Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Ezekiel » Chapter 13 » Verse 23

Ezekiel 13:23 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

23 Therefore ye shall see H2372 no more vanity, H7723 nor divine H7080 divinations: H7081 for I will deliver H5337 my people H5971 out of your hand: H3027 and ye shall know H3045 that I am the LORD. H3068

Cross Reference

Ezekiel 13:21 STRONG

Your kerchiefs H4555 also will I tear, H7167 and deliver H5337 my people H5971 out of your hand, H3027 and they shall be no more in your hand H3027 to be hunted; H4686 and ye shall know H3045 that I am the LORD. H3068

Micah 3:6 STRONG

Therefore night H3915 shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; H2377 and it shall be dark H2821 H2821 unto you, that ye shall not divine; H7080 and the sun H8121 shall go down H935 over the prophets, H5030 and the day H3117 shall be dark H6937 over them.

Ezekiel 12:24 STRONG

For there shall be no more any vain H7723 vision H2377 nor flattering H2509 divination H4738 within H8432 the house H1004 of Israel. H3478

Revelation 12:11 STRONG

And G2532 they G846 overcame G3528 him G846 by G1223 the blood G129 of the Lamb, G721 and G2532 by G1223 the word G3056 of their G846 testimony; G3141 and G2532 they loved G25 not G3756 their G846 lives G5590 unto G891 the death. G2288

Revelation 12:9 STRONG

And G2532 the great G3173 dragon G1404 was cast out, G906 that old G744 serpent, G3789 called G2564 the Devil, G1228 and G2532 Satan, G4567 which G3588 deceiveth G4105 the whole G3650 world: G3625 he was cast out G906 into G1519 the earth, G1093 and G2532 his G846 angels G32 were cast out G906 with G3326 him. G846

Zechariah 13:3 STRONG

And it shall come to pass, that when any H376 shall yet prophesy, H5012 then his father H1 and his mother H517 that begat H3205 him shall say H559 unto him, Thou shalt not live; H2421 for thou speakest H1696 lies H8267 in the name H8034 of the LORD: H3068 and his father H1 and his mother H517 that begat H3205 him shall thrust H1856 him through when he prophesieth. H5012

Ezekiel 34:10 STRONG

Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Behold, I am against the shepherds; H7462 and I will require H1875 my flock H6629 at their hand, H3027 and cause them to cease H7673 from feeding H7462 the flock; H6629 neither shall the shepherds H7462 feed H7462 themselves any more; for I will deliver H5337 my flock H6629 from their mouth, H6310 that they may not be meat H402 for them.

Revelation 13:5 STRONG

And G2532 there was given G1325 unto him G846 a mouth G4750 speaking G2980 great things G3173 and G2532 blasphemies; G988 and G2532 power G1849 was given G1325 unto him G846 to continue G4160 forty G5062 and two G1417 months. G3376

Revelation 15:2 STRONG

And G2532 I saw G1492 as it were G5613 a sea G2281 of glass G5193 mingled G3396 with fire: G4442 and G2532 them that had gotten the victory G3528 over G1537 the beast, G2342 and G2532 over G1537 his G846 image, G1504 and G2532 over G1537 his G846 mark, G5480 and over G1537 the number G706 of his G846 name, G3686 stand G2476 on G1909 the sea G2281 of glass, G5193 having G2192 the harps G2788 of God. G2316

Revelation 13:8 STRONG

And G2532 all G3956 that dwell G2730 upon G1909 the earth G1093 shall worship G4352 him, G846 whose G3739 names G3686 are G1125 not G3756 written G1125 in G1722 the book G976 of life G2222 of the Lamb G721 slain G4969 from G575 the foundation G2602 of the world. G2889

Deuteronomy 18:20 STRONG

But the prophet, H5030 which shall presume H2102 to speak H1696 a word H1697 in my name, H8034 which I have not commanded H6680 him to speak, H1696 or that shall speak H1696 in the name H8034 of other H312 gods, H430 even that prophet H5030 shall die. H4191

