The Meaning of Ezekiel 3:21 Explained

Ezekiel 3:21

KJV: Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

YLT: And thou, because thou hast warned him -- the righteous -- that the righteous sin not, and he hath not sinned, he surely liveth, because he hath been warned; and thou thy soul hast delivered.'

Darby: And if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall certainly live, for he hath taken warning; and thou hast delivered thy soul.

ASV: Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and thou hast delivered thy soul.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Nevertheless if thou warn  the righteous  [man], that the righteous  sin  not, and he doth not sin,  he shall surely  live,  because he is warned;  also thou hast delivered  thy soul. 

What does Ezekiel 3:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

On the other hand, if Ezekiel warned a righteous person and he heeded the warning, he would live, and Ezekiel would be free of any guilt before the Lord.
"The duties of Habakkuk ( Habakkuk 2:1), Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 6:17), and Isaiah ( Isaiah 56:10) were far more national and corporate than individual. Ezekiel realized that from that time on his would be a mission mainly to individuals." [1]
"The responsibility of a believer in Christ today to share the word of life, salvation, and forgiveness is no less awesome. Once the message of salvation is entrusted to us, we are responsible and accountable to share with those who are lost." [2]
The Mosaic Law promised life for obedience and death for disobedience. This was physical life and physical death, not eternal life and death. The Lord gave the Mosaic Law to a people who had already entered into relationship with Himself by faith (cf. Leviticus 18:5; Deuteronomy 4:37-40; Deuteronomy 6; Deuteronomy 7:6-11; Deuteronomy 10:15-17; Deuteronomy 30:15-20; see also Exodus 19:8; Exodus 24:3; Exodus 24:7; Deuteronomy 5:27). The possibility here is premature physical death or extended physical life. Eternal life and eternal security are not the issues. [3]

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 3:21 mean?

And nevertheless you if warn the righteous [man] that not should sin the righteous and he not does sin surely he shall live because he took warning and you - your soul will have delivered -
וְאַתָּ֞ה כִּ֧י הִזְהַרְתּ֣וֹ צַדִּ֗יק לְבִלְתִּ֥י חֲטֹ֛א צַדִּ֖יק וְה֣וּא לֹא־ חָטָ֑א חָי֤וֹ יִֽחְיֶה֙ כִּ֣י נִזְהָ֔ר וְאַתָּ֖ה אֶֽת־ נַפְשְׁךָ֥ הִצַּֽלְתָּ ס

וְאַתָּ֞ה  And  nevertheless  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
הִזְהַרְתּ֣וֹ  warn 
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.
צַדִּ֗יק  the  righteous  [man] 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
לְבִלְתִּ֥י  that  not 
Parse: Preposition-l
Root: בִּלְתִּי  
Sense: not, except adv.
חֲטֹ֛א  should  sin 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
צַדִּ֖יק  the  righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
וְה֣וּא  and  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
חָטָ֑א  does  sin 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
חָי֤וֹ  surely 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
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.
יִֽחְיֶה֙  he  shall  live 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 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.
כִּ֣י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
נִזְהָ֔ר  he  took  warning 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָהַר 
Sense: to admonish, warn, teach, shine, send out light, be light, be shining.
וְאַתָּ֖ה  and  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נַפְשְׁךָ֥  your  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
הִצַּֽלְתָּ  will  have  delivered 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation