Bible Commentaries
Ezekiel 13

Verse 1

Eze 13:1-2. Ezekiel was himself a prophet in Israel, but he was to prophesy against the evil ones who were deceiving the people into a false feeling of security. Out oftheir own hearts means that these false prophets were not inspired of the Lord but were speaking their personal thoughts. They were to be called upon to cease issuing this unauthorized manner of statements and to hear the word of God.

Verse 3

Eze 13:3. Having seen nothing means they had not received any vision from the Lord, but were devising theIR own foolish predictions.

Verse 4

Eze 13:4. The fox Is a destructive creature (See Son 2:15) instead of a helpful one, and these false prophets were compared to them.

Verse 5

Eze 13:5. These prophets should have been concerned about the conflict threatening their city, even as a true husbandman would be, concerning the gaps he discovered in the hedge surrounding his vineyard. Instead, they not only were indifferent about the city's danger, but were even denying that there were any “gaps” to be closed,

Verse 6

Eze 13:6. The false prophets were not given any message from the Lord, but professed to have seen visions of the lot awaiting their city. Seen vanity means the things they professed were useless and lying divination denotes a deceptive form of speech. The sin of these false prophets was made worse by their claiming to have been inspired by the Lord. Such a claim would make Him contradict himself, for he had led Ezekiel to prophesy the near downfall of Jerusalem, and now' these men claimed to have been inspired to say It was not coming soon if at all.

Verse 7

Eze 13:7. The centra! thought in this verse is to call attention to the inconsistency of the false prophets. That error is described by the comments in connection with the prophet’s statements in the preceding verse.

Verse 8

Eze 13:8. Seen lies does not mean they had seen the lies of others, for that kind of action would have been to their credit. The passage denotes that the false prophets were lying as to what they professed to have seen.

Verse 9

Eze 13:9. Divine lies. The first word is from qacam which Strong defines, "A primitive root; properly to distribute, i.e. determine by lot. or magical scroll; by implication to divine." It refers to some form of trickery by which these false prophets confused the people and caused them to believe the lies. Not be in the assembly denotes that such men would not be recognized in any of the affairs of the nation. And when the period of the captivity is over and the “remnant'’ comes back, these deceivers will not be among them, for they will have perished in the exile.

Verse 10

Eze 13:10. This verse is figurative and refers to the general attitude of confidence that was shown by the people in Jerusalem. That condition of “peace” was the wall and the mortar was the lies of the preceding verse. Untempered is from TAPHEL which Strong defines, "To smear: plaster tas gummy) or slime; (figurative) frivolity.” A smeary or pasty material would not make a strong protection for a wall, hence it was a fitting comparison for the useless lies by which the false prophets had built up the ''wall" of confidence In the minds of the people.

Verse 11

Eze 13:11. The purpose of daubing a wall was to form a coating to protect it from the effects of the weather. In keeping with the figurative description adopted in the preceding verse, the Lord declared that the weak mortar would be penetrated by the storm of overflowing shower and hailstones and wind. These figures had reference to the military storming of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army (2Ki 25:1-4),

Verse 12

Eze 13:12. A flimsy covering over a wall might look as well as the best, but when the wail collapses the deceptive nature of tbe plaster will be exposed.

Verse 13

Eze 13:13. This is a repetition of the thoughts in verse 11.

Verse 14

Eze 13:14. Foundation is defined in tbe lexicon as being figurative or literal, and its use here is the former. The chief motive for the great demonstration is again repeated; it is that all may be convinced that I am the Lord,

Verse 15

Eze 13:15. The verses are still on tbe subject of tbe downfall of Jerusalem that was due to occur soon, but it is also continued in figurative language; the untempered mortar meaning the false predictions, and they that daubed it the lying prophets.

Verse 16

Eze 13:16. This verse is the Lord’s own interpretation of the figurative terms that were used in the preceding ones. A “calamity howler” is an undesirable person, yet he may not do as much harm as one who sees visions of peace when in reality a serious disaster is threatened. Such a character will lull the people into a false sense of security and hence they will not make the preparation necessary to meet it.

Verse 17

Eze 13:17. Set thy face against denotes that Ezekiel was to manifest bis personal disapproval of the way tbe people were taking up with tbe delusions being preached.

Verse 18

Eze 13:18. All unusual or figurative language must be interpreted in the light of known facts. Armholes is rendered "elbows” in the margin and the lexicon agrees with it, for the original means a joint of the arm or band. (See the comments at Jer 38:12.) Kerchiefs is rendered “veil” in the lexicon and refers to some kind of covering for the head that would enclose the wearer in a state of mystery. The thought of the verse is on the false peace that had been given the citizens of Jerusalem by tbe lying prophets. A pillow attached to tiie elbow would suggest a position of rest and ease while lying around, and that was a symbol of the state of contentment that was created in the minds of the victims. The women cooperated with the false prophets by making the pillows.

Verse 19

Eze 13:19. This whole verse is in the form of a question, but it is really an accusation of the Lord against the false prophets and other leaders. They were taking advantage of the (rusting people for the sake of their own personal gain.

Verse 20

Eze 13:20. See the comments at verse 18 on the meaning of pillows. Fly is defined in the lexicon as denoting the rising of a bird, having been stirred up by some apparent cause of interest. But it was a case where the person makiug the appearance did so in order to get the fowl entangled in a net spread unseen to it. I will tear them, means that the Lord was going to expose the deception that the false prophets had imposed upon the people and make its true nature manifest.

Verse 21

Eze 13:21. The kerchiefs or mystic veils wrere to be torn off. which also means the Lord would penetrate the shroud of deception that had been spread over the dupes.

Verse 22

Eze 13:22. In all situations there will be some righteous persons who try to resist the influence of false teachers. Such persons will anger the would-be deceiver and it will cause him to threaten some severe calamity to come upon them and in this way make their heart sad. But the wicked ones who deserve to be condemned will be encouraged by the false prophets to look for peace, and this will influence them to feel that nothing is wrong with their conduct and the result will be that they will not reform. (See the note at 2Ki 22:17, volume 2 of this Commentary.)

Verse 23

Eze 13:23. Shall see no more vanity means that an end was to be made of their vain (empty or false) predictions. Divine is a verb and the phrase means they would not be permitted to deliver any more divinations or false visions.