Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Ezekiel 13:15

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Condemnation of false prophets (13:1-23)

False prophets were a constant danger, both those in Jerusalem and those among the exiles in Babylon. They were bad guides, spiritually and morally, because they proclaimed only what they themselves wanted. They had no knowledge of the mind of God (13:1-3). Judah was falling into ruins, but the false prophets, instead of helping to repair and strengthen the nation, cunningly exploited the situation for their own benefit. They were like foxes digging holes around the city wall and so helping its ruin. They should have been like builders trying to strengthen the wall so that it would not crumble (4-7).
Ezekiel announced God’s certain punishment on the false prophets. They would lose, to begin with, their place of honour in society, then their citizenship, and finally their right to live in God’s land (8-9).
If these preachers had been true prophets, they would have destroyed the people’s mistaken hopes of peace and security. Instead they encouraged them. In Ezekiel’s illustration they white-washed an insecure wall to cover the cracks, whereas they should have demolished it. God announced that he would send a storm of rain, hail and wind, and the wall would collapse, burying the false prophets beneath it. They would perish along with the nation (10-16).
Among the false prophets were a number of women, who helped the decay of the nation by practising witchcraft. They used magic wristbands and veils in their weird rituals, casting deadly spells over their innocent victims, while protecting the evil people who consulted them (17-19). By their strange powers these witches disheartened the righteous and encouraged the wicked. God declared that he would now destroy their powers and release those whom they kept in bondage (20-23).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying Peace, and there is no peace; and when one buildeth up a wall, behold, they daub it with untempered mortar. Say unto them that daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall; there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye daubed it? Therefore, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my wrath; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in wrath to consume it. So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be uncovered; and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar; and I will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; to wit, the prophets of Israel that prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and that see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord Jehovah."

THE SECOND DENUNCIATION OF FALSE PROPHETS

The utter lack of integrity among the false prophets is here illustrated by the work of a foolish, incompetent builder who uses worthless mortar in the construction of a wall. We do not know exactly what the "untempered mortar" actually was, but it makes no difference. Whatever it was, it was worthless, and the first shower totally ruined it; but God promised them that it would be no ordinary shower at all, but an "overflowing one" in God's anger, with great hailstones and a tornadic wind. Their wall would fall… fall… fall… come down to the ground... be consumed… its foundation uncovered… and even. the builders of it consumed with it!

This is not a reference to any literal wall, but to the rotten, worthless, and unbelieving "prophecies" these sinful men were preaching in place of the true Word of God; and we must add that there is today, in our society, a lot of daubing going on with the same kind of untempered mortar! Keil identified the daubing with untempered mortar as, "A figurative description of deceitful flattery and hypocrisy, the covering up of inward corruption with outward appearances, as in Matthew 23:27, and Acts 23:3."Carl Friedrich Keil, Keil-Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 168.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

If the inveterate obstinacy of the people had not been known to us, Ezekiel would seem too verbose, since he might have said in a few words what he explains at such length. But if we bear in mind the perverse and refractory disposition of the people, we shall find that there was need of such continual repetition, I will fulfill, says he, my burning wrath upon the wall; that is, I will show how detestable and destructive to my people was this doctrine. Hence God fined up his anger on the wall, when he reduced to nothing all the lies of the false prophets: afterwards also he attacked them, since the mark of disgrace was attached to their characters, and this rendered their doctrine detestable: afterwards, says he, I will say, There is no wall; those who daubed it are not. When God speaks thus, he means that he will suffer the false prophets to triumph among the people for only a short time. For even to the destruction of the city and temple they always withstood God’s servants with a bold forehead, as if they would thrust their horns against God and his announcements. Let us observe, then, that while Jerusalem was standing, the appearance of a wall existed; for there was the prop of false doctrine, and the people fed willingly on such deceits. Their daubing, therefore, stood till it vanished with the ruin of the city, and then their vanity was proved, for God took vengeance on these insolent triflers. It follows —

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 13

The word of the LORD came unto me saying, Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say unto them that prophesy is out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! ( Ezekiel 13:1-3 )

They're following their own imaginations; they have really seen nothing from God. They are proclaiming their own visions, their own ideas.