Jude 1:24 STRONG

Now G1161 unto him that is able G1410 to keep G5442 you G5209 G846 from falling, G679 and G2532 to present G2476 you faultless G299 before the presence G2714 of his G846 glory G1391 with G1722 exceeding joy, G20

2 Timothy 3:9 STRONG

But G235 they shall proceed G4298 no G3756 further: G1909 G4119 for G1063 their G846 folly G454 shall be G2071 manifest G1552 unto all G3956 men, as G5613 theirs G1565 also G2532 was. G1096

1 Corinthians 11:19 STRONG

For G1063 there must G1163 be G1511 also G2532 heresies G139 among G1722 you, G5213 that G2443 they which are approved G1384 may be made G1096 manifest G5318 among G1722 you. G5213

Mark 13:22 STRONG

For G1063 false Christs G5580 and G2532 false prophets G5578 shall rise, G1453 and G2532 shall shew G1325 signs G4592 and G2532 wonders, G5059 to G4314 seduce, G635 if G1487 it were possible, G1415 even G2532 the elect. G1588

Matthew 24:24 STRONG

For G1063 there shall arise G1453 false Christs, G5580 and G2532 false prophets, G5578 and G2532 shall shew G1325 great G3173 signs G4592 and G2532 wonders; G5059 insomuch that, G5620 if G1487 it were possible, G1415 they shall deceive G4105 the very G2532 elect. G1588

Ezekiel 15:7 STRONG

And I will set H5414 my face H6440 against them; they shall go out H3318 from one fire, H784 and another fire H784 shall devour H398 them; and ye shall know H3045 that I am the LORD, H3068 when I set H7760 my face H6440 against them.

Ezekiel 14:8 STRONG

And I will set H5414 my face H6440 against that man, H376 and will make H8074 him a sign H226 and a proverb, H4912 and I will cut him off H3772 from the midst H8432 of my people; H5971 and ye shall know H3045 that I am the LORD. H3068

Ezekiel 13:6-16 STRONG

They have seen H2372 vanity H7723 and lying H3577 divination, H7081 saying, H559 The LORD H3068 saith: H5002 and the LORD H3068 hath not sent H7971 them: and they have made others to hope H3176 that they would confirm H6965 the word. H1697 Have ye not seen H2372 a vain H7723 vision, H4236 and have ye not spoken H1696 a lying H3577 divination, H4738 whereas ye say, H559 The LORD H3068 saith H5002 it; albeit I have not spoken? H559 Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Because ye have spoken H1696 vanity, H7723 and seen H2372 lies, H3577 therefore, behold, I am against you, saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD. H3069 And mine hand H3027 shall be upon the prophets H5030 that see H2374 vanity, H7723 and that divine H7080 lies: H3577 they shall not be in the assembly H5475 of my people, H5971 neither shall they be written H3789 in the writing H3791 of the house H1004 of Israel, H3478 neither shall they enter H935 into the land H127 of Israel; H3478 and ye shall know H3045 that I am the Lord H136 GOD. H3069 Because, even because they have seduced H2937 my people, H5971 saying, H559 Peace; H7965 and there was no peace; H7965 and one built up H1129 a wall, H2434 and, lo, H2009 others daubed H2902 it with untempered H8602 morter: Say H559 unto them which daub H2902 it with untempered H8602 morter, that it shall fall: H5307 there shall be an overflowing H7857 shower; H1653 and ye, H859 O great hailstones, H417 H68 shall fall; H5307 and a stormy H5591 wind H7307 shall rend H1234 it. Lo, when the wall H7023 is fallen, H5307 shall it not be said H559 unto you, Where is the daubing H2915 wherewith ye have daubed H2902 it? Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 I will even rend H1234 it with a stormy H5591 wind H7307 in my fury; H2534 and there shall be an overflowing H7857 shower H1653 in mine anger, H639 and great hailstones H417 H68 in my fury H2534 to consume H3617 it. So will I break down H2040 the wall H7023 that ye have daubed H2902 with untempered H8602 morter, and bring H5060 it down to the ground, H776 so that the foundation H3247 thereof shall be discovered, H1540 and it shall fall, H5307 and ye shall be consumed H3615 in the midst H8432 thereof: and ye shall know H3045 that I am the LORD. H3068 Thus will I accomplish H3615 my wrath H2534 upon the wall, H7023 and upon them that have daubed H2902 it with untempered H8602 morter, and will say H559 unto you, The wall H7023 is no more, neither they that daubed H2902 it; To wit, the prophets H5030 of Israel H3478 which prophesy H5012 concerning Jerusalem, H3389 and which see H2374 visions H2377 of peace H7965 for her, and there is no peace, H7965 saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD. H3069

