Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 18:5

"But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right," — Ezekiel 18:5 (ASV)

If a man be just. —At the opening and close of the statement regarding the righteous man (Ezekiel 18:5; Ezekiel 18:9), he is described in general and comprehensive terms; while in the intermediate verses various particulars of an upright life are specified as examples of the whole. These particulars refer, first, to religious duties (Ezekiel 18:6a), then to moral obligations, such as the avoidance of adultery (Ezekiel 18:6b), and finally to duties negative and positive towards one's neighbor (Ezekiel 18:7–8). The whole, including Ezekiel 18:5; Ezekiel 18:9, may be considered a terse summary of the practical duty of man.