Ezekiel 13:17

17 "And you, son of man, place your face toward the daughters of your people who prophesy from their {imagination}, and prophesy against 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 And I will fully vent my rage against the wall and against those covering it [with] whitewash, and I will say to you, "{The wall is no more}, and {the people covering it are no more},

16 [that is], the prophets of Israel, the ones prophesying concerning Jerusalem and the ones seeing visions of peace, and there is not peace!'" " {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

17 "And you, son of man, place your face toward the daughters of your people who prophesy from their {imagination}, and prophesy against them!

18 And you must say, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Woe to {those who sew} magic charm bands on all the wrists of the hands of my [people] and {those who make the veils} [that are] on the head of [people of] every height, to ensnare [people's] lives! Will you ensnare [the] lives of my people {and keep yourselves alive}?

19 And you defiled me among my people for a handful of barley and for morsels of bread to kill persons who should not die and to keep alive persons who should not live by [means of] your lies to my people [who are] listening to [your] lies." '

Footnotes

• [a] Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
• [b] Literally "heart"