O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts. Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither have you made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. [They have not helped Israel, they have not stood in these gaps.] They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word ( Ezekiel 13:4-6 ).

So here were these false prophets going around. They had not really heard from the Lord, but they were saying, "Well, the Lord says," "Well the Holy Spirit told me," or, "The Holy Spirit showed me," or, "God has shown to me." And then they go around seeking for others to confirm their words.

Now, the tragedy of the church is that there are false teachers and false prophets in the church today doing the same thing. Speaking in the name of the Lord when God hasn't spoken. Saying, "Oh, the Lord says," or, "The Holy Spirit showed me," when they are talking out of their own spirits and their own hearts. Jesus warns about these men. He said, "They are wolves in sheep's clothing. Beware of these false prophets." Paul warned over and over again against these false prophets that were going around deceiving the people, speaking in the name of the Lord. Peter warns against them in a very heavy indictment, as does the little book of Jude. These men who speak in the name of the Lord have been the curse of the church from the beginning, but they've always existed. Clear back into this Old Testament period, there were those false prophets. And God spoke out against them in Jeremiah; God spoke out against them through Isaiah; and God is now speaking out against them here in Ezekiel. They have not really helped the people; they've hurt the people.

Have ye not seen a vain vision, you've spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit [God says,] I haven't spoken? Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and you've seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD ( Ezekiel 13:7-8 ).

That's heavy. God just doesn't like you speaking in His name your own ideas, your own thoughts. "Well, the Lord showed me..." I had a fellow one day that was one of those, "The Lord told me" kind, you know. And the Lord told him to go out into the desert and he went out there and the Lord told him this and the Lord told him that, and the Lord told him this, and you know. And he lost all his money, and he lost all this and he got sunburned and dehydrated and everything else, and, "Why would God do that to me? Why would God...?" And it was obvious that the guy was nuts, you know, that God didn't speak to him. If God had told him to do all these things then it wouldn't have, you know, messed up; it wouldn't have ended in a calamity. And then he wants to blame God for all of the misery that he went through. "Well, the Lord told me this." I said, "Well, if the Lord told you to do all those things, then why are you asking me why the Lord would do something? Ask Him if He tells you all that stuff. The Lord didn't tell you to come to me, because I don't have any sympathy for you." But I get tired. How can you argue when a person says, "Well, the Lord told me to do it"? Well then, what can you say? You say, "Oh, man, you're nuts. The Lord didn't tell you that." But, you know, you don't want to say that to a person. But, they don't leave you anywhere to go. We need to be careful about that; "Thus saith the Lord," or, "The Lord said," or you know, "The Lord told me." We've got to be careful about that. I think that we use that much too loosely. God doesn't like that, speaking in His name when He hasn't spoken. And God said, "I'm against you. You that say, 'The Lord saith,' when I haven't spoken."

And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people ( Ezekiel 13:9 ),

Ho,ho,ho, boy, that is heavy duty. When God's people are assembled together in that heavenly scene, these guys aren't going to be there.

neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD. Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built the wall, and, lo, others came along and daubed it with untempered mortar ( Ezekiel 13:9-10 ):

So they built a wall and other guys come along and they daub it with untempered mortar, and thus, it has no strength. It's going to fall in the day of battle. But notice what they were saying. And Jeremiah was saying, rebuking, saying... it was God said through Jeremiah, "Scarcely have you healed the hurt of my daughter Israel, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace." Oh, but they were making positive confessions, weren't they? Well, you don't want to say war and desolation, that's terrible, you know. That'll happen to you if you say that. Make a positive confession. Oh, but God says that positive confession is a lie. It's not going to do you any good to go around saying, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace, saith the Lord. And God really rebuked them for those positive confessions, because God had not promised peace and it was hurting the people. They were denying the truth; they were trying to escape the truth and denying the truth. They were actually lying when they were saying, "Peace, peace," and there is no peace. So, they're building a wall that is not going to stand, because one guy will say it and another will come along and confirm it, "Oh yes, thus saith the Lord. The Lord showed me the same thing, brother. Oh hallelujah." Untempered mortar.

