Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 18:26
When a righteous [man] turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
See Eze 18:24, where the whole of this verse is explained.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
26-28. The two last instancesrepeated in inverse order. God’s emphatic statement of His principleof government needs no further proof than the simple statement of it.
in themin the actualsins, which are the manifestations of the principle of”iniquity,” mentioned just before.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
When a righteous [man] turneth away from his righteousness,…. This is repeated for the further confirmation of it, and to raise their attention to it; to make it more plain and manifest to them, and to fix it upon their minds:
and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them: or, “he shall die for them” m; both for his turning away from his righteousness, and for his committing iniquity:
for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die; in both respects. This is repeated to denote the certainty of it.
m “propter illa”, Pagninus, Piscator, Grotius, Cocceius; so some in Vatsbins.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet repeats what we formerly saw, namely, that the state of the case turned upon this, Whether the people had any cause of complaint when God absolves those who repent, and condemns the just who desert the course of a pious and holy life? Now, we must always return to this cardinal point, that God rewards every one according to his works, since he offers mercy to all the lost, and demands nothing else but a sincere and hearty return to him. Since, then, God treats the impious with such clemency, and is so ready to pardon them, what is the reason why men contend with him? If the just should retrace his steps, and after having shown some signs of the fear of God, throw off all obedience, who can object when God punishes him, and blots out the remembrance of his former righteousness? God, therefore, determines the result fairly in each case. We have explained how the phrase, the just should turn aside from their righteousness, ought to be understood, not that the elect ever utterly fall away, as many think their faith is extinguished, and every root of piety also in the sons of God; that is too absurd, because, as I have said, the gift of regeneration has perseverance always annexed to it: but here that righteousness which mankind recognize is intended. But we know how frequently it happens that what seemed entirely pure and perfect is deficient. Now, God pronounces that he would punish all who fall away from him, and would be accessible and propitious to miserable sinners who desire to be reconciled to him; and he repeats again, if the wicked have seen and turned away from his wickedness. We must mark this phrase, for it shows that thinking rightly is the commencement of repentance; because, though the reprobate knowingly and willingly transgress God’s law, it is certain that they labor under blindness and madness, so that the Scripture does not call them foolish and beside themselves in vain. He does not extenuate their faults, as if they sinned ignorantly; but he means that they were so blinded by diabolical madness as to think of nothing; for surely horror would immediately possess their minds if they only perceived God to be their adversary, and themselves to be making war with him. For this reason, therefore, when the Prophet describes to us the conversion of the wicked, he says, if he has seen; that is, if at length he has returned to a sound mind, and collected his senses, so that he may not rush on madly, as he has been accustomed to do, but may look upon both God and himself. It now follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
“When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in it, for the iniquity that he has done will he die. Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed, and does what is lawful and right, he will save himself alive. Because he considers and turns away from all his transgressions which he has committed, he will surely live. He will not die.”
God again summarises His position. Each man is responsible for his own attitudes and doings, and for continuation in the right way. If he becomes a wicked man, any amount of previous righteousness will not save him, but if a man awakens to his sinfulness, repents of his wickedness, and begins to live his life in obedience to God and His ways, he will be forgiven and will find life and not death. So God is concerned with a man’s present attitude and response. That alone is the proof that a man is right with God, and that alone determines his present wellbeing.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 18:26-27. When a righteous man A very false and very dangerous opinion prevailed among the Jews, that at the day of judgment a considerable number of good actions would overbalance men’s evil ones. In opposition to this doctrine, God here declares, that a righteous man, sinning and not repenting, should die in his sins; and that the wicked man repenting should certainly save his soul alive. See Lowth.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 18:26 When a righteous [man] turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
Ver. 26. When a righteous man turneth, ] q.d, Shall I say the selfsame over again to you? I had need do so surely, and all little enough.
And dieth in them,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Reciprocal: Lev 6:7 – make Pro 2:13 – leave Eze 3:20 – When Eze 18:18 – even Eze 18:24 – when Eze 33:18 – General Col 1:23 – ye continue 1Jo 5:17 – and
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 18:26. The conclusion that is in this verse is that when a man dies IN his iniquities, they are to be regarded as the cause for the penalty of death imposed.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
The Lord repeated for clarification that turning to sin results in death but turning from sin (obeying God’s covenant stipulations) results in life (cf. Eze 18:21-22; Eze 18:24; Rom 6:23). Clearly He meant that a final turning is in view rather than a superficial or temporary turning. If a person abandons God to pursue a life without God (i.e., apostasy), or vice versa, the result will be death or life respectively.
"The reference is not to a temporary lapse, but to a persistent choice of evil which changes the course of a man’s life." [Note: Taylor, p. 151.]