Ezekiel 13:2

2 "Son of man, preach against the prophets of Israel who are making things up out of their own heads and calling it 'prophesying.'

Ezekiel 13:2 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 13:2

Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel
Who called themselves so, and were accounted such by others; though they were not true, but false prophets; and so the Targum calls them: that prophesy;
that is, smooth things to the people; promising a speedy return from the captivity; or that Jerusalem should not be taken by the Chaldeans, and the inhabitants of it, and of the land, be carried captive: and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts;
who were not sent of God, nor spake from him; but of themselves, what came into their heads, and was agreeable to their fancies, imaginations, and carnal hearts; such are false teachers, that go forth without being sent, and teach not according to the word of God, but according to their own carnal reasonings; so the Targum,

``according to the will of their hearts;''
what they pleased themselves: hear ye the word of the Lord;
which came from the Lord himself, and not from man, meaning the following prophecy; so the written word of God should be attended to, both by teachers and hearers, as the only rule of faith and practice; see ( Isaiah 8:20 ) .

Ezekiel 13:2 In-Context

1 God's Message came to me:
2 "Son of man, preach against the prophets of Israel who are making things up out of their own heads and calling it 'prophesying.'
3 God, the Master, pronounces doom on the empty-headed prophets who do their own thing and know nothing of what's going on!
4 Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals scavenging through the ruins.
5 They haven't lifted a finger to repair the defenses of the city and have risked nothing to help Israel stand on God's Day of Judgment.
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.