Ezekiel 18:29 (YLT)

Passage

And the house of Israel have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord, My ways--are they not pondered? O house of Israel--are not your ways unpondered?

Nearby Context

Ezekiel 18:27 And in the turning back of the wicked From his wickedness that he hath done, And he doth judgment and righteousness, He his soul doth keep alive.

Ezekiel 18:28 And he seeth and turneth back, From all his transgressions that he hath done, He doth surely live, he doth not die,

Ezekiel 18:29 And the house of Israel have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord, My ways--are they not pondered? O house of Israel--are not your ways unpondered?

Ezekiel 18:30 Therefore, each according to his ways I judge you, O house of Israel? An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Turn ye back, yea, turn yourselves back, From all your transgressions, And iniquity is not to you for a stumbling-block,

Ezekiel 18:31 Cast from off you all your transgressions, By which ye have transgressed, And make to you a new heart, and a new spirit, And why do ye die, O house of Israel?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "house", "israel", "said", "pondered", "lord", and "ways--are". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "house" and "israel", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 28's "And he seeth and turneth back From..." into verse 30's "Therefore each according to his ways I...", so "house" and "israel" 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 "house" and "israel" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.