Say unto them that are daubing it with that untempered mortar, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it. Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it [where are those prophesies that you gave us]? Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even tear it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in my anger, and great hailstones fury to consume it. So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD ( Ezekiel 13:11-14 ).

That phrase over and over and over again, sixty-two times in this book, "And ye shall know when I bring My judgments, when I bring My word, when My word comes to pass," and that, of course, is the purpose of prophecy. Is when the prophecy comes to pass that ye shall know that He is the Lord. That it is God who has spoken and that God can speak of things before they happen. And sixty-two times God spoke and spoke of when it was fulfilled, "ye will know that I am the Lord."

Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD. Likewise, thou son of man [talking to Ezekiel], set your face against these daughters of your people, which are prophesying out of their own heart; and prophesy against them ( Ezekiel 13:15-17 ),

Now, there were these gals there in Jerusalem also who took the title of a prophetess and they were prophesying out of their own hearts.

And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the women that are sewing pillows to all the armholes, and making kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you? ( Ezekiel 13:18 )

Now it sounds like they are in some kind of witchcraft, occultist kind of practice, in the sewing of these pillows onto the armholes and putting these little bonnets on, that is for every size of head, every stature, so for every size head they were making little bonnets that they could wear.

Will you pollute me among my people for hands full of barley ( Ezekiel 13:19 )

In other words, they were divining for anything, you know, "Give me a handful of barley and give me your wheat and I'll tell you your fortune, ya know. Cross my palm with a dollar, deary, and I'll a tell you what's going to come, you know." And so, God is speaking out against them.

who pollute me among the people for a hand full of barley or piece of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies? ( Ezekiel 13:19 )

Now, they were slaying the souls by telling them, "Hey, things are going to be all right. You've got a bright future. There's going to be a handsome man that's going to come into your life and you're going to live happily ever after." And these people were not listening to the word of God and the warnings of God because of the comfort that they were receiving.

Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that hunt to make them fly ( Ezekiel 13:20 ).

Seems like they were probably into setting up curses, you know, against people, going into these little incantations, putting pins in the dolls, and this kind of thing, in trying to create a fear in the minds of the people, "Oh, they put a hex on me."

Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad ( Ezekiel 13:21-22 ),

And, of course, the righteous people, when they see this kind of junk it hurts. You think, "Oh God, you know, how long You going to let them go?

whom I have not made sad; and you've strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life ( Ezekiel 13:22 );

You're comforting those that are dying in their wickedness, and because of the comfort you are giving they are not repenting; they are not turning away from it. It's much like many of those ministers today who stand in the pulpits and say, "There's no hell, you don't have to worry. Every day and in every way the world is getting better and better and better. We're on the verge of the glorious millennium, the glorious age is about to be ushered in." And people are attracted. And it's interesting to me that in this religious science and spiritism and so forth, that most of the practitioners are women. Did you ever notice that? In this theosophy, religious science and all of these metaphysical type of things, most of them teaching and all are women. And so the Lord really has a word against them here.

Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD ( Ezekiel 13:23 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Condemnation of the male false prophets 13:1-16

Ezekiel first confronted the male false prophets, and then he explained the reasons that God would judge them.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The reasons for their judgment 13:8-16

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The Lord would destroy both the people’s homes, or the false vision of the future that these prophets painted, as well as the prophets themselves, those who promised peace to Jerusalem when no peace was coming (cf. Matthew 18:7).

