, while the elder son echoes the self-righteous who struggle with God’s justice. The father’s joyful reception of the repentant son mirrors God’s desire that sinners repent and live (Ezek. 18:23), rather than perish. Both passages show that God's mercy is available to those who turn back to Him.
The passage is fulfilled in Christ, who calls sinners to repentance, saying, “I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners” (Luke 5:32). He reveals God’s justice as restorative rather than merely punitive. Jesus’ death and resurrection make repentance truly efficacious, as sinners are not only called to conversion but are given grace to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:18-21). Through His sacrifice, Christ fulfills the promise that repentance leads to life (Acts 3:19), providing the means by which sinners turn back to God. This also connects to 2 Peter 3:9, which affirms that God desires all to come to repentance rather than perish.
Within the broader context of salvation history, Ezekiel 18 underscores the personal response required for salvation, a theme found in John 3:16–21, where belief in Christ leads to eternal life, and rejection of Him results in judgment. Just as Ezekiel teaches that righteousness must be maintained, Jesus affirms that belief in Him must be lived out through perseverance in faith and obedience (cf. James 2:17). The call to perseverance in righteousness is also echoed in Matthew 24:13—“the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.”
Thus, Ezekiel 18:21–28 not only affirms God's justice and mercy but also foreshadows the Gospel's call to repentance, fulfilled in Christ, who offers redemption to all who turn to Him in faith.
Almighty God, You are rich in mercy and abound in steadfast love. You do not desire the death of the sinner, but that we turn back to You and live. Like the father of the prodigal son, You welcome us with open arms when we repent. Grant us the grace to walk in righteousness, to persevere in faith, and to trust in Your boundless mercy. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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