Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just about escaping punishment; it highlights that turning to righteousness is the very way a person actively preserves their life, not just receives a passive reprieve. It’s a profound reminder that life itself is found in doing what is just and right, as this action becomes the path to continued existence.
Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is arguing against the people’s proverb that "the fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." He insists that God judges individuals based on their own actions, not their ancestors'. This verse, coming after the pronouncements of judgment for the unrighteous, offers a radical counterpoint, showing that even those who have lived wickedly have the ability to turn from their sins and embrace righteousness, thereby receiving God's favor and life instead of judgment.
Does God predetermine our fate, or do we have real agency? Ezekiel 18 grapples with this, and this verse offers a powerful clue.
The core message here is about choice and consequence.
Agency and Accountability
Ezekiel is addressing a people who feel their fate is sealed by their ancestors' sins. God declares through the prophet that this isn't how it works. Each person is responsible for their own choices. The verse highlights that when someone actively turns from sin and does what is right, they will live. This isn't a passive waiting game; it's an active decision that leads to life.
The Nature of "Saving"
When it says 'he shall save his life,' it's crucial to understand this doesn't mean earning salvation by good deeds alone. Instead, it means that as a result of turning to God and living righteously, life is the promised outcome. It's the natural consequence of aligning oneself with God's ways. Think of it like choosing to step out of a dangerous storm into shelter; the shelter saves you, not because you earned it, but because you chose the path that leads to safety.
What does it truly mean to 'turn away from wickedness'? This verse points to a change that goes deeper than just stopping bad habits.
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The Hebrew concept underlying 'turning away' and 'doing what is just and right' speaks to a fundamental shift in orientation.
A Complete U-Turn
This isn't about minor adjustments; it's a radical reorientation of one's life. 'Turning away from wickedness' implies genuine remorse and a decision to abandon the path of sin. It’s not just regretting getting caught, but regretting the sin itself.
Living Out Righteousness
'Doing what is just and right' means actively embracing God's standards. This involves both ethical behavior towards others (justice) and a life aligned with God's will (righteousness). It’s about embodying God’s character in tangible ways.
Understand the original words
rasha · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
One who acts in opposition to God’s laws, characterized by rebellion, godlessness, or a failure to observe the moral standards established by the Creator.
mishpat · Hebrew Noun
The quality of conformity to God’s law, truth, and moral integrity. It is an objective standard of fairness and ethical behavior rooted in God’s nature.
Ezekiel's message of personal responsibility and the hope of repentance was delivered to a people reeling from national catastrophe, offering a radical reorientation away from inherited guilt towards individual accountability before God.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation of Judeans
Nebuchadnezzar's forces conquer Jerusalem and deport some of the Judean elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC— this verse
Second Deportation (including Ezekiel)
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including the priest Ezekiel. He begins his prophetic ministry in Babylon among the exiles.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Jerusalem is destroyed, and a final, larger group of Judeans is exiled to Babylon. This event brings immense despair and questions about God's faithfulness among the exiles.
c. 580 BC
Ezekiel Delivers His Message
Ezekiel delivers this challenging message of individual responsibility and the possibility of repentance to the exiles in Babylon, directly addressing their despair and false hopes.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
The Babylonian Empire falls to the Persian Cyrus the Great, opening the door for the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return
Cyrus issues an edict allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. Many return, beginning the restoration period.
This parable highlights the immense joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, mirroring the principle in Ezekiel that a turning wicked person brings about their own salvation.
Acts 3:19Peter calls people to 'repent and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,' directly echoing Ezekiel's message that turning from sin leads to life.
2 Corinthians 5:17This verse speaks of being a 'new creation' in Christ when one is in Him, which is the result of the transformation that Ezekiel describes when a wicked person turns to righteousness.
Romans 6:23Paul contrasts the wages of sin (death) with the free gift of God (eternal life), reinforcing Ezekiel's message that turning away from sin is the path to receiving life instead of death.
ellicottEzekiel 18:27: "Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive."
(27) Shall save his soul alive. —This does not mean that any man can by his own power save himself, for that question is not here in view at all, but that the consequence of a certain course of conduct will be his salvation, and that the adoption of that course is within the man’s own choice.
jfbEzekiel 18:27: "Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive."
- he shall save his soul—that is, he shall have it saved upon his repentance.
This verse isn't just about escaping punishment; it highlights that turning to righteousness is the very way a person actively preserves their life, not just receives a passive reprieve. It’s a profound reminder that life itself is found in doing what is just and right, as this action becomes the path to continued existence.
Ezekiel is arguing against the people’s proverb that "the fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." He insists that God judges individuals based on their own actions, not their ancestors'. This verse, coming after the pronouncements of judgment for the unrighteous, offers a radical counterpoint, showing that even those who have lived wickedly have the ability to turn from their sins and embrace righteousness, thereby receiving God's favor and life instead of judgment.
Ezekiel is arguing against the people’s proverb that "the fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." He insists that God judges individuals based on their own actions, not their ancestors'. This verse, coming after the pronouncements of judgment for the unrighteous, offers a radical counterpoint, showing that even those who have lived wickedly have the ability to turn from their sins and embrace righteousness, thereby receiving God's favor and life instead of judgment.
"Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life." — This verse isn't just about escaping punishment; it highlights that turning to righteousness is the very way a person actively preserves their life, not just receives a passive reprieve. It’s a pro…
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Last reviewed October 2026