"It is a common failing for preachers to want to speak pleasing and appeasing words to their people, but if they are to be true to their calling they must be sure to receive and to impart nothing but God’s clear word, irrespective of the consequences. When church leaders encourage their people in sub-Christian standards or unbiblical ways they make themselves doubly guilty." [Note: Taylor, p. 122.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall,.... Or upon the city, as the Targum; pour out all his indignation, and inflict just punishment upon the city of Jerusalem and its inhabitants:

and upon them that have daubed it with untempered [mortar]; the false prophets: so the Targum,

"and the false prophets that prophesy in it false prophecies:''

and will say unto you, the wall [is] no [more], neither they that daubed it; neither the city of Jerusalem, nor the prophets that prophesied of its safety; nor their false prophecies; nor the vain hopes of the people they fed them with: so the Targum,

"there is no city, nor false prophets.''

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar:   11 Say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.   12 Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?   13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it.   14 So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.   15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it;   16 To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD.

      We have here more plain dealing with the false prophets, and some further articles of their doom. We have seen the people made ashamed of the false prophets (though sometimes they had been fond of them) and casting them away, as they shall do their false gods, with indignation; now here we find them as much ashamed of their false prophecies, which they had sometimes depended upon with much assurance. Observe,

      I. How the people are deceived by the false prophets. Those flatterers seduce them, saying, Peace, and there was no peace,Ezekiel 13:10; Ezekiel 13:10. They pretended to have seen visions of peace,Ezekiel 13:16; Ezekiel 13:16. But that could not be, for there was no peace, saith the Lord God. There was no prosperity designed for them, and therefore there could be no ground for their security; yet they told them that God was at peace with them, and had mercy in reserve for them, and that the war they were engaged in with the Chaldeans should soon end in an honourable peace, and their land should enjoy a happy repose and tranquillity. They told the idolaters and other sinners that there was neither harm nor danger in the way they were in. Thus they seduced God's people; they put a cheat upon them, led them into mistakes, and drew them aside out of that way of repentance and reformation which the other prophets were endeavouring to bring them into. Note, Those are the most dangerous seducers who suggest to sinners that which tends to lessen their dread of sin and their fear of God. Now this is compared to the building of a slight rotten wall, or, according to our Saviour's similitude, which is to the same purport with this (Matthew 7:26), the building of a house upon the sand, which seems to be a shelter and protection for a while, but will fall when a storm comes. One false prophet built the wall, set up the notion that God was not at all displeased with Jerusalem, but that the city should be confirmed in its flourishing state, and be victorious over the powers that now threatened it. This notion was very pleasing, and he that started it made himself very acceptable by it and was caressed by every body, which invited others to say the same. They made the matter look yet more plausible and promising; they daubed the wall, which the first had built, but it was with untempered mortar, sorry stuff, that will not bind nor hold the bricks together; they had no ground for what they said, nor had it any consistency with itself, but was like ropes of sand. They did not strengthen the wall, were in no care to make it firm, to see that they went upon sure grounds; they only daubed it to hide the cracks and make it look well to the eye. And the wall thus built, when it comes to any stress, much more to any distress, will bulge and totter, and come down by degrees. Note, Doctrines that are groundless, though ever so grateful, that are not built upon a scripture foundation nor fastened with a scripture cement, though ever so plausible, ever so pleasing, are not of any worth, nor will stand men in any stead; and those hopes of peace and happiness which are not warranted by the word of God will but cheat men, like a wall that is well daubed indeed, but ill-built.

