Ezekiel 18:23

Ezekiel 18:23

Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

a. ASV: Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? saith the Lord Jehovah; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?

b. YLT: Do I at all desire the death of the wicked? An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Is it not in his turning back from his way -- And he hath lived?

c. Amplified Bible Classic: Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord, and not rather that he should turn from his evil way and return [to his God] and live?

d. Septuagint: Shall I at all desire death of the sinner, saith he Lord, as I [desire] that he should turn from [his] evil way, and live?

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Do I desire at all the death of the wicked man?, the word of the Lord HASHEM/ELOHIM.  

1. “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God...”

a. [Have I any] pleasure [Strong: 2654 châphêts, khaw-fates'; a primitive root; properly, to incline to; by implication (literally but rarely) to bend; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire:—× any at all, (have, take) delight, desire, favour, like, move, be (well) pleased, have pleasure, will, would.]

b. at all [Strong: 2654 châphêts, khaw-fates'; a primitive root; properly, to incline to; by implication (literally but rarely) to bend; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire:—× any at all, (have, take) delight, desire, favour, like, move, be (well) pleased, have pleasure, will, would.]

c. [that the] wicked [Strong: 7563 râshâʻ, raw-shaw'; from H7561; morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person:— condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.]

d. [should] die [Strong: 4194  mâveth, maw'-veth; from H4191; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin:—(be) dead(-ly), death, die(-d).]

e. saith [Strong: 5002 nᵉʼum, neh-oom'; from H5001; an oracle:—(hath) said, saith.]

f. [the] Lord [Strong: 136 ʼĂdônây, ad-o-noy'; an emphatic form of H113; the Lord (used as a proper name of God only):—(my) Lord.]

g. GOD [Strong: 3069 Yᵉhôvih, yeh-ho-vee'; a variation of H3068 [used after H136, and pronounced by Jews as H430, in order to prevent the repetition of the same sound, since they elsewhere pronounce H3068 as H136]:—God.]

2. “...and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”

a. [and] not [Strong: 3808 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

b. [that he should] turn [Strong: 7725 shûwb, shoob; a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again:—((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) × again, (cause to) answer ( again), × in any case (wise), × at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, × certainly, come again (back), × consider, continually, convert, deliver (again), deny, draw back, fetch home again, × fro, get (oneself) (back) again, × give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, × needs, be past, × pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, × surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.]

c. [from his] ways [Strong: 1870 derek, deh'-rek; from H1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb:—along, away, because of, by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).]

d. [and] live [Strong: 2421 châyâh, khaw-yaw'; a primitive root (compare H2331, H2421); to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive:—keep (leave, make) alive, × certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, (× God) save (alive, life, lives), × surely, be whole.]

1). It is God’s will that all men be saved, including our government leaders. We must pray for them to that end, that they may be saved. All this stems from the exhortation to pray for our leaders. It is clear that it is God’s will for our leaders to be saved.

a). 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

b). John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.