John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 3:18

"When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand." — Ezekiel 3:18 (ASV)

The Prophet is now taught how difficult and dangerous an office he now has to undertake. God had previously laid it down as a law that he should utter nothing of himself; now He adds that the watchman is so set over the people that he must render an account of the diligence with which he fulfills his watch duties.

It is as if it had been said that souls were committed to his care and faithfulness, so that if they should perish, he must undergo punishment before God. But it is better to explain the words—if when I say to the impious, “Thou shalt surely die,” and thou dost not admonish him, and he perish, then from thee will I require his blood. In the first place, God confirms what we saw yesterday: that it is not permitted to any mortal to condemn or absolve at his own discretion.

When, therefore, God sends out His servants, He does not resign that power, for the supreme authority still remains with Himself, because there is one lawgiver, as James says, who can save and destroy (James 4:12; Ezekiel 13:19). And elsewhere Ezekiel reproves the false prophets because they keep alive the souls that were dying and slay the souls not devoted to death.

For we know that proud men always tyrannize over the conscience when they take the prophetic name upon themselves and substitute themselves in the place of God, as is their practice in the Papacy. For the Pope indeed pretends that he does nothing in his own name, but meanwhile, he claims the prerogative of God and sits in the temple as an idol, because nothing is more uniquely God’s than ruling our minds with heavenly doctrine; but the Papists themselves heap up their own comments, and so it happens that they miserably distort and drown their own consciences, even to utter destruction.

They enact laws as they please, then they always add the condition that these laws must be kept under penalty of eternal damnation or of mortal sin, as they call it. This passage, then, must be diligently noted, where God claims for Himself alone the power and right of condemning: if, says He, when I say to the impious. From this we infer that all those are sacrilegious who bind consciences with their own laws, decrees, and enactments—enforcing one thing and forbidding another—because they take away from God what He here wishes to be assigned to Himself, for it is His office alone to pronounce sentence, as Prophets are only His heralds.

Meanwhile, those fanatics are to be rejected who, under the pretext of this passage, wish to grant license to sin and assert that there is no difference between good and evil, arguing that it is not our duty to condemn. For, properly speaking, we do not assume anything for ourselves when we repeat what has proceeded from the mouth of God.

God condemns adulterers, thieves, drunkards, murderers, the envious, slanderers, and oppressors. If one denounces an adulterer, another a thief, and a third a drunkard, shall we say that they take more upon themselves than they should? By no means, because they do not pronounce judgment of themselves, as we have said; rather, God has said it, and they are merely witnesses and messengers of His sentence.

Yet this moderation must be maintained: not to condemn anyone out of ill-humor, since many immediately detest whatever displeases them and cannot be persuaded to make diligent inquiry. Inquiry, therefore, should precede our judgments. But when God has spoken, then we must follow the rule that was given to the Prophet: if thou hast not admonished him, and spoken for his admonition. Here, the role that was imposed upon Ezekiel is referred to, for the same duty does not fall upon private individuals who do not bear the prophetic name.

For we must remark that this is not a general declaration that concerns all people at large, but it concerns a Prophet who had already been called to be a watchman. For unless those who bear such a burden admonish humankind, no excuse remains for them, and they will have to give an account to God for those who are lost.

The repetition shows that this should not be done as a matter of course, but that Prophets should be anxious and even zealous in recalling sinners. This clause was clear enough: if thou dost not admonish the wicked after I have spoken; but it is added, and hast not spoken for his admonition. This phrase seems to be repeated needlessly, but God signifies that unless the Prophet admonishes sinners, he is not absolved merely because he spoke once in passing and uttered only a single word.

We should remember that sinners should be continually reproved so that they may return to the right way. And this is the direction of Paul’s teaching to Timothy:

“Be instant in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).

For if it had been sufficient to reprove sinners mildly and afterward spare them, Paul would have been content with that courtesy; but he says we must be urgent on every occasion. The minister of the Church, then, must not cease to repeat these admonitions, as Paul says elsewhere to the Philippians—

“I am not weary of repeating the same things to you” (Philippians 3:18).

And we know what he professes in the Acts: “I have not ceased day and night, publicly and privately, to admonish each of you” (Acts 20:31). That perseverance, then, which Paul shows he used, is here enjoined on all the Prophets and servants of God.

He says, to urge him to turn from his evil way, that is, to be cautious; as it was said yesterday, זהר, zeher, means to be cautious. Here it is taken actively—unless thou hast spoken, that thou mayest teach him to be cautious, or to return from his evil way. Here it may be asked, why does God touch on only one side of the teaching and omit the chief point?

For why was the law given? And why were Prophets called forth, if not to gather the people for God? Here we must exercise the obedience of faith, since we know that God regards nothing as more important than uniting wretched people in the hope of eternal life. This is the chief end of the law and the gospel: that people, being reconciled to God, may worship Him as a Father.

Chastisements, threats, and terrors follow afterward, of which there is now only mention. But we must consider the condition of the people, as we have already seen it, for at that time the prevalence of impiety, contempt of God, and all kinds of wickedness was so great that the Prophet could not address the people mildly and softly.

