The Word of the Lord to Ezekiel

Chapter 13

The reproof of lying prophets, 1-9, and their untempered mortar, 10-16. Of prophetesses and their pillows, 17-23.

1 And 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 out of their own hearts, 'Hear the word of the LORD. 3 Thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 O Israel, your prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. 5 You have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. 6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, 'The LORD says,' and the LORD has not sent them, and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. 7 Have you not seen a vain vision, and have you not spoken a lying divination when you say, 'The LORD says it,' even though I have not spoken?"'"

8 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: "Because you have spoken vanity and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you," says the Lord GOD. 9 "And my hand shall be upon the prophets who see vanity and who divine lies. They shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord GOD. 10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, 'Peace,' and there was no peace, and one built up a wall, and behold, others daubed it with untempered mortar, 11 Tell those who daub it with untempered mortar that it shall fall. There shall be an overflowing shower, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall, and a stormy wind shall rend it. 12 Behold, when the wall has fallen, shall it not be said to you, 'Where is the daubing with which you have daubed it?'" 13 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: "I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury, and there shall be an overflowing shower in my anger and great hailstones in my fury to consume it. 14 Thus I will break down the wall that you have daubed with untempered mortar and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation shall be made bare. It shall fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. And you shall know that I am the LORD. 15 Thus I will accomplish my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say to you, 'The wall is no more, neither those who daubed it, 16 Namely, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem and who see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace,' says the Lord GOD.

17 "Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own heart, and prophesy against them, 18 And say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the women who sew cushions to all armpits and make veils upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people, but save the souls alive who come to you? 19 You profane me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread. You slay the souls who should not die and save the souls alive who should not live by your lying to my people who hear your lies."'"

20 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against your cushions with which you hunt the souls there to make them fly. I will tear them from your arms and let the souls go, even the souls whom you hunt to make them fly. 21 Your veils I will also tear and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be in your hand to be hunted. And you shall know that I am the LORD. 22 Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad, and strengthened the hands of the wicked so that he should not return from his wicked way and be saved alive, 23 Therefore you shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations, for I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the LORD."

Commentary

Matthew Henry Commentary - Ezekiel, Chapter 13[➚]

Notes

John Gill's Chapter Summary:

It being said in (Ezekiel 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 (Ezekiel 13:1-2, 17); the former are described as prophesying out of their own hearts (Ezekiel 13:2); as foolish ones, following their own spirit and seeing nothing (Ezekiel 13:3); they are compared to foxes in the deserts (Ezekiel 13:4); and are represented as unconcerned to stand in the gap for the people (Ezekiel 13:5); and as seeing vanity and lying divination; therefore the Lord was against them (Ezekiel 13:6-8); what they are threatened with is 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 (Ezekiel 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 (Ezekiel 13:10); upon which the wall is threatened to be torn 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 those who doubted it (Ezekiel 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 cushions to all armholes, and making veils 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 (Ezekiel 13:17-19); therefore the Lord threatens to tear off their cushions and veils and deliver his people out of their hands, no more to be hunted by them (Ezekiel 13:20-21); the reason of which was because they saddened the hearts of the righteous and strengthened the hands of the wicked (Ezekiel 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 (Ezekiel 13:23).

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