From the early Church Fathers to now.
4 Patristic · 1 Catholic · 1 Reformed
“Cast away from you all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart, and a new spirit: and why will you die, O house of Israel?”
“Why are you dying? Do not go into the trap. These are the reminders given to the believers, that by walking in them and striving in the commandments they will do the works worthy of eternal life.”
“"Make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit" that you may become a subject of joy for the citizens of heaven. For if there is joy "over one sinner who repents," according to the Gospel, how much more will the salvation of so many souls gladden the blessed saints? You have entered on a good and glorious course: run the holy race in good earnest.”
“"Get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit" means leaving behind the old age of the letter and living in the newness of the spirit. The new heart of Israel is to believe in him who before had denied them; the new heart is to forsake the idols of the Gentiles, to despise dead things and to believe in him who is "God of the living."”
“(Verse 31.) Turn away and repent from all your iniquities, and iniquity will not be your downfall. Cast away all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed. This message is specifically directed towards the Israelites, urging them to repent and abandon their iniquities or transgressions against God. However, it can also be understood as applicable to both the Israelites and the crowd of Gentiles, encouraging them to forsake their vices and turn to the one who can heal their brokenness. And make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Leaving behind the old letter, live in the newness of the spirit. The new heart of the Israelites is to believe in Him whom they had previously denied. The new heart of the gentiles is to abandon idols and despise the worship of the dead, and to believe in Him who is the God of the living. And why will you die, house of Israel? It is better, as we have said above, to accept this exhortation in which it is written: Repent and do penance, regarding the person of the Jews whom He does not want to die, and to whom He now speaks: why will you die, house of Israel, who have the fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, of whom it is written: God of the living, not of the dead (Mark 12:27). Why will you die by your own fault, when you owe your life to the merit of the fathers and my mercy?”
“New. We can do no good of ourselves: but we are admonished of our free-will, that we may do what we can, and ask for grace. (Council of Trent, Session vi. 5, 11.) (James i. 5., and 2 Corinthians iii. 5.) (St. Augustine, &c.) (Calmet) Bible Text & Cross-references: One man shall not bear the sins of another, but every one his own: if a wicked man truly repent, he shall be saved: and if a just man leave his justice, he shall perish. 1 And *the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What is the meaning 2 That you use among you this parable as a proverb in the land of Israel, saying: *The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge? 3 As I live, saith the Lord God, this parable shall be no more to you a proverb in Israel. 4 Behold all souls are mine: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, the same shall die. 5 And if a man be just, and do judgment and justice, 6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel: and hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife, nor come near to a menstruous woman: 7 And hath not wronged any man: but hath restored the pledge to the debtor, hath taken nothing away by violence: *hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment: 8 Hath not lent upon usury, nor taken any increase: hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, and hath executed true judgment between man and man: 9 Hath walked in my commandments, and kept my judgments, to do truth: he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God. 10 And if he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that hath done some one of these things: 11 Though he doth not all these things, but that eateth upon the mountains, and that defileth his neighbour’s wife: 12 That grieveth the needy and the poor, that taketh away by violence, that restoreth not the pledge, and that lifteth up his eyes to idols, that committeth abomination: 13 That giveth upon usury, and that taketh an increase: shall such a one live? he shall not live. Seeing he hath done all these detestable things, he shall surely die, his blood shall be upon him. 14 But if he beget a son, who seeing all his father’s sins, which he hath done, is afraid, and shall not do the like to them : 15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, and hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife: 16 And hath not grieved any man, nor withholden the pledge, nor taken away with violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and covered the naked with a garment: 17 That hath turned away his hand from injuring the poor, hath not taken usury and increase, but hath executed my judgments, and hath walked in my commandments: this man shall not die for the iniquity of his father, but living he shall live. 18 As for his father: because he oppressed, and offered violence to his brother, and wrought evil in the midst of his people, behold he is dead in his own iniquity. 19 And you say: Why hath not the son borne the iniquity of his father? Verily, because the son hath wrought judgment and justice, hath kept all my commandments, and done them, living he shall live. 20 *The soul that sinneth, the same shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and the father shall not bear the iniquity of the son: the justice of the just shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. 21 But if the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living he shall live, and shall not die. 22 I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done: in his justice which he hath wrought, he shall live. 23 *Is it my will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways, and live? 24 But if the just man turn himself away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the abominations which the wicked man useth to work, shall he live? all his justices which he hath done, shall not be remembered: in the prevarication, by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin which he hath committed, in them he shall die. 25 And you have said: *The way of the Lord is not right. Hear ye, therefore, O house of Israel: Is it my way that is not right, and are not rather your ways perverse? 26 For when the just turneth himself away from his justice, and committeth iniquity, he shall die therein: in the injustice that he hath wrought he shall die. 27 And when the wicked turneth himself away from his wickedness, which he hath wrought, and doth judgment, and justice: he shall save his soul alive. 28 Because he considereth and turneth away himself from all his iniquities which he hath wrought, he shall surely live, and not die. 29 And the children of Israel say: The way of the Lord is not right. Are not my ways right, O house of Israel, and are not rather your ways perverse? 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. 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart, and a new spirit: and why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 *For I desire not the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God, return ye, and live.”
“Cast away from you--for the cause of your evil rests with yourselves; your sole way of escape is to be reconciled to God (Eph 4:22-23). make you a new heart--This shows, not what men can do, but what they ought to do: what God requires of us. God alone can make us a new heart (Eze 11:19; Eze 36:26-27). The command to do what men cannot themselves do is designed to drive them (instead of laying the blame, as the Jews did, elsewhere rather than on themselves) to feel their own helplessness, and to seek God's Holy Spirit (Psa 51:11-12). Thus the outward exhortation is, as it were, the organ or instrument which God uses for conferring grace. So we may say with AUGUSTINE, "Give what thou requirest, and (then) require what thou wilt." Our strength (which is weakness in itself) shall suffice for whatever He exacts, if only He gives the supply [CALVIN]. spirit--the understanding: as the "heart" means the will and affections. The root must be changed before the fruit can be good. why will ye die--bring on your own selves your ruin. God's decrees are secret to us; it is enough for us that He invites all, and will reject none that seek Him.”
The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.