      II. How they will be soon undeceived by the judgment of God, which, we are sure, is according to truth. 1. God will in anger bring a terrible storm that shall beat fiercely and furiously upon the wall. The descent which the Chaldean army shall make upon Judah, and the siege which they shall lay to Jerusalem, will be as an overflowing shower, or inundation (such as Solomon calls a sweeping rain that leaves no food,Proverbs 28:3), will bear down all before it, as the deluge did in Noah's time: You, O great hailstones! shall fall, the artillery of heaven, every hailstone like a cannon-ball, battering this wall, and with these a stormy wind, which is sometimes so strong as to rend the rocks (1 Kings 19:11), much more an ill-built wall, Ezekiel 13:11; Ezekiel 13:11. But that which makes this rain, and hail, and wind, most terrible is that they arise from the wrath of God, and are enforced by that; it is that which sends them; it is that which gives them the setting on (Ezekiel 13:13; Ezekiel 13:13); it is a stormy wind in my fury, and an overflowing shower in my anger, and great hailstones in my fury. The fury of Nebuchadnezzar and his princes, who highly resented Zedekiah's treachery, made the invasion very formidable, but that was nothing in comparison with God's displeasure. The staff in their hand is my indignation,Isaiah 10:5. Note, An angry God has winds and storms at command wherewith to alarm secure sinners; and his wrath makes them frightful and forcible indeed; for who can stand before him when he is angry? 2. This storm shall overturn the wall: it shall fall, and the wind shall rend it (Ezekiel 13:11; Ezekiel 13:11), the hailstones shall consume it (Ezekiel 13:13; Ezekiel 13:13); I will break it down (Ezekiel 13:14; Ezekiel 13:14) and bring it to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered; it will appear how false, how rotten it was, to the prophetical reproach of the builders. When the Chaldean army has made Judah and Jerusalem desolate then this credit of the prophets, and the hopes of the people, will both sink together; the former will be found false in flattering the people and the latter foolish in suffering themselves to be imposed upon by them, and so exposed to so much the greater confusion, when the judgment shall surprise them in their security. Note, Whatever men think to shelter themselves with against the judgments of God, while they continue unreformed, will prove but a refuge of lies and will not profit them in the day of wrath. See Isaiah 28:17. Men's anger cannot shake that which God has built (for the blast of the terrible ones is but as a storm against the wall, which makes a great noise, but never stirs the wall; see Isaiah 25:4), but God's anger will overthrow that which men have built in opposition to him. They and all their attempts, they and all the securities wherein they intrench themselves, shall be as a bowing wall and as a tottering fence (Psalms 62:3; Psalms 62:10); and when their vain predictions are disproved, and their vain expectations disappointed, then it will be discovered that there was no ground for either, Habakkuk 3:13. The day will declare what every man's work is, and the fire will try it, 1 Corinthians 3:13. 3. The builders of the wall, and those that daubed it, will themselves be buried in the ruins of it: It shall fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst thereof,Ezekiel 13:14; Ezekiel 13:14. And thus the threatenings of God's wrath, and all the just intentions of it, shall be accomplished to the uttermost, both upon the wall and upon those that have daubed it,Ezekiel 13:15; Ezekiel 13:15. The same judgments that will prove the false prophets to be false will punish them for their falsehood; and they themselves shall be involved in the calamity which they made the people believe there was no danger of, and become monuments of that justice which they bade defiance to. Thus, if the blind lead the blind, both the blind leaders and the blind followers will fall together into the ditch. Note, Those that deceive others will in the end prove to have deceived themselves; and no doom will be more fearful than that of unfaithful ministers, that flattered sinners in their sins. 4. Both the deceivers and the deceived, when they thus perish together, will justly be ridiculed and triumphed over (Ezekiel 13:12; Ezekiel 13:12): When the wall has fallen shall it not be said unto you, by those that gave credit to the true prophets, and feared the word of the Lord, "Now where is the daubing wherewith you have daubed the wall? What has become of all the fine soft words and fair promises wherewith you flattered your wicked neighbours, and all the assurances you gave them that the troubles of the nation should soon be at an end?" The righteous shall laugh at them, the righteous God shall, righteous men shall, saying, Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength,Psalms 52:6; Psalms 52:7. I also will laugh at your calamity,Proverbs 1:26. They will say unto you (Ezekiel 13:15; Ezekiel 13:15), "The wall is no more, neither he that daubed it; your hopes have vanished, and those that supported them, even the prophets of Israel," Ezekiel 13:16; Ezekiel 13:16. Note, Those that usurp the honours that do not belong to them will shortly be filled with the shame that does.