Ezekiel 18:23 (GNV)

Passage

Haue I any desire that the wicked should die, sayth the Lord God? or shall he not liue, if he returne from his wayes?

Nearby Context

Ezekiel 18:21 But if the wicked will returne from all his sinnes that he hath committed, and keepe all my statutes, and doe that which is lawfull and right, he shall surely liue, and shall not die.

Ezekiel 18:22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned vnto him, but in his righteousnes that he hath done, he shall liue.

Ezekiel 18:23 Haue I any desire that the wicked should die, sayth the Lord God? or shall he not liue, if he returne from his wayes?

Ezekiel 18:24 But if the righteous turne away from his righteousnes, and commit iniquitie, and doe according to all the abominations, that the wicked man doeth, shall he liue? all his righteousnes that he hath done, shall not be mentioned: but in his transgression that he hath committed, and in his sinne that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

Ezekiel 18:25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equall: heare now, O house of Israel. Is not my way equall? or are not your wayes vnequall?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "haue", "desire", "wicked", "should", "sayth", "lord", "shall", and "liue". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "haue" and "desire", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "All his transgressions that he hath committed..." into verse 24's "But if the righteous turne away from...", so "haue" and "desire" belong inside that flow. In Ezekiel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "haue" and "desire" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.