Commentary on Ezekiel 13 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 13

Eze 13:1-23. Denunciation of False Prophets and Prophetesses; Their False Teachings, and God's Consequent Judgments.

1. As the twelfth chapter denounced the false expectations of the people, so this denounces the false leaders who fed those expectations. As an independent witness, Ezekiel confirms at the Chebar the testimony of Jeremiah (Jer 29:21, 31) in his letter from Jerusalem to the captive exiles, against the false prophets; of these some were conscious knaves, others fanatical dupes of their own frauds; for example, Ahab, Zedekiah, and Shemaiah. Hananiah must have believed his own lie, else he would not have specified so circumstantial details (Jer 28:2-4). The conscious knaves gave only general assurances of peace (Jer 5:31; 6:14; 14:13). The language of Ezekiel has plain references to the similar language of Jeremiah (for example, Jer 23:9-38); the bane of false prophecy, which had its stronghold in Jerusalem, having in some degree extended to the Chebar; this chapter, therefore, is primarily intended as a message to those still in the Jewish metropolis; and, secondarily, for the good of the exiles at the Chebar.

2. that prophesy—namely, a speedy return to Jerusalem.

out of … own hearts—alluding to the words of Jeremiah (Jer 23:16, 26); that is, what they prophesied was what they and the people wished; the wish was father to the thought. The people wished to be deceived, and so were deceived. They were inexcusable, for they had among them true prophets (who spoke not their own thoughts, but as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, 2Pe 1:21), whom they might have known to be such, but they did not wish to know (Joh 3:19).

3. foolish—though vaunting as though exclusively possessing "wisdom" (1Co 1:19-21); the fear of God being the only beginning of wisdom (Ps 111:10).

their own spirit—instead of the Spirit of God. A threefold distinction lay between the false and the true prophets: (1) The source of their messages respectively; of the false, "their own hearts"; of the true, an object presented to the spiritual sense (named from the noblest of the senses, a seeing) by the Spirit of God as from without, not produced by their own natural powers of reflection. The word, the body of the thought, presented itself not audibly to the natural sense, but directly to the spirit of the prophet; and so the perception of it is properly called a seeing, he perceiving that which thereafter forms itself in his soul as the cover of the external word [Delitzsch]; hence the peculiar expression, "seeing the word of God" (Isa 2:1; 13:1; Am 1:1; Mic 1:1). (2) The point aimed at; the false "walking after their own spirit"; the true, after the Spirit of God. (3) The result; the false saw nothing, but spake as if they had seen; the true had a vision, not subjective, but objectively real [Fairbairn]. A refutation of those who set the inward word above the objective, and represent the Bible as flowing subjectively from the inner light of its writers, not from the revelation of the Holy Ghost from without. "They are impatient to get possession of the kernel without its fostering shell—they would have Christ without the Bible" [Bengel].

4. foxes—which cunningly "spoil the vines" (So 2:15), Israel being the vineyard (Ps 80:8-15; Isa 5:1-7; 27:2; Jer 2:21); their duty was to have guarded it from being spoiled, whereas they themselves spoiled it by corruptions.

in … deserts—where there is nothing to eat; whence the foxes become so ravenous and crafty in their devices to get food. So the prophets wander in Israel, a moral desert, unrestrained, greedy of gain which they get by craft.

