Ezekiel 13:1

2. The Prophet's Utterances. a. AGAINST THE JEWS,...Ezekiel 4-24. The Utterances Against The Jews are divisible into those against Jerusalem — the Mountain and Land of Israel — the King — the False Prophets — the Elders of the People, with various repetitions, under different images. Section 1. The Emblem of the Siege upon the Tile, Ezekiel 4:1-3 — that of Lying on the right and left side, Ezekiel 4:4-8 — that of Taking Food by Measure, Ezekiel 4:9-12 The Explanation, Ezekiel 4:13-17 Section 2. The Emblem of the Razor, Ezekiel 4:1-4 The Explanation, Ezekiel 5:5-17 Section 3. Against the Mountains of Israel, Ezekiel 6:1-15 Section 4. Against the Land of Israel, Ezekiel 7:1-27 Section 5. The Vision of the Image of Jealousy, Ezekiel 8:1-11 The Chamber of Imagery, Ezekiel 8:12-16 The Explanation, Ezekiel 8:17, 18 Section 6. The Vision of the man with the slaughter weapon, Ezekiel 9:1-11 Section 7. The Vision of the Cherubim — their description and their motions, Ezekiel 10:1-22 Section 8. The Emblems of the Caldron and the Flesh, and its application to Jerusalem, Ezekiel 11:1-25 Section 9. The Emblem of the Prophet's removing his Goods, and its Interpretation, Ezekiel 12:1-16 Section 10. The flattering Proverb of Israel rebuked, Ezekiel 12:1 7-28 Section 11. The Utterance against the False Prophets, boot male and female, Ezekiel 13:1-23 Section 12. Against the Elders of the People, Ezekiel 14:1-23 Section 13. Tim Emblem of the Vine used for Fuel, Ezekiel 15:1-8 Section 14.

13:1-9 Where God gives a warrant to do any thing, he gives wisdom. What they delivered was not what they had seen or heard, as that is which the ministers of Christ deliver. They were not praying prophets, had no intercourse with Heaven; they contrived how to please people, not how to do them good; they stood not against sin. They flattered people into vain hopes. Such widen the breach, by causing men to think themselves deserving of eternal life, when the wrath of God abides upon them.

Verse 1. - Another interval follows, and then a fresh and fuller burst of inspiration, manifestly in close connection with Ezekiel 12:21-28 , and to be read in combination with Jeremiah 23 , which, as Jeremiah was in communication with the exiles ( Jeremiah 29:1 ), Ezekiel may probably have seen. There were false prophets and prophetesses among the exiles as well as in Jerusalem, and an utterance is now found for his long pent up indignation. Ezekiel 13:1

1–9 . The lying prophets are like foxes among the ruins (1) Ezekiel 13:1-3 . The inspiration of these prophets is not from the spirit of God but from their own heart. (2) Ezekiel 13:4-5 . Consequently so far as the state was concerned they were like foxes among the ruins; they burrowed among these and only helped to bring down what might still be standing. (3) Ezekiel 13:6-7 . They deceived the people, and were self-deceived. They prophesied lies, and looked that God would establish their lies. (4) Ezekiel 13:8-9 . Therefore destruction shall overtake them. The people of the Lord, when the day of chastisement has passed, shall be again a people in their own land, but the names of these prophets shall not be found among them.

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.False prophets reproved, and their daubing with untempered mortar, Ezekiel 13:1-16. The prophetesses also reproved with their impostures under the title of pillows and kerchiefs, Ezekiel 13:17-23. This first verse is the commission, by virtue whereof Ezekiel acteth as a prophet, and it is in the usual style near forty times in Ezekiel.

Against the False Prophets Their conduct. - Ezekiel 13:1. And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Ezekiel 13:2. Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to the prophets out of their heart, Hear ye the word of Jehovah. Ezekiel 13:3. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Woe upon the foolish prophets, who go after their spirit, and that which they have not seen! Ezekiel 13:4. Like foxes in ruins have thy prophets become, O Israel. Ezekiel 13:5. Ye do not stand before the breaches, nor wall up the wall around the house of Israel to stand firm in the battle on the day of Jehovah. Ezekiel 13:6. They see vanity and lying soothsaying, who say, "Oracle of Jehovah;" and Jehovah hath not sent them; so that they might hope for the fulfilment of the word. Ezekiel 13:7. Do ye not see vain visions, and speak lying soothsaying, and say, Oracle of Jehovah; and I have not spoken? - The addition הנּבּאים, "who prophesy," is not superfluous. Ezekiel is not to direct his words against the prophets as a body, but against those who follow the vocation of prophet in Israel without being called to it by God on receiving a divine revelation, but simply prophesying out of their own heart, or according to their own subjective imagination.

In the name of the Lord he is to threaten them with woes, as fools who follow their own spirit; in connection with which we must bear in mind that folly, according to the Hebrew idea, was not merely a moral failing, but actual godlessness (cf. Psalm 14:1). The phrase "going after their spirit" is interpreted and rendered more emphatic by לבלתּי, which is to be taken as a relative clause, "that which they have not seen," i.e., whose prophesying does not rest upon intuition inspired by God. Consequently they cannot promote the welfare of the nation, but (Ezekiel 13:4) are like foxes in ruins or desolate places. The point of comparison is to be found in the undermining of the ground by foxes, qui per cuniculos subjectam terram excavant et suffodiunt (Bochart). For the thought it not exhausted by the circumstance that they withdraw to their holes instead of standing in front of the breach (Hitzig); and there is no force in the objection that, with this explanation, בּחרבות is passed over and becomes in fact tautological (Hvernick). The expression "in ruins" points to the fall of the theocracy, which the false prophets cannot prevent, but, on the contrary, accelerate by undermining the moral foundations of the state. For (Ezekiel 13:5) they do not stand in the breaches, and do not build up the wall around the house of Israel (לא belongs to both clauses). He who desires to keep off the enemy, and prevent his entering the fortress, will stand in the breach.