Therefore, son of man, say to your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression; neither will the wickedness of the wicked man cause him to stumble on the day he turns from his wickedness. Nor will the righteous man be able to survive by his righteousness on the day he sins.’
Israel complains that their sins weigh them down and they are wasting away, but they twist God's conditional promise into a mockery, as if He had set life out of reach on purpose. They pervert the prophet's word, turning what was meant to drive them to repentance into an excuse for despair. Thus corrupt minds pick quarrels with God's mercy itself.
AI summary
Commenting on Ezekiel 33:10-20
When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live,.... A happy life, here and hereafter; an eternal life, and not die the second death: this must be understood, should he appear a truly righteous person; one that does not trust to his own righteousness, but to the righteousness of Christ, and lives by faith on that; looking for the hope of righteousness...
not fall . . . in the day that he turneth-- (Ch2 7:14; see Eze 3:20; Eze 18:24).