Ezekiel 33:31

And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

Cross-reference

Ezekiel 14:1 shows elders sitting before Ezekiel with idols in their hearts — exactly the hypocrisy described in 33:31.

Ezekiel 8:1 Parallel

Ezekiel 8:1 has elders sitting before Ezekiel, then God shows their secret idolatry — same hypocrisy as in 33:31.

Ezekiel 20:1-32 recounts elders coming and God reviewing their rebellion — illustrating the pattern of hearing without obeying in 33:31.

1 John 3:18 Contrast

1 John 3:18 commands love in deed and truth, not just talk — opposing the lip-service and heartlessness described.

Matthew 13:22 shows seed choked by riches — same portrait of hearers whose hearts are on gain, unfruitful.

Luke 6:48 Contrast

In Luke 6:48, the builder on rock hears and obeys — contrasting with Ezekiel's hearers who hear but do not do.

In Matthew 7:24-27, the wise man hears and does, the foolish hears and does not — directly illustrating the disobedience in Ezekiel.

Matthew 6:24 declares you cannot serve both God and money — directly amplifying the heart-set-on-gain problem from Ezekiel.

Luke 6:49 Parallel

In Luke 6:49, the foolish builder hears and does no work — exactly parallel to Ezekiel's hearers who hear God's words but do not act.

In Jeremiah 44:16, the people flatly refuse to listen: 'We will not hearken' — echoing Ezekiel's hearers who hear but do not obey.

In Jeremiah 43:1-7, the leaders hear Jeremiah's warning but deliberately disobey and go to Egypt — direct parallel to hearers who do not do.

Luke 8:21 Contrast

In Luke 8:21, Jesus defines true family as those who hear and do God's word — contrasting with Ezekiel's hearers who only listen.

Luke 10:39 Contrast

Luke 10:39 shows Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet to truly listen — in sharp contrast to the superficial sitting in Ezekiel 33:31.

Luke 11:28 Contrast

In Luke 11:28, Jesus pronounces blessing on those who hear and keep God's word — the opposite of Ezekiel's hearers who do not obey.

Luke 12:15-21 warns against covetousness with the rich fool who ignores God — directly mirrors the heart set on gain.

In Jeremiah 6:17, people refuse to listen to God's watchmen — the same pattern of hearing but rejecting obedience as in Ezekiel.

Jeremiah 6:16 records people hearing God’s call to walk in good ways but refusing — parallel to the hearers in Ezekiel 33:31 who do not do.

Ephesians 5:5 labels covetousness as idolatry — connecting the heart set on gain to worship of something other than God.

Isaiah 29:13 condemns honoring with lips while hearts are far away — nearly identical to the situation in Ezekiel 33:31.

1 Timothy 6:10 calls love of money a root of all evils — directly parallel to the heart set on gain causing disobedience.

In James 1:22-24, believers are urged to be doers, not hearers only — a direct New Testament application of the same principle from Ezekiel.

Psalm 78:37 Parallel

Psalm 78:37 adds that hearts were not steadfast — echoing the disconnection between lips and heart in Ezekiel 33:31.

Psalm 78:36 Parallel

Psalm 78:36 describes flattering with mouths — the same outward devotion without inward truth as the lips showing love here.

James 2:14-16 equates faith without works to useless words — parallel to hearing God's words but not doing them.

Romans 12:9 Contrast

In Romans 12:9, Paul's call for genuine love contrasts the hypocritical talk and gain-seeking of Ezekiel's hearers.

Titus 1:16 Parallel

Titus 1:16 describes those who profess God but deny him by works—matching Ezekiel’s listeners who hear but disobey.

James 1:23 Parallel

James 1:23 compares a hearer who does not do the word to a man looking in a mirror—a clear parallel to hearing without acting.

Matthew 13:20 shows rocky ground hearers who receive word joyfully but fall away—parallel to hearing without practice.

Mark 7:6 Citation

Mark 7:6 quotes Isaiah about honoring God with lips while hearts are far — the same hypocrisy described here.

Matthew 21:30 shows a son who says 'I go' but does not — mirroring those who profess obedience but fail to act.

Matthew 15:8 quotes 'These people honor me with their lips but hearts are far from me'—a direct parallel to the lip service and heart greed.

Exodus 20:17 commands not to covet — the very sin described as heart set on gain in Ezekiel.

Jeremiah 42:20 recounts people asking for God's word but not intending to obey—exactly the same failure as here.

Jeremiah 22:17 condemns eyes and heart set on dishonest gain—directly parallel to the greed for unjust gain.

Jeremiah 12:2 describes those who are on God's lips but far from heart—mirroring the lip service and heart greed here.

Jeremiah 7:10 exposes people coming to the temple claiming deliverance while continuing in sin — the same outward religion with unchanged heart.

In Deuteronomy 30:14, the word is near in mouth and heart to do it — contrasting Ezekiel's people who have it only in mouth, not in heart.

Psalm 119:36 prays for a heart inclined to God's testimonies rather than selfish gain — the opposite of the heart set on gain here.

Proverbs 26:23 compares fervent lips with an evil heart to a glaze on a pot — exactly matching the mouth-love but heart-gain hypocrisy.

Isaiah 42:20 describes seeing but not observing, open ears but not hearing — the same pattern of hearing without obeying as here.

Deuteronomy 5:29 reveals God's wish for a heart that obeys — contrasting with the heartless lip-service described here.

1 John 3:17 Parallel

1 John 3:17 shows closing one's heart to need — a concrete example of the heart set on gain condemned here.

Acts 10:33 Contrast

Acts 10:33 shows Cornelius eager to hear all God commands — contrasting the hearers in Ezekiel 33:31 who do not obey.

Isaiah 57:17 Related theme

Isaiah 57:17 mentions unjust gain as the cause of God's anger — paralleling the heart set on gain, though with focus on punishment.

1 Timothy 6:9 warns that desire to be rich leads to ruin — matches the danger of the heart set on gain ignoring God.

Acts 26:28 Parallel

In Acts 26:28, Agrippa is almost persuaded but doesn't commit, paralleling Ezekiel's hearers who listen but do not obey.

Proverbs 23:12 commands applying heart to instruction — the very thing Ezekiel's hearers fail to do, creating a direct contrast.

2 Chronicles 12:14 Related theme

In 2 Chronicles 12:14, Rehoboam did evil because he didn't prepare his heart — echoing the heart problem that prevents obedience in Ezekiel.

John 15:22 Parallel

In John 15:22, hearing Jesus' words removes excuse for sin, echoing the accountability of Ezekiel's hearers who hear but don't do.

Matthew 6:1 Parallel

Matthew 6:1 warns against practicing righteousness for show—parallel to the outward piety hiding greed here.

Matthew 19:22 shows the rich young ruler choosing possessions over Christ — a concrete example of a heart set on gain.

In 2 Cor 8:8, Paul urges proving genuine love through action—opposite to those who only listen without doing.