Ezekiel13
New King James Version
1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ ”
3Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!
4O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts.
5You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord.
6They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ But the Lord has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed.
7Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The Lord says,’ but I have not spoken.”
8Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord God.
9“My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord God.
10“Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace—and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered mortar—
11say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down.
12Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?’ ”
13Therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it.
14So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.
15“Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it,
16that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ ” says the Lord God.
17“Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them,
18and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive?
19And will you profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?”
20‘Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls there like birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds.
21I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.
22“Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life.
23Therefore you shall no longer envision futility nor practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”
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