5. not gone up into … gaps—metaphor from breaches made in a wall, to which the defenders ought to betake themselves in order to repel the entrance of the foe. The breach is that made in the theocracy through the nation's sin; and, unless it be made up, the vengeance of God will break in through it. Those who would advise the people to repentance are the restorers of the breach (Eze 22:30; Ps 106:23, 30).

hedge—the law of God (Ps 80:12; Isa 5:2, 5); by violating it, the people stripped themselves of the fence of God's protection and lay exposed to the foe. The false prophets did not try to repair the evil by bringing back the people to the law with good counsels, or by checking the bad with reproofs. These two duties answer to the double office of defenders in case of a breach made in a wall: (1) To repair the breach from within; (2) To oppose the foe from without.

to stand—that is, that the city may "stand."

in … day of … Lord—In the day of the battle which God wages against Israel for their sins, ye do not try to stay God's vengeance by prayers, and by leading the nation to repentance.

6. made others to hope, &c.—rather, "they hoped" to confirm (that is, 'make good') their word, by the event corresponding to their prophecy. The Hebrew requires this [Havernick]. Also the parallel clause, "they have seen vanity," implies that they believed their own lie (2Th 2:11). Subjective revelation is false unless it rests on the objective.

8. I am against you—rather understand, "I come against you," to punish your wicked profanation of My name (compare Re 2:5, 16).

9. mine hand—My power in vengeance.

not … in … assembly—rather, the "council"; "They shall not occupy the honorable office of councillors in the senate of elders after the return from Babylon" (Ezr 2:1, 2).

neither … written in … Israel—They shall not even have a place in the register kept of all citizens' names; they shall be erased from it, just as the names of those who died in the year, or had been deprived of citizenship for their crimes, were at the annual revisal erased. Compare Jer 17:13; Lu 10:20; Re 3:5, as to those spiritually Israelites; Joh 1:47, and those not so. Literally fulfilled (Ezr 2:59, 62; compare Ne 7:5; Ps 69:28).

neither … enter … land—They shall not so much as be allowed to come back at all to their country.

10. Because, even because—The repetition heightens the emphasis.

Peace—safety to the nation. Ezekiel confirms Jer 6:14; 8:11.

one—literally, "this one"; said contemptuously, as in 2Ch 28:22.

a wall—rather, "a loose wall." Ezekiel had said that the false prophets did not "go up into the gaps, or make up the breaches" (Eze 13:5), as good architects do; now he adds that they make a bustling show of anxiety about repairing the wall; but it is without right mortar, and therefore of no use.

one … others—besides individual effort, they jointly co-operated to delude the people.

daubed … with untempered mortar—as sand without lime, mud without straw [Grotius]. Fairbairn translates, "plaster it with whitewash." But besides the hypocrisy of merely outwardly "daubing" to make the wall look fair (Mt 23:27, 29; Ac 23:3), there is implied the unsoundness of the wall from the absence of true uniting cement; the "untempered cement" answering to the lie of the prophets, who say, in support of their prophecies, "Thus saith the Lord, when the Lord hath not spoken" (Eze 22:28).

11. overflowing—inundating; such as will at once wash away the mere clay mortar. The three most destructive agents shall co-operate against the wall—wind, rain, and hailstones. These last in the East are more out of the regular course of nature and are therefore often particularly specified as the instruments of God's displeasure against His foes (Ex 9:18; Jos 10:11; Job 38:22; Ps 18:12, 13; Isa 28:2; 30:30; Re 16:21). The Hebrew here is, literally, "stones of ice." They fall in Palestine at times an inch thick with a destructive velocity. The personification heightens the vivid effect, "O ye hail stones." The Chaldeans will be the violent agency whereby God will unmask and refute them, overthrowing their edifice of lies.

12. shall it not be said—Your vanity and folly shall be so manifested that it shall pass into a proverb, "Where is the daubing?"

13. God repeats, in His own name, as the Source of the coming calamity, what had been expressed generally in Eze 13:11.

14. The repetition of the same threat (see on Eze 13:11) is to awaken the people out of their dream of safety by the certainty of the event.

foundation—As the "wall" represents the security of the nation, so the "foundation" is Jerusalem, on the fortifications of which they rested their confidence. Grotius makes the "foundation" refer to the false principles on which they rested; Eze 13:16 supports the former view.

