Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, on Ezek 18:30

“Therefore will I judge every man according to his ways, O house of Israel, saith the Lord God. Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities: and iniquity shall not be your ruin.”

“As God is to judge them "according to their ways" (Pro 1:31), their only hope is to "repent"; and this is a sure hope, for God takes no delight in judging them in wrath, but graciously desires their salvation on repentance. I will judge you--Though ye cavil, it is a sufficient answer that I, your Judge, declare it so, and will judge you according to My will; and then your cavils must end. Repent--inward conversion (Rev 2:5). In the Hebrew there is a play of like sounds, "Turn ye and return." turn yourselves, &c.--the outward fruits of repentance. Not as the Margin, "turn others"; for the parallel clause (Eze 18:31) is, "cast away from you all your transgressions." Perhaps, however, the omission of the object after the verb in the Hebrew implies that both are included: Turn alike yourselves and all whom you can influence. from all . . . transgressions--not as if believers are perfect; but they sincerely aim at perfection, so as to be habitually and wilfully on terms with no sin (Jo1 3:6-9): your ruin--literally, "your snare," entangling you in ruin.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.