Condemnation of False Prophets and Diviners
Ezekiel 13:1-23
Eze.13.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
Parallels
- Jeremiah 1:4 (verbal): Uses the identical prophetic formula 'The word of the LORD came to me, saying,' introducing Jeremiah's call and messages — a direct verbal parallel to Ezekiel's opening.
- 2 Samuel 7:4 (structural): 'And it came to pass that night the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying...' — same introductory formula introducing a divine oracle to a prophet (Nathan), paralleling Ezekiel's use of the formula to present a LORD-sent message.
- Ezekiel 2:1 (structural): Within the same book the narrative moves from 'the word of the LORD' into a prophetic address/commission ('And he said unto me, Son of man...'), showing the same structural pattern of receiving and transmitting Yahweh's message.
- Amos 7:15 (verbal): Amos recounts his commissioning with the LORD's direct command ('The LORD took me... and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy...'), reflecting the same concise divine-introduction formula and the theme of prophetic calling evident in Ezek. 13:1.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
- And the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Eze.13.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנבא: VERB,hitp,imp,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- נביאי: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנבאים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ואמרת: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- לנביאי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- מלבם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+SUFF,3,m,pl
- שמעו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 23:25-28 (verbal): Directly parallels Ezekiel's charge — Jeremiah accuses prophets of speaking from their own hearts and dreams, using similar language to expose false prophecy.
- Jeremiah 23:16-17 (thematic): Denounces prophets who mislead Israel with false visions and flattering words, matching Ezekiel's condemnation of prophets not speaking Yahweh's word.
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (structural): Provides the legal/test framework for identifying false prophets (if their word does not come to pass), which underlies prophetic critiques like Ezekiel's.
- Micah 3:5-7 (thematic): Condemns prophets who prophesy for reward and give misleading or reassuring messages — thematically parallel to Ezekiel's rebuke of prophets prophesying from their own hearts.
- 1 Kings 22:6-28 (esp. v.23) (thematic): Narrative example of false prophecy and a 'lying spirit' sent through prophets to deceive — illustrates the real-world harm Ezekiel attributes to self-originated prophecy.
Alternative generated candidates
- Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, 'Hear the word of the LORD.'
- Son of man, prophesy to the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts, "Hear the word of the LORD."
Eze.13.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- הוי: INTJ
- על: PREP
- הנביאים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- הנבלים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- הלכים: VERB,qal,ptc,.,m,pl
- אחר: PREP
- רוחם: NOUN,f,sg,abs+3mp
- ולבלתי: CONJ+PART,inf+neg
- ראו: VERB,qal,impv,2,pl
Parallels
- Jeremiah 14:14 (verbal): God condemns prophets who 'prophesy lies' that He did not send—close verbal and theological parallel to Ezek.13:3's rebuke of prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing.
- Jeremiah 23:25-27 (thematic): Jeremiah criticizes prophets who speak from their own hearts and entertain the people with false visions—a sustained thematic critique of false prophets like Ezekiel's.
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (structural): Sets the criterion for identifying false prophets (presuming to speak in God's name and being proven false), providing the legal/rule-of-faith background for Ezekiel's condemnation.
- Micah 3:5-7 (thematic): Speaks against prophets who give misleading assurances and visions for gain; parallels Ezekiel's charge that such prophets follow their own spirit and deceive the people.
- Zechariah 10:2 (verbal): Speaks of diviners and prophets giving 'visions of lies' and leading the people astray—language and motif echoing Ezekiel's denunciation of prophets who 'have seen nothing.'
Alternative generated candidates
- Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the worthless prophets who follow their own spirit and have not seen.
- Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the worthless prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing.
Eze.13.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כשעלים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בחרבות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- נביאיך: NOUN,m,pl,abs+2ms
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- היו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Ezekiel 13:2-3 (structural): Immediate context: a direct rebuke of the prophets of Israel for prophesying falsely — sets the same theme and target as v.4.
- Jeremiah 23:16-17 (thematic): Condemns prophets who speak visions of their own heart rather than God’s word and who lead people astray — parallels Ezekiel’s denunciation of deceptive prophecy.
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (structural): Gives the law for identifying and punishing false prophets (prophecies that do not come true), providing the legal/theological background for prophetic judgment.
- Zechariah 13:2-3 (allusion): Predicts purging of false prophets and the shame/fate of prophetic deceivers — echoes Ezekiel’s theme of divine judgment on false prophecy.
- Matthew 7:15 (thematic): New Testament warning to beware of false prophets who mislead the people, reflecting the ongoing biblical concern with distinguishing true from false prophecy.
Alternative generated candidates
- Your prophets in Israel were like leaves before the sword.
- Like foxes among ruins were your prophets, O Israel.
Eze.13.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לא: PART_NEG
- עליתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,pl
- בפרצות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ותגדרו: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- גדר: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לעמד: VERB,qal,inf
- במלחמה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ביום: PREP
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezekiel 22:30 (verbal): Uses the same imagery/phrase of standing 'in the gap' or making a hedge for the land—direct verbal and thematic parallel about failing to interpose protection for the people.
- Ezekiel 33:7-9 (thematic): Develops the watchman motif: the prophet/watchman must warn the house of Israel so they can stand in the day of judgment; failure to warn brings culpability—same responsibility as failing to 'make a fence'.
- Jeremiah 6:17 (verbal): God appoints watchmen over Jerusalem ('Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet')—parallel language and role of appointed guardians whose failure to warn brings judgment.
- Isaiah 62:6-7 (thematic): God sets watchmen on the walls charged to keep vigil and intercede until restoration; parallels the expectation that protectors/watchmen actively secure and stand for the people.
Alternative generated candidates
- You did not go up into the breaches, nor build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in the day of battle in the day of the LORD.
- You did not go up into the breaches, nor did you build a wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle on the day of the LORD.
Eze.13.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- חזו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שוא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וקסם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כזב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האמרים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ויהוה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- שלחם: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg,obj:3,m,pl
- ויחלו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- לקים: PREP+VERB,qal,infc
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 23:25-32 (verbal): Condemns false prophets who report visions and say 'declares the LORD' when God has not sent them; language and charge closely parallel Ezekiel's denunciation of deceptive visions and bogus 'Thus says the LORD.'
- Jeremiah 14:14 (quotation): God declares that prophets prophesy lies in His name though He did not send them—directly parallels Ezekiel's accusation that prophets announce the LORD without commission.
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (thematic): Provides the criterion for identifying false prophets (speaking presumptuously in God's name; failed predictions), underpinning Ezekiel's judgment of those who give false 'visions.'
- Zechariah 10:2 (thematic): Speaks of diviners and dreamers who utter lies and give false comfort—thematically parallels Ezekiel's charge against those who 'see false visions' and practice divination.
- Ezekiel 22:28 (structural): Within Ezekiel's corpus: accuses leaders and prophets of prophesying falsely and having no knowledge—reinforces the book's sustained critique of unauthorized prophetic activity.
Alternative generated candidates
- They see falsehood and divination — the lying vision — and say, 'Declares the LORD,' though the LORD has not sent them; and they hope to make their words come true.
- They prophesy lies and divination, saying, "Thus says the LORD," when the LORD has not