Ezekiel 13:17

17 And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, that prophesy of their heart; and prophesy thou on them, (And thou, son of man, set thy face toward the daughters of thy people, who prophesy out of their own hearts; and prophesy thou 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 shall [ful]fill mine indignation in the wall, and in them that pargeted it without tempering; and I shall say to you, The wall is not, and they be not, that pargeted it, (And I shall fulfill my indignation upon the wall, and upon those who mortared it without tempering; and I shall say to you, The wall is not, and they be not, who mortared it,)

16 (that is,) the prophets of Israel, that prophesy to Jerusalem, and see to it the vision of peace, and peace is not, saith the Lord God. (that is, the prophets of Israel, who prophesied to Jerusalem, and saw a vision of peace for it, when there was no peace, saith the Lord God.)

17 And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, that prophesy of their heart; and prophesy thou on them, (And thou, son of man, set thy face toward the daughters of thy people, who prophesy out of their own hearts; and prophesy thou against them,)

18 and say thou, The Lord God saith these things, Woe to them that sew together cushions under each cubit of [the] hand, and make pillows under the head of each age, to take souls; and when they deceived the souls of my people, they quickened the souls of them. (and say thou, The Lord God saith these things, Woe to those who sew bands for each wrist, and put veils on the heads of everyone, to hunt souls, or lives; and while they hunt the souls of my people, yet they keep their own souls safe.)

19 And they defouled me to my people, for an handful of barley, and for a gobbet of bread, that they should slay souls that die not, and quicken souls that live not; and they lied to my people, believing to leasings. (And they defiled me among my people, for a handful of barley, and for a piece of bread, so that they kill souls that should not die, and enliven souls that should not live; and they lied to my people, who believed the lies.)