Ezekiel 18:23

Context

Ezekiel 18 records a message delivered by the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Israel in exile in Babylon. At the time, a proverb circulated among the people: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" (Ezekiel 18:2). The saying expressed a resigned belief that they were being punished for the sins of their ancestors. God forbids further use of the proverb and declares that each person will be judged according to his own conduct (Ezekiel 18:2–4, Ezekiel 18:19–20).

Verses 21–22 state that if the wicked turn from their sins, they will live, and their past transgressions will not be remembered. Verse 23 gives the reason in the form of a rhetorical question (a question posed with its answer already implied). What God desires is not the death of the wicked but that they "return" and live. The same point is repeated at the end of the chapter (Ezekiel 18:30–32) and in Ezekiel 33:11.

Interpretation

• Readings centered on the Old Testament text: Many Old Testament scholars read this verse as a message that breaks down the fatalism of the exilic community and calls the people to repentance. Here "life" and "death" refer primarily to the life enjoyed and the judgment suffered within the community bound to God by covenant. For this reason, some point out that the verse does not directly address the question of an individual's eternal salvation.
• Wesleyan and Arminian readings: The Wesleyan tradition, including Methodist and Holiness churches, and the Arminian tradition read this verse alongside 1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9. They regard it as evidence that God sincerely desires the salvation of all people and therefore argue that it is difficult to reconcile with the view that God has unconditionally ordained some people to perdition.
• Reformed readings: The Reformed tradition, including Presbyterian churches, likewise affirms that God does not delight in the death of sinners as such and that the call to repentance is genuine. John Calvin is known to have distinguished, in his comments on this verse, between the will of God revealed in Scripture (the call to repent) and His decree hidden from human beings. On the basis of this distinction, the Reformed tradition holds that this verse and the doctrine of predestination do not contradict each other.

Debates and Issues

This verse is a classic text addressed by both Calvinism and Arminianism in the debate over predestination and free will. Arminians criticize the division of God's will into two as weakening the plain meaning of the text. Calvinists respond that passages such as Romans 9 must also be taken into account. Others caution that using this verse merely as a proof text in the predestination debate risks overlooking its original context, which was addressed to the exilic community.

In the Korean Church

Across denominations, the verse is frequently cited together with Ezekiel 33:11 in sermons calling for repentance and evangelism.

Related Passages

• Ezekiel 18:32
• Ezekiel 33:11
• 1 Timothy 2:4
• 2 Peter 3:9
• Romans 9:18–23