Indeed, that passage of Paul must be remembered (1 Corinthians 4:21): “What will ye? How shall I come to you? With a rod, or in the spirit of mildness?” When he gives the Corinthians the choice—whether they wish him to come in a spirit of tenderness or armed with a rod for their chastisement—why does he do so?

For when they were self-satisfied with their sins, Paul could not, according to his custom, treat them as sons, nor deal freely with them; instead, he was compelled to assume, so to speak, another persona and to use sheer austerity and rigor. Such, then, were the Israelites, and thus we cannot be surprised that God should lay aside His pity, His promises of favor, and whatever is sweet and pleasant to people, for they were not in a fit state to hear the paternal voice of God unless they were previously subdued. And this could not be done without force, because of their extreme perverseness.

Thus, we must note that the more displeasing the Prophet’s message, the greater their need for encouragement. Because, if only the grace of God is to be set before a people and the hope of eternal life held out to them, since there is nothing in such teaching that greatly offends them or embitters their feelings, it is therefore easy to offer messages of this kind freely.

But when people are to be summoned, or rather dragged, to the judgment seat of God, when they are to be terrified by the fear of eternal death, when the minister, using the armory of God as Paul describes (2 Corinthians 10:5–7), brings His vengeance before humankind, the task is far more challenging. Because offense is thus stirred up, and this sometimes incites people to fury as they cannot bear to be confronted so directly with the word of God, it is therefore necessary that Prophets themselves be strengthened, lest they fail or even hesitate in their duty.

Now, therefore, we understand why God speaks only of His own threats and terrors, for He mixes in no taste of pity. This is because, in truth, the Israelites were not capable of profiting from any mildness, so the Prophet would never have dared to discharge his duty so courageously unless this threat had been added.

In other places, we shall see the Prophet as God’s ambassador for reconciling the wretched exiles to God. For he will bring forward many testimonies concerning the reign of Christ and the restoration of the Church, and will proclaim the mercy and pardon of God.

But before he can deliver any message of grace, he himself must contend with the extreme obstinacy of the people. Therefore, this is why God alone says that the impious must be admonished so that they may return from their impiety.

It is added, to give them life; and this may seem absurd, because all hope of repentance was taken away beforehand: “They are a rebellious house and a bitter one; thou wilt not profit them” (Ezekiel 2:5, 2:6, 2:8). But it now seems that the fruit of his labor is promised when mention is made of the life of those who, when admonished, will repent.

But in the first place, we must remember that some individuals are always curable, even if the entire body of the people appears desperate. For God, when He previously said that all the Israelites were rebellious and intractable, referred to the body of people as a whole; but as He is accustomed to preserve some small seed, there were a few remaining among that people who might be converted by the Prophet’s labor.

This is one point. Besides, we must remember that even if no success from labor appears, it should still satisfy us, just as if we had succeeded better and according to our wishes.

For example, suppose our duty is with the impious multitude where, wherever we turn our eyes, contempt of God meets us, and even such wickedness that we seem to lose all our efforts.

And yet, while the sin of the people affords us only reasons for despair, we should nevertheless pursue our course, just as if the seed sown were producing fruit.

Although, therefore, Ezekiel had heard from God’s mouth that the people would be rebellious, he still should have diligently performed his labors for God just as much as if he either perceived or hoped for some good result.

In the meantime, what I have touched upon must be kept in mind: namely, that God always has some seed as a remnant, even if the people as a whole may have lapsed into impiety.

It is now added, “The impious man shall die in his impiety, but I will require his blood at thy hand.” God here says that He had called His servant under this condition: that he must give an account if anyone perished through his fault. This passage, although I have recently touched upon the subject, shows how dangerous an office those bear who are called to the duty of teaching.

Nothing is more precious to God than souls, which He has created in His own image, and of which He is both the Redeemer and Father. Since, therefore, our souls and their salvation are so dear to God, we therefore infer how anxiously Prophets and all pastors should discharge their duties. For it is just as if God were to commit souls to their care under the condition of their giving an account for each one.

Nor is it sufficient to admonish one person and then another, for unless they have endeavored to recall all from destruction to life and salvation, we hear what God here pronounces. Hence, also, Paul uses this expression: “Woe is me if I preach not the gospel, for a necessity is laid upon me” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

In short, so that the Prophet may be stirred to undertake his office, God here announces that certain penalties hang over him unless he diligently endeavors to recall all wanderers to the way of salvation. But, because people think that their ignorance will prove a sufficient defense, this quibble is removed, for God says they shall perish even if they were not admonished.

This exception is added deliberately, so that people may not flatter themselves and throw the blame upon their pastors if they perish in error.

Therefore, even if anyone has not been admonished, he shall still die. And although the pastor shall give an account for his negligence—sparing himself effort in his duties—the one who perishes shall have no excuse before God.

Now we perceive that negligence in Prophets and pastors is akin to treachery when they knowingly and willingly permit souls to perish through their own silence. Meanwhile, it is not surprising if God judges to death those who are not admonished, for their own conscience is a sufficient accuser. However they may now defend their error and ignorance, it is certain that they perish of their own accord.