Ezekiel 18:30–32
God asks them to turn from their wrongs and get a new heart and spirit
Study it word by word30Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each according to his ways, declares Adonai YHWH. Turn back, and turn others away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be a stumbling block for you.
31Cast away from you all your transgressions with which you have transgressed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, house of Israel?
32For I take no pleasure in the death of the one who dies, declares Adonai YHWH. So turn back, and live.”
In its context
28Because he considered and turned from all his transgressions that he had done, he will surely live; he will not die.
29Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of Adonai is not rightly weighed.’ Are my ways not rightly weighed, house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not rightly weighed?
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Its words in the original
- אִישׁish· man, husband, each
Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").
- דְרָכָיderachay· way
Way, road, journey. Figuratively, the way one lives or acts.
- אֶשְׁפֹּטeshpot· judge
Judge: decide who is in the right and do him justice; also punish. Also rule, govern.
- בֵּיתbet· house, household
House. Also the family that lives in it ("the house of Noah") and someone's descendants ("the house of David"); also a temple, "the house of God".
- יִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael· Israel
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
- נְאֻםneum· declaration
Solemn declaration. "Declares YHWH" is the formula that marks words as spoken by God himself.
- אֲדֹנָadona· Adonai, Lord
"Adonai": "my Lord", said only to God. It is a title of respect that acknowledges his authority. It is not another god besides YHWH: often it goes with his name, "Adonai YHWH", Lord YHWH.
- יְהוִהyehvi· YHWH (with Adonai)
The four letters of God's name, YHWH (see "YHWH"). They almost always go with "Adonai"; then Jews, when reading, said "Elohim" so as not to repeat "Adonai".
- שׁוּבוּshuvu· return, turn back
Turn back, return. Also turn away; in the causative form, bring back, give back, answer. Figuratively, turn back to God (change course). Often adverbial: "again".
- פִּשְׁעֵיpishe· transgression
A serious wrong against someone: rebellion, transgression.
- יִהְיֶהyihye· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- מִכְשׁוֹלmichshol· stumbling block
A stumbling block: something that makes someone fall; an obstacle.
- עָוֺןavon· iniquity
Iniquity: wickedness, a serious wrong. The same word covers the wrong, the guilt it leaves and the punishment it brings.
- הַשְׁלִיכוּhashlichu· throw
Throw, cast, cast away.
- פְּשַׁעְתֶּםpeshatem· transgress, rebel
Transgress: to break with the authority one owes loyalty to; to rebel, to commit a serious offense. From this root comes "transgression."
- עֲשׂוּasu· do, make
Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.
- לֵבlev· heart
Heart. In Hebrew it is not only the place of feelings: it is the center of the person, where one thinks, decides and wills; also the middle of something.
- חָדָשׁchadash· new
New.
- רוּחַruach· spirit, wind, breath
The basic idea is "air in motion". The same word can be "wind"; "breath", the air that is breathed and keeps life; or "spirit": the mood or inner strength of a person, or the Spirit of God, his presence and power at work.
- תָמֻתוּtamutu· die
Die. In the causative form, kill, put to death. Hebrew can repeat the verb for emphasis ("dying you will die" = "you will surely die").
- אֶחְפֹּץechpots· desire, delight in
Want, desire; be pleased with someone, delight in.
- מוֹתmot· death
Death; also the realm of the dead, or a deadly plague.
- חְיוּcheu· live
Live, have life; recover. In the causative form, give life, keep alive, revive.