The Meaning of Ezekiel 18:31 Explained

Ezekiel 18:31

KJV: Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

YLT: Cast from off you all your transgressions, By which ye have transgressed, And make to you a new heart, and a new spirit, And why do ye die, O house of Israel?

Darby: Cast away from you all your transgressions wherewith ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit: why then will ye die, house of Israel?

ASV: Cast away from you all your transgressions, wherein ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Cast away  from you all your transgressions,  whereby ye have transgressed;  and make  you a new  heart  and a new  spirit:  for why will ye die,  O house  of Israel? 

What does Ezekiel 18:31 Mean?

Verse Meaning

They needed to adopt a new heart attitude, a new spirit, a spirit of compliance to God"s will. It was unnecessary that they die prematurely for their sins when they could turn from them and continue to live (cf. Romans 13:14).

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 18:31 mean?

Cast away from you - all the transgressions which have committed you and get yourselves a heart new and a spirit new and for why should you die house of Israel
הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ מֵעֲלֵיכֶ֗ם אֶת־ כָּל־ פִּשְׁעֵיכֶם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר פְּשַׁעְתֶּ֣ם בָּ֔ם וַעֲשׂ֥וּ לָכֶ֛ם לֵ֥ב חָדָ֖שׁ ! וְר֣וּחַ חֲדָשָׁ֑ה וְלָ֥מָּה תָמֻ֖תוּ בֵּ֥ית ؟ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ  Cast  away 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
מֵעֲלֵיכֶ֗ם  from  you 
Parse: Preposition-m, second person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
פִּשְׁעֵיכֶם֙  the  transgressions 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.
פְּשַׁעְתֶּ֣ם  have  committed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: פָּשַׁע  
Sense: to rebel, transgress, revolt.
וַעֲשׂ֥וּ  and  get 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָכֶ֛ם  yourselves 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
לֵ֥ב  a  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
חָדָ֖שׁ  new 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָדָשׁ  
Sense: new, new thing, fresh.
! וְר֣וּחַ  and  a  spirit 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
חֲדָשָׁ֑ה  new 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: חָדָשׁ  
Sense: new, new thing, fresh.
וְלָ֥מָּה  and  for  why 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
תָמֻ֖תוּ  should  you  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בֵּ֥ית  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
؟ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.