Ezekiel13
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
2Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own heart, Hear ye the word of Jehovah:
3Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
4O Israel, thy prophets have been like foxes in the waste places.
5Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither built up the wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of Jehovah.
6They have seen falsehood and lying divination, that say, Jehovah saith; but Jehovah hath not sent them: and they have made men to hope that the word would be confirmed.
7Have ye not seen a false vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, in that ye say, Jehovah saith; albeit I have not spoken?
8Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye have spoken falsehood, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord Jehovah.
9And my hand shall be against the prophets that see false visions, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the council of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah.
10Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there is no peace; and when one buildeth up a wall, behold, they daub it with untempered mortar:
11say unto them that daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.
12Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?
13Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my wrath; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in wrath to consume it.
14So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be uncovered; and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
15Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar; and I will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it;
16to wit, the prophets of Israel that prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and that see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord Jehovah.
17And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, that prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,
18and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the women that sew pillows upon all elbows, and make kerchiefs for the head of persons of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and save souls alive for yourselves?
19And ye have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hearken unto lies.
20Wherefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.
21Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
22Because with lies ye have grieved the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad, and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, and be saved alive;
23therefore ye shall no more see false visions, nor divine divinations: and I will deliver my people out of your hand; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Ezekiel 13.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Heavy judgments against lying prophets. (1-9). The insufficiency of their work. (10-16). Woes against false prophetesses. (17-23).
vv1-9
Where God gives a warrant to do any thing, he gives wisdom. What they delivered was not what they had seen or heard, as that is which the ministers of Christ deliver. They were not praying prophets, had no intercourse with Heaven; they contrived how to please people, not how to do them good; they stood not against sin. They flattered people into vain hopes. Such widen the breach, by causing men to think themselves deserving of eternal life, when the wrath of God abides upon them.
vv10-16
One false prophet built the wall, set up the notion that Jerusalem should be victorious, and made himself acceptable by it. Others made the matter yet more plausible and promising; they daubed the wall which the first had built; but they would, ere long, be undeceived when their work was beaten down by the storm of God's just wrath; when the Chaldean army desolated the land. Hopes of peace and happiness, not warranted by the word of God, will cheat men; like a wall well daubed, but ill built.
vv17-23
It is ill with those who had rather hear pleasing lies than unpleasing truths. The false prophetesses tried to make people secure, signified by laying them at ease, and to make them proud, signified by the finery laid on their heads. They shall be confounded in their attempts, and God's people shall be delivered out of their hands. It behoves Christians to keep close to the word of God, and in every thing to seek the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Let us so trust the promises of God as to keep his commandments.
Key Words
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אָדָם: ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
נָבָא: to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)
נָבִיא: a prophet or (generally) inspired man
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
לֵב: the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
Cross References
Ezekiel 13Ezekiel's sister passage uses the identical metaphor of standing in the gap to defend the land from destruction.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Jeremiah similarly denounces false prophets who speak visions out of their own hearts, not from God's mouth.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Moses represents the true prophet who 'stood in the breach' before God to turn away His wrath.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Jeremiah shares the identical phrase condemning false prophets who say 'Peace, peace' when there is no peace.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Jeremiah specifically names false prophets in Babylon who feed the exiles lying expectations.
Supported by JFB
Micah exposes the people's desire for false prophets who speak pleasing lies of wine and strong drink.
Supported by John Calvin
Moses warns that God permits false prophets to test whether Israel truly loves Him with all their heart.
Supported by John Calvin
Jesus warns of false prophets who are inwardly ravenous, matching Ezekiel's comparison to predatory desert foxes.
Supported by Matthew Henry
God's register of His people contrasts with false prophets being blotted out of Israel's writing.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The fall of the house in Jesus' parable echoes Ezekiel's falling wall swept away by storm and rain.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Lamentations mourns that false prophets saw vain and foolish things instead of exposing Israel's iniquity.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Peter warns of false teachers bringing destructive heresies, just as false prophets plagued ancient Israel.
Supported by John Calvin
Nehemiah encounters Noadiah, a false prophetess hired to make him afraid, demonstrating female false prophets.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The corrupt prophets polluting God for 'pieces of bread' parallels Eli's sons begging for pieces of silver.
Supported by Matthew Henry