Ezekiel 13:17

17 "And the women prophets - son of man, take your stand against the women prophets who make up stuff out of their own minds. Oppose them.

Ezekiel 13:17 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 13:17

Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters
of thy people
The false prophetesses; for as there were women in some ages, who had the true spirit of prophecy, as Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah, ( Exodus 15:20 ) ( Judges 4:4 ) ( 2 Kings 22:14 ) ; so there were some that pretended to it, who had it not, as Noadiah in the times of Nehemiah, ( Nehemiah 6:14 ) ; and such there were in the times of Ezekiel; against whom he is bid to set his face, and look them out of countenance, and make them ashamed; who, contrary to the modesty of the sex, had impudently taken upon them to prophesy to the people; and such have been since in the times of the Gospel, as Jezebel, ( Revelation 2:20 ) ; and Prisca, Maximilia, Quintilia, and others: who prophesy out of their own heart;
as the men did, ( Ezekiel 13:2 ) ; what their own hearts suggested to them; what came into their minds, and their own fancies and imaginations led them to; what was according to their carnal affections and desires, and agreeable to those that heard them: and prophesy thou against them;
declare their prophecies false; warn the people from giving heed to them; and foretell what shall befall them for deceiving the people.

Ezekiel 13:17 In-Context

15 "'I'll dump my wrath on that wall, all of it, and on those who plastered it with whitewash. I will say to them, There is no wall, and those who did such a good job of whitewashing it wasted their time,
16 those prophets of Israel who preached to Jerusalem and announced all their visions telling us things were just fine when they weren't at all fine. Decree of God, the Master.'
17 "And the women prophets - son of man, take your stand against the women prophets who make up stuff out of their own minds. Oppose them.
18 Say 'Doom' to the women who sew magic bracelets and head scarves to suit every taste, devices to trap souls. Say, 'Will you kill the souls of my people, use living souls to make yourselves rich and popular?
19 You have profaned me among my people just to get ahead yourselves, used me to make yourselves look good - killing souls who should never have died and coddling souls who shouldn't live. You've lied to people who love listening to lies.'
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.