Ezekiel 13:17-23

17 "Now you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are 1prophesying 2from their own inspiration. Prophesy against them
18 and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the women who sew magic bands on all wrists * and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature to 3hunt down lives! Will you hunt down the lives of My people, but preserve the lives of others for yourselves?
19 "4For handfuls of barley and fragments of bread, you have profaned Me to My people to put to death some who should not die and to 5keep others alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies.""'
20 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against your magic bands by which you hunt lives there as birds and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let them go, even those lives whom you hunt as birds.
21 "I will also tear off your veils and 6deliver My people from your hands, and they will no longer be in your hands to be hunted; and you will know that I am the LORD.
22 "Because you 7disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have 8encouraged * the wicked not to 9turn from his wicked way and preserve his life,
23 therefore, you women will no longer see 10false visions or practice divination, and I will 11deliver My people out of your hand. Thus you will 12know that I am the LORD."

Ezekiel 13:17-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 13

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

Cross References 12

  • 1. Judges 4:4; 2 Kings 22:14; Luke 2:36; Acts 21:9
  • 2. Ezekiel 13:2; Revelation 2:20
  • 3. 2 Peter 2:14
  • 4. Proverbs 28:21; Micah 3:5
  • 5. Jeremiah 23:14, 17
  • 6. Psalms 91:3; Psalms 124:7
  • 7. Amos 5:12
  • 8. Jeremiah 23:14; Jeremiah 34:16, 22
  • 9. Ezek 18:21, 27, 30-32; Ezekiel 33:14-16
  • 10. Ezekiel 12:24; Ezekiel 13:6; Micah 3:6; Zechariah 13:3
  • 11. Ezekiel 13:21; Ezekiel 34:10
  • 12. Ezekiel 13:9, 21

Footnotes 14

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