Ezekiel 18:25

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

“Yet you say,‘The Lord’s conduct is unjust!’ Hear, O house of Israel: Is my conduct unjust? Is it not your conduct that is unjust?

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם לֹ֥א יִתָּכֵ֖ן דֶּ֣רֶךְ אֲדֹנָ֑י שִׁמְעוּ־נָא֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הֲדַרְכִּי֙ לֹ֣א יִתָּכֵ֔ן הֲלֹ֥א דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם לֹ֥א יִתָּכֵֽנוּ׃

Transliteration

wa- ʾămartem lōʾ yittākēn derek ʾădōnāy šimʿû-nāʾ bêt yiśrāʾēl hă- darkî lōʾ yittākēn hă- lōʾ darkêkem lōʾ yittākēnû

Grammar Details

• *wa-*: conjunction - and
• *ʾămartem*: Qal perfect 2nd masculine plural - you have said
• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *yittākēn*: Niphal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - it is established
• *derek*: masculine singular construct - way of
• *ʾădōnāy*: divine title - Lord
• *šimʿû*: Qal imperative masculine plural - hear
• *nāʾ*: particle of entreaty - please
• *bêt*: masculine singular construct - house of
• *yiśrāʾēl*: proper noun - Israel
• *hă-*: interrogative particle - whether
• *darkî*: masculine singular noun with 1st person singular suffix - my way
• *darkêkem*: masculine plural noun with 2nd masculine plural suffix - your ways
• *yittākēnû*: Niphal imperfect 3rd masculine plural - they are established

Word Meanings

• *yittākēn*: is established/is right/is just/is fair
• *derek*: way/path/conduct
• *šimʿû*-*nāʾ*: please hear/listen now/hear attentively
• *yittākēnû*: are established/are right/are just/are fair

