Ezekiel 3:21

Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

Cross-reference

In Ezekiel 3:19, the counterpart for warning the wicked is given — same duty, but the wicked who refuse die; the prophet still saves himself.

In Ezekiel 3:20, the negative case is given — failure to warn a righteous person who sins leads to accountability; here the positive outcome completes the pair.

In Ezekiel 18:17, the righteous who avoids sin will live — this establishes the basis for the promise of life that the warning in Ezekiel 3:21 aims to preserve.

In Ezekiel 18:21, the wicked who repents will live — this shows the repentance path that warning the wicked (3:19) aims to bring, complementing 3:21.

In Ezekiel 18:24, a righteous person who turns to sin will die — this illustrates the danger that the warning in Ezekiel 3:21 is meant to prevent.

In Ezekiel 33:9, the same watchman principle for the wicked is restated — reinforcing the prophet's duty to warn both groups.

In Ezekiel 33:12, past righteousness doesn't protect from future sin — this clarifies why warning the righteous in Ezekiel 3:21 is necessary and urgent.

Acts 20:31 Parallel

In Acts 20:31, Paul mirrors Ezekiel's watchman role, warning night and day with tears — a direct parallel of the faithful warning ministry.

Paul explicitly says he warns every man to present them perfect in Christ — a direct NT echo of Ezekiel's commission to warn the righteous.

In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul applies the same principle: perseverance in doctrine saves both the teacher and the hearers — echoing the watchman's reward.

James 5:20 Parallel

In James 5:20, turning a sinner from error saves from death and covers sins — broadening Ezekiel's warning to include sinners, not just the righteous.

1 John 2:1 Parallel

In 1 John 2:1, John writes to prevent sin, like Ezekiel's warning — but adds Jesus as advocate for when sin occurs, a NT development.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, the call to warn the idle echoes the watchman's duty to warn the righteous.

Psalm 19:11 Parallel

In Psalm 19:11, the law warns God's servant and promises reward, paralleling the reward of life from heeding the watchman's warning.

Paul here warns as a father his children, echoing Ezekiel's duty to warn the righteous — both see warning as loving correction.

1 Corinthians 10:12 Related theme

This verse warns the self-confident to take heed, while Ezekiel warns others — related but focusing on personal vigilance rather than the watchman's task.