Hesekiel 13:4

4 O Israel, deine Propheten sind wie die Füchse in den Wüsten!

Hesekiel 13:4 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 13:4

O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes of the deserts.
] The false prophets, as the Targum; these are called Israel's prophets, because received, embraced, and encouraged by them; not the Lord's, for they were not sent by him, nor had any messages from him; and such are comparable to foxes, for their craftiness and cunning, and lying in wait to deceive, as these seduced the Lord's people, ( Ezekiel 13:10 ) ; and such are false teachers, who walk in craftiness, and handle the word of God deceitfully, and are deceitful workers; and to foxes in the deserts, which are hungry and ravenous, and make a prey of whatsoever comes within their reach, as these prophets did of the people, ( Ezekiel 13:19 ) . Kimchi interprets "deserts" of breaches and ruinous places in the walls of a vineyard, where the foxes lie, or through which they enter into the vineyard and spoil it; as these false prophets entered in among the Israelites, like to a vineyard, and did them much hurt and damage, by insinuating themselves among the weak, and those of little faith, which the above writer compares to breaches in vineyards; see ( Song of Solomon 2:15 ) . It may be the deserts may have respect to the land of Chaldea, where Israel was carried captive, and where these foxes, the false prophets, could play their part to advantage; not being under the notice and restraints of the sanhedrim at Jerusalem.

Hesekiel 13:4 In-Context

2 Du Menschenkind, weissage wider die Propheten Israels und sprich zu denen, so aus ihrem eigenen Herzen weissagen: Höret des HERRN Wort! {~}

3 So spricht der HERR HERR: Weh den tollen Propheten, die ihrem eigenen Geist folgen und haben keine Gesichte!

4 O Israel, deine Propheten sind wie die Füchse in den Wüsten!

5 Sie treten nicht vor die Lücken und machen sich nicht zur Hürde um das Haus Israel und stehen nicht im Streit am Tage des HERRN.

6 Ihr Gesicht ist nichts, und ihr Weissagen ist eitel Lügen. Sie sprechen: "Der HERR hat's gesagt", so sie doch der HERR nicht gesandt hat, und warten, daß ihr Wort bestehe.