Ezekiel 25:17 and Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction was a 1994 crime-drama directed by Quentin Tarantino and follows an intertwining story of two gangsters, a boxer, and couple of thieves who rob a diner. The film features a number of well-known celebrities including Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield, John Travolta as Vincent Vega, Tim Roth as Ringo, and Amanda Plummer as Yolanda. Used repeatedly in this movie is a fictional bible quote titled Ezekiel 25:17. This is spoken by Jules Winnfield and is as states:
"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness; for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."
Through analysis of this passage, this quote can be used to categorize characters into various roles and describe their fate. These characters include: Jules, Vincent, Ringo and Yolanda.
The first sentence of this bible passage mentions several elements that need to be explored, specifically speaking the “righteous man,” and the “evil man.” We can assume that the righteous man follows a path similar to something of honorable and moral qualities as the term “righteous” is defined by such words. Opposite of the “righteous man,” is the “evil man” and can symmetrically be assumed that he possesses the qualities opposite of the righteous; those qualities being immoral. Reading further, we learn the evil man is said to “beset on all sides” the righteous man. In other words, the goals of the righteous are thwarted by evil. This presents the idea of a natural conflict as the actions of the evil man will, in some way, hinder the actions of the righteous man.
Upon reading further, the bible passage portrays the characteristics of the righteous man, although this connection is not directly made. Being that “charity” and “good will” are the characteristics listed, they can only be applied to someone deemed moral. Of course, this pertains solely to the righteous man and not the evil man since he is the only one of the two who practices fine morals. Because it is determined that these qualities belong to the righteous, it can also be decoded that he and the Sheppard the same person; it is his natural tendency to guide people through immorality, or “valley of darkness.” These people guided by the righteous man are inevitably the “lost children” spoken of.
Moving further into the passage, the fate of the evil man is exposed. Since this is a quote from the bible, it is inferred to be God speaking and He clearly states that anyone who stands in the path of the “righteous man” will be struck down. Because the “evil man” blocks the path of the “righteous man,” it can be concluded that he will be put to death by God’s will.
Lastly in this passage is the fourth sentence which states: “And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you.” Compared to the rest of the quote, this is by far the most simple and direct sentence. It means that God shows himself through the death of the selfish and evil and their deaths are simply God’s will put to action.
This passage that is repeated throughout the movie can be applied to several of the main characters and in turn, provide an explanation of their fate. Through analysis of this passage, it is possible to classify the characters into the three categories spoken of: the righteous man who guides lost children, the evil man who exists to stand in the way of the righteous man, and finally the lost children who seek guidance. In addition, the fates of each type of person described are also certain. The righteous man has God’s favor, the evil man will perish, and the lost children will transform into evil unless guided by the righteous man.
The Sheppard in this movie is undoubtedly Jules Winnfield. Jules undergoes a transformation from evil to righteous and they can be seen attempting to guide the “lost children” spoken of. Jules’s transformation begins with his witnessing of the miracle that saved his life. Bullets fired from an extremely close range appeared to pass through Jules, leaving him unmarked and unharmed and it was at that point where he begins to see how he has been wrong and begins to turn his life around. From that point on, he decides he is done with the business and is determined to resign. With this resignation, Jules is transformed into the righteous man and later attempts to guide the lost children (Ringo and Yolanda) further along in the film. It is the righteous man who has God’s favor and is the reason Jules is not struck down, which could not be said of his partner Vincent Vega.
The character of Vincent Vega aligns closest with the “evil man” spoken of in Ezequiel 25:17. He and Jules both begin the film as evil men, and because he ignored the miracle that happened and failed to become the righteous man, Vincent was killed off in the film. When Jules told Vincent that he was quitting the business because of the miracle that was just witnessed, Vincent completely ignored this and chose not to think anything of it. Vincent indeed had a chance to change and decided not to grasp it, which is why he perished. Furthermore, the fact that Jules tried to mend the error in Vincent’s way, showed just how quickly he transformed from the “evil man” into the righteous.
Last are Ringo and Yolanda who are the “lost children” in the film. It is when they attempt to rob the diner they are eating at when they meet Jules and are guided by him. It is at that point in the film when all of Jules, Vincent, Ringo and Yolanda are in a standoff position with guns pointed from each party pointed at every person. Jules delivers a convincing speech to Ringo and Yolanda and exposes the error in their lives which essentially disarms the situation, leaving Ringo and Yolanda alive and on the path of righteousness. Ringo and Yolanda would most certainly have perished if it were not for Jules and his newfound nature to guide the “lost children” he meets.
The bible passage Ezekiel 25:17 appears multiple times in the film Pulp Fiction, and through analysis it can give reason to the fate of several main characters. This passage affectively breaks down the characters into three categories: the “righteous man”, the “evil man”, and the “lost children.” Each of these categories has different fates tied to them which each are experienced throughout the film. Without this passage, however fictional, Pulp Fiction would have much of its meaning lost and simply would not be the same.