The Meaning of Ezekiel 3:18 Explained

Ezekiel 3:18

KJV: When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

YLT: In My saying to the wicked: Thou dost surely die; and thou hast not warned him, nor hast spoken to warn the wicked from his wicked way, so that he doth live; he -- the wicked -- in his iniquity dieth, and his blood from thy hand I require.

Darby: When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt certainly die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, that he may live: the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand.

ASV: When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When I say  unto the wicked,  Thou shalt surely  die;  and thou givest him not warning,  nor speakest  to warn  the wicked  from his wicked  way,  to save his life;  the same wicked  [man] shall die  in his iniquity;  but his blood  will I require  at thine hand. 

What does Ezekiel 3:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

If Ezekiel failed to pass along a message of warning to the Israelites, warning them to repent or die, the Lord would hold Ezekiel personally responsible for their fate (cf. ch18; Ezekiel 33:1-20).

Context Summary

Ezekiel 3:12-27 - The Watchman's Responsibility
He was bitter because of his message, but hot because God's fire was burning within him. It is a blessed thing for preacher, leader, or Christian worker, when the hand of God is strong upon the soul. But whatever your inward condition, you will never be able to do your best work, unless you can sit where the people sit. In other words you must take their attitude, know by experience their circumstances, and share their lot. We must live very near to God, or we shall never hear the word of His mouth. There is no other way of obtaining messages that will effect His purpose. Ponder again Ezekiel 3:17. In Ezekiel 3:20 God is said to lay a stumbling-block only in the sense that He has constituted the world in that way. When the prophet went forth into the plain God revealed Himself. Whether He bids us go to the plain, or shut ourselves in the house, the place of obedience and duty will ever be the right one for the manifestation of His glory and the communication of His message. The secret of a successful ministry is to be absolutely yielded in thought and in speech to God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 3

1  Ezekiel eats the scroll
4  God encourages him
15  God shows him the rule of prophecy
22  God shuts and opens the prophet's mouth

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 3:18 mean?

when I say to the wicked surely You shall die and no you give him warning nor speak to warn the wicked from his way wicked to save his life that wicked [man] in his iniquity shall die but his blood at your hand I will require
בְּאָמְרִ֤י לָֽרָשָׁע֙ מ֣וֹת תָּמ֔וּת וְלֹ֣א הִזְהַרְתּ֗וֹ וְלֹ֥א דִבַּ֛רְתָּ לְהַזְהִ֥יר רָשָׁ֛ע מִדַּרְכּ֥וֹ הָרְשָׁעָ֖ה לְחַיֹּת֑וֹ ה֤וּא רָשָׁע֙ בַּעֲוֺנ֣וֹ יָמ֔וּת וְדָמ֖וֹ מִיָּדְךָ֥ אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ

בְּאָמְרִ֤י  when  I  say 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָֽרָשָׁע֙  to  the  wicked 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
מ֣וֹת  surely 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
תָּמ֔וּת  You  shall  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְלֹ֣א  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הִזְהַרְתּ֗וֹ  you  give  him  warning 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: זָהַר 
Sense: to admonish, warn, teach, shine, send out light, be light, be shining.
וְלֹ֥א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
דִבַּ֛רְתָּ  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
לְהַזְהִ֥יר  to  warn 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: זָהַר 
Sense: to admonish, warn, teach, shine, send out light, be light, be shining.
רָשָׁ֛ע  the  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
מִדַּרְכּ֥וֹ  from  his  way 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
הָרְשָׁעָ֖ה  wicked 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
לְחַיֹּת֑וֹ  to  save  his  life 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, 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.
ה֤וּא  that 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
רָשָׁע֙  wicked  [man] 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
בַּעֲוֺנ֣וֹ  in  his  iniquity 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
יָמ֔וּת  shall  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְדָמ֖וֹ  but  his  blood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
מִיָּדְךָ֥  at  your  hand 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ  I  will  require 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.