Referenced Verses

• Ezek 33:17 : 17 “Yet your people say,‘The behavior of the Lord is not right,’ when it is their behavior that is not right.
• Ezek 33:20 : 20 Yet you say,‘The behavior of the Lord is not right.’ House of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his behavior.”
• Zeph 3:5 : 5 The just LORD resides within her; he commits no unjust acts. Every morning he reveals his justice. At dawn he appears without fail. Yet the unjust know no shame.
• Mal 2:17 : 17 Resistance to the Lord through Self-deceit You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say,“How have we wearied him?” Because you say,“Everyone who does evil is good in the LORD’s opinion, and he delights in them,” or“Where is the God of justice?”
• Mal 3:13-15 : 13 Resistance to the Lord through Self-sufficiency“You have criticized me sharply,” says the LORD,“but you ask,‘How have we criticized you?’ 14 You have said,‘It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD of Heaven’s Armies? 15 So now we consider the arrogant to be happy; indeed, those who practice evil are successful. In fact, those who challenge God escape!’”
• Gen 18:25 : 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing– to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right?”
• Jer 12:1 : 1 LORD, you have always been fair whenever I have complained to you. However, I would like to speak with you about the disposition of justice. Why are wicked people successful? Why do all dishonest people have such easy lives?
• Ezek 18:29 : 29 Yet the house of Israel says,‘The Lord’s conduct is unjust!’ Is my conduct unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your conduct that is unjust?
• Jer 16:10-13 : 10 The Lord Promises Exile(But Also Restoration)“When you tell these people about all this, they will undoubtedly ask you,‘Why has the LORD threatened us with such great disaster? What wrong have we done? What sin have we done to offend the LORD our God?’ 11 Then tell them that the LORD says,‘It is because your ancestors rejected me and paid allegiance to other gods. They have served them and worshiped them. But they have rejected me and not obeyed my law. 12 And you have acted even more wickedly than your ancestors! Each one of you has followed the stubborn inclinations of your own wicked heart and not obeyed me. 13 So I will throw you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your ancestors have ever known. There you must worship other gods day and night, for I will show you no mercy.’”
• Deut 32:4 : 4 As for the Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are just. He is a reliable God who is never unjust, he is fair and upright.
• Job 32:2 : 2 Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry. He was angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God.
• Job 34:5-9 : 5 For Job says,‘I am innocent, but God turns away my right. 6 Concerning my right, should I lie? My wound is incurable, although I am without transgression.’ 7 What man is like Job, who drinks derision like water! 8 He goes about in company with evildoers, he goes along with wicked men. 9 For he says,‘It does not profit a man when he makes his delight with God.’ 10 God is Not Unjust“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness, from the Almighty to do evil.
• Job 35:2 : 2 “Do you think this to be just: when you say,‘My right before God.’
• Job 40:8 : 8 Would you indeed annul my justice? Would you declare me guilty so that you might be right?
• Job 42:4-6 : 4 You said,‘Pay attention, and I will speak; I will question you, and you will answer me.’ 5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye has seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself, and I repent in dust and ashes!
• Ps 50:6 : 6 The heavens declare his fairness, for God is judge.(Selah)
• Ps 50:21 : 21 When you did these things, I was silent, so you thought I was exactly like you. But now I will condemn you and state my case against you!
• Ps 145:17 : 17 The LORD is just in all his actions, and exhibits love in all he does.
• Jer 2:17-23 : 17 You have brought all this on yourself, Israel, by deserting the LORD your God when he was leading you along the right path. 18 What good will it do you then to go down to Egypt to seek help from the Egyptians? What good will it do you to go over to Assyria to seek help from the Assyrians? 19 Your own wickedness will bring about your punishment. Your unfaithful acts will bring down discipline on you. Know, then, and realize how utterly harmful it was for you to reject me, the LORD your God, to show no respect for me,” says the Sovereign LORD of Heaven’s Armies. 20 The Lord Expresses His Exasperation at Judah’s Persistent Idolatry“Indeed, long ago you threw off my authority and refused to be subject to me. You said,‘I will not serve you.’ Instead, you gave yourself to other gods on every high hill and under every green tree, like a prostitute sprawls out before her lovers. 21 I planted you in the land like a special vine of the very best stock. Why in the world have you turned into something like a wild vine that produces rotten, foul-smelling grapes? 22 You can try to wash away your guilt with a strong detergent. You can use as much soap as you want. But the stain of your guilt is still there for me to see,” says the Sovereign LORD. 23 “How can you say,‘I have not made myself unclean. I have not paid allegiance to the gods called Baal.’ Just look at the way you have behaved in the Valley of Hinnom! Think about the things you have done there! You are like a flighty, young female camel that rushes here and there, crisscrossing its path.
• Jer 2:29-37 : 29 “Why do you try to refute me? All of you have rebelled against me,” says the LORD. 30 “It did no good for me to punish your people. They did not respond to such correction. You slaughtered your prophets like a voracious lion.” 31 You people of this generation, listen to the LORD’s message.“Have I been like a wilderness to you, Israel? Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to you? Why then do you say,‘We are free to wander. We will not come to you any more?’ 32 Does a young woman forget to put on her jewels? Does a bride forget to put on her bridal attire? But my people have forgotten me for more days than can even be counted. 33 “My, how good you have become at chasing after your lovers! Why, you could even teach prostitutes a thing or two! 34 Even your clothes are stained with the lifeblood of the poor who had not done anything wrong; you did not catch them breaking into your homes. Yet, in spite of all these things you have done, 35 you say,‘I have not done anything wrong, so the LORD cannot really be angry with me any more.’ But, watch out! I will bring down judgment on you because you say,‘I have not committed any sin.’ 36 Why do you constantly go about changing your political allegiances? You will get no help from Egypt just as you got no help from Assyria. 37 Moreover, you will come away from Egypt with your hands covering your faces in sorrow and shame because the LORD will not allow your reliance on them to be successful and you will not gain any help from them.
• Matt 20:11-15 : 11 When they received it, they began to complain against the landowner, 12 saying,‘These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship and burning heat of the day.’ 13 And the landowner replied to one of them,‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me to work for the standard wage? 14 Take what is yours and go. I want to give to this last man the same as I gave to you. 15 Am I not permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
• Rom 2:5-6 : 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed! 6 He will reward each one according to his works:
• Rom 3:5 : 5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is he?(I am speaking in human terms.)
• Rom 3:20 : 20 For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
• Rom 9:20 : 20 But who indeed are you– a mere human being– to talk back to God? Does what is molded say to the molder,“Why have you made me like this?”
• Rom 10:3 : 3 For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.