16. prophesy concerning Jerusalem—With all their "seeing visions of peace for her," they cannot ensure peace or safety to themselves.

17. set thy face—put on a bold countenance, fearlessly to denounce them (Eze 3:8, 9; Isa 50:7).

daughters—the false prophetesses; alluded to only here; elsewhere the guilt specified in the women is the active share they took in maintaining idolatry (Eze 8:14). It was only in extraordinary emergencies that God bestowed prophecy on women, for example on Miriam, Deborah, Huldah (Ex 15:20; Jud 4:4; 2Ki 22:14); so in the last days to come (Joe 2:28). The rareness of such instances enhanced their guilt in pretending inspiration.

18. sew pillows to … armholes—rather, elbows and wrists, for which the false prophetesses made cushions to lean on, as a symbolical act, typifying the perfect tranquility which they foretold to those consulting them. Perhaps they made their dupes rest on these cushions in a fancied state of ecstasy after they had made them at first stand (whence the expression, "every stature," is used for "men of every age"). As the men are said to have built a wall (Eze 13:10), so the women are said to sew pillows, &c., both alike typifying the "peace" they promised the impenitent.

make kerchiefs—magical veils, which they put over the heads of those consulting them, as if to fit them for receiving a response, that they might be rapt in spiritual trance above the world.

head of every stature—"men of every age," old and young, great and small, if only these had pay to offer them.

hunt souls—eagerly trying to allure them to the love of yourselves (Pr 6:26; 2Pe 2:14), so as unwarily to become your prey.

will ye save … souls … that come unto you—Will ye haul after souls, and when they are yours ("come unto you"), will ye promise them life? "Save" is explained (Eze 13:22), "promising life" [Grotius]. Calvin explains, "Will ye hunt My people's souls and yet will ye save your own souls"; I, the Lord God, will not allow it. But "save" is used (Eze 13:19) of the false prophetesses promising life to the impenitent, so that English Version and Grotius explain it best.

19. handfuls—expressing the paltry gain for which they bartered immortal souls (compare Mic 3:5, 11; Heb 12:16). They "polluted" God by making His name the cloak under which they uttered falsehoods.

among my people—an aggravation of their sin, that they committed it "among the people" whom God had chosen as peculiarly His own, and among whom He had His temple. It would have been a sin to have done so even among the Gentiles, who knew not God; much more so among the people of God (compare Pr 28:21).

slay … souls that should not die, &c.—to predict the slaying or perdition of the godly whom I will save. As true ministers are said to save and slay their hearers, according to the spirit respectively in which these receive their message (2Co 2:15, 16), so false ministers imitate them; but they promise safety to those on the broad way to ruin and predict ruin to those on the narrow way of God.

my people that hear your lies—who are therefore wilfully deceived, so that their guilt lies at their own door (Joh 3:19).

20. I am against your pillows—that is, against your lying ceremonial tricks by which ye cheat the people.

to make them fly—namely, into their snares, as fowlers disturb birds so as to be suddenly caught in the net spread for them. "Fly" is peculiarly appropriate as to those lofty spiritual flights to which they pretended to raise their dupes when they veiled their heads with kerchiefs and made them rest on luxurious arm-cushions (Eze 13:18).

let … souls go—"Ye make them fly" in order to destroy them; "I will let them go" in order to save them (Ps 91:3; Pr 6:5; Ho 9:8).

21. in your hand—in your power. "My people" are the elect remnant of Israel to be saved.

ye shall know—by the judgments which ye shall suffer.

22. ye have made … the righteous sad—by lying predictions of calamities impending ever the godly.

strengthened … wicked—(Jer 23:14).

heart of … righteous … hands of … wicked—Heart is applied to the righteous because the terrors foretold penetrated to their inmost feelings; hands, to the wicked because they were so hardened as not only to despise God in their minds, but also to manifest it in their whole acts, as if avowedly waging war with Him.

23. ye shall see no more vanity—The event shall confute your lies, involving yourselves in destruction (Eze 13:9; Eze 14:8; 15:7; Mic 3:6).