Ezekiel 33:11

Say to them: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God speaks through Ezekiel to the house of Israel, who have just declared their sins too heavy to bear (33:10). The verse is a direct answer to their despair.

The words — חַי־אָנִי (chai-'ani), "as I live," is a divine self-oath that grounds the statement in God's own existence rather than mere assertion.

The thread — Ezekiel 18:23 uses nearly identical language ("Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?"), and the same logic appears in 1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9.

Why it lands — The verse shifts the question from "Can God forgive this?" to "Will you turn?" It asks the reader to stop treating their sin as a fixed verdict and recognize it as a direction they can reverse.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אֱמֹ֨ר'e.Morsay אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם'a.lei./Hemto/ them חַי־chai-[by] [the] life אָ֣נִי׀'A.niof me נְאֻ֣ם׀ne.'Um[the] utterance of אֲדֹנָ֣י'a.do.Nai[the] Lord יְהוִ֗הYah.wehYahweh אִם־'im-if אֶחְפֹּץ֙'ech.PotzI take pleasure בְּמ֣וֹתbe./Motin/ [the] death of הָרָשָׁ֔עha./ra.Sha'the/ wicked [person]כִּ֣יkithat אִם־'im-except בְּשׁ֥וּבbe./Shuvwhen/ turns back רָשָׁ֛עra.Sha'a wicked [person]מִדַּרְכּ֖וֹmi./dar.K/ofrom/ way/ his וְחָיָ֑הve./cha.Yahand/ he will live שׁ֣וּבוּShu.vuturn back שׁ֜וּבוּShu.vuturn back מִדַּרְכֵיכֶ֧םmi./dar.khei./Khemfrom/ ways/ your הָרָעִ֛יםha./ra.'Im<the>/ evil וְלָ֥מָּהve./La./mahand/ <to>/ why?תָמ֖וּתוּta.Mu.tuwill you die בֵּ֥יתbeitO house of יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פYis.ra.'ElIsrael

King James Version

Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Cross-references

1 Timothy 2:4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Ezekiel 18:23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Wouldn’t I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
Isaiah 55:6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,
Proverbs 8:36 But he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”
Ezekiel 18:30 Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that your iniquity will not become your downfall.
Jeremiah 3:22 “Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.
Luke 15:20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
Proverbs 1:23 If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.