The verse isn't just saying past good deeds are forgotten; it emphasizes that all prior righteousness is wiped out and becomes irrelevant when someone fully abandons God. This isn't about minor stumbles, but a complete, active embrace of wickedness, erasing the record of former goodness from God's consideration.
But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is demonstrating God's absolute fairness, showing that individuals are responsible for their own choices, not their parents'. He’s just explained that a wicked person who turns to righteousness will live, and now he flips the perspective to address those who seem righteous but abandon God. This verse is the counterpoint, emphasizing that a supposed righteousness offers no protection if followed by a complete turning to wicked deeds.
What happens when someone who has walked with God for years suddenly turns their back on everything they once held dear? Does their past faithfulness count for anything?
Ezekiel poses a stark hypothetical here: a person recognized as 'righteous' abandons their path. This isn't about a momentary stumble or a sin committed in weakness, but a complete abandonment – doing 'the same abominations that the wicked person does.' The prophet's rhetorical question, 'shall he live?', isn't seeking a loophole. It's setting up a devastating conclusion: the past deeds of righteousness are rendered void. They will not be remembered. Why? Because the defining reality is the present, willful turning to wickedness. This highlights a crucial, though difficult, truth: a life's faithfulness can be tragically undone by a complete and final revolt against God.
Can good deeds be erased? This verse suggests a jarring answer for those who turn away completely.
The core of Ezekiel's message here is about what counts in God's sight at the end of the day. When someone who was once righteous fully apostatizes, their prior good deeds are not just forgotten – they are rendered irrelevant for salvation. The text emphasizes that these deeds 'shall not be remembered.' This isn't because God has a bad memory, but because the final state of the individual is determined by their ultimate allegiance. A complete turning away from righteousness means that the foundation for those past good deeds (a living relationship with God) has been broken. The 'treachery' and the 'sin' of the apostasy are what define them in their final moments, leading to death. It’s a sobering reminder that our standing before God isn't based on a tally of good versus bad deeds, but on the enduring reality of our relationship with Him.
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Understand the original words
'evel · Hebrew Noun
Actions characterized by a lack of justice or fairness; behavior that deviates from the moral order established by God.
to'ebah · Hebrew Noun
Revolting or loathsome acts, particularly those that are spiritually offensive to God, such as idolatry or moral perversion.
ma'al · Hebrew Noun
Acting unfaithfully or deceitfully against a covenant or a relationship of trust, particularly toward God.
Ezekiel's powerful words in this chapter were delivered to a community reeling from the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. The exiles grappled with the devastating consequences of their nation's sin, questioning how God could allow such judgment. Ezekiel directly confronts the idea that national identity or past righteousness could guarantee salvation, emphasizing individual responsibility before God, especially in the wake of such profound national catastrophe.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and many of Judah's elite, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This event marks a significant turning point, diminishing the Southern Kingdom's power and displacing its leadership.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
After a prolonged siege, Nebuchadnezzar's forces conquer Jerusalem, destroy Solomon's Temple, and deport the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This catastrophe deeply shakes the exiles' understanding of God and His promises.
c. 585-570 BC
Ezekiel's Ministry in Exile
Ezekiel delivers powerful prophecies to the exiles in Babylon, addressing their despair, challenging their misconceptions about God's justice, and offering hope for future restoration and a renewed covenant.
c. 540 BC
Cyrus the Great's Rise
Cyrus conquers Babylon and establishes the Persian Empire. His policy of allowing conquered peoples to return to their homelands offers a glimmer of hope for the exiled Judeans.
539 BC
Decree of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree permitting the Jewish exiles to return to Judah and rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem. This marks the beginning of the return from Babylonian exile.
This passage echoes Ezekiel's warning by directly stating, 'Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall,' highlighting the danger of overconfidence and the need for continuous faithfulness.
Hebrews 6:4-6This passage describes the impossibility of restoring to repentance those who have fallen away after experiencing salvation, underscoring the severe consequence of apostasy mentioned in Ezekiel 18:24.
2 Peter 2:20-22Similar to Ezekiel's teaching, Peter describes those who have escaped the world's corruption but have fallen back into its snares, emphasizing that their latter state is worse than their former, and their past righteousness counts for nothing.
Matthew 24:13Jesus Himself teaches that 'the one who endures to the end will be saved,' reinforcing the theme that a person's final state, determined by perseverance, is what truly matters, not just past good deeds.
1 John 2:19John addresses the reality of people leaving the faith, stating, 'They went out from us, but they were not of us.' This offers a perspective on how those who appear righteous might ultimately prove they were never truly part of God's people.
calvinEzekiel 18:24: "But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die."
- But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked…
pooleEzekiel 18:24: "But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die."
After the stating the equity of God’s ways in his dealings with parents and children, and his mercy in dealing with sinners that return according to…
The verse isn't just saying past good deeds are forgotten; it emphasizes that all prior righteousness is wiped out and becomes irrelevant when someone fully abandons God. This isn't about minor stumbles, but a complete, active embrace of wickedness, erasing the record of former goodness from God's consideration.
Ezekiel is demonstrating God's absolute fairness, showing that individuals are responsible for their own choices, not their parents'. He’s just explained that a wicked person who turns to righteousness will live, and now he flips the perspective to address those who seem righteous but abandon God. This verse is the counterpoint, emphasizing that a supposed righteousness offers no protection if followed by a complete turning to wicked deeds.
Ezekiel is demonstrating God's absolute fairness, showing that individuals are responsible for their own choices, not their parents'. He’s just explained that a wicked person who turns to righteousness will live, and now he flips the perspective to address those who seem righteous but abandon God. This verse is the counterpoint, emphasizing that a supposed righteousness offers no protection if followed by a complete turning to wicked deeds.
"But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery…" — The verse isn't just saying past good deeds are forgotten; it emphasizes that all prior righteousness is wiped out and becomes irrelevant when someone fully abandons God. This isn't about minor stu…
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Last reviewed October 2026
