Ezekiel 13:1-11

False Prophets Condemned

1 Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,
2 "Son of man, prophesy against the 1prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, '2Listen to the word of the LORD!
3 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the 3foolish prophets who are following * their own spirit and have 4seen nothing.
4 "O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins.
5 "You have not 5gone up into the 6breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the 7day of the LORD.
6 "They see 8falsehood and lying divination who are saying, 'The LORD declares,' when the LORD has not sent them; 9yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word.
7 "10Did you not see a false vision and speak a lying divination when you said, 'The LORD declares,' but it is not I who have spoken?""'
8 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Because you have spoken falsehood and seen a lie, therefore behold, 11I am against you," declares the Lord GOD.
9 "So My hand will be against the 12prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will have no place in the council of My people, 13nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am the Lord GOD.
10 "It is definitely because they have 14misled My people by saying, '15Peace!' when there is 16no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash;
11 so tell those who plaster it over with whitewash, that it will fall. A 17flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones *, will fall; and a violent wind will break out.

Ezekiel 13:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 13

It being said in Eze 12:24; that there should be no more a vain vision, nor a flattering divination; the prophet is ordered to prophesy against the false prophets and prophetesses, Eze 13:1,2,17; the former are described as prophesying out of their own hearts, Eze 13:2; as foolish ones, following their own spirit, and seeing nothing, Eze 13:3; they are compared to foxes in the deserts, Eze 13:4; and are represented as unconcerned to stand in the gap for the people, Eze 13:5; and as seeing vanity and lying divination; wherefore the Lord was against them, Eze 13:6-8; what they are threatened with are, that they should not be in the assembly of God's people; nor written in the writing of the house of Israel; nor enter into the land of Israel, Eze 13:9; the reason of which was, because they seduced the Lord's people, by speaking peace to them when there was none; which is figuratively expressed by building a wall, and daubing it with untempered mortar, Eze 13:10; upon which the wall is threatened to be rent, and caused to fall with a stormy wind; signifying the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldean army; and the false prophets to have the wrath of God poured on them who doubted it, Eze 13:11-16; and then follows the order to the prophet to prophesy against the false prophetesses, and set his face against them, and pronounce woe upon them in the name of the Lord; who are described as prophesying out of their own hearts; sowing pillows to all armholes; and making kerchiefs on the head of all sorts of persons; and which they did for poor small gain, and to the detriment of immortal souls, good and bad, Eze 13:17-19; wherefore the Lord threatens to tear off their pillows and kerchiefs, and deliver his people out of their hands, no more to be hunted by them, Eze 13:20,21; the reason of which was, because they saddened the hearts of the righteous, and strengthened the hands of the wicked, Eze 13:22; and the chapter is concluded with a resolution that they should see no more vanity nor divine divinations; and that the Lord's people should be delivered from them, and they should know that he was the Lord, Eze 13:23.

Cross References 17

  • 1. Isaiah 9:15; Jeremiah 37:19; Ezekiel 22:25, 28
  • 2. Isaiah 1:10; Amos 7:16
  • 3. Lamentations 2:14; Hosea 9:7; Zechariah 11:15
  • 4. Jeremiah 23:28-32
  • 5. Psalms 106:23; Jeremiah 23:22; Ezekiel 22:30
  • 6. Isaiah 58:12
  • 7. Isaiah 13:6, 9; Ezekiel 7:19
  • 8. Jeremiah 29:8; Ezekiel 22:28
  • 9. Jeremiah 28:15; Jeremiah 37:19
  • 10. Ezekiel 22:28
  • 11. Ezekiel 5:8; Ezekiel 21:3; Nahum 2:13
  • 12. Jeremiah 20:3-6; Jeremiah 28:15-17
  • 13. Psalms 69:28; Psalms 87:6; Jeremiah 17:13; Daniel 12:1
  • 14. Jeremiah 23:32; Jeremiah 50:6
  • 15. Jeremiah 6:14; Jeremiah 8:11; Jeremiah 14:13
  • 16. Ezekiel 7:25; Ezekiel 13:16
  • 17. Ezekiel 38:22

Footnotes 6

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