Ezekiel 13:2

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!

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 Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,

2 "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, 'Listen to the word of the LORD !

3 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing.

4 "O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins.

5 "You have not gone up into the breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the LORD .

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 9:15; Jeremiah 37:19; Ezekiel 22:25, 28
• 2. Isaiah 1:10; Amos 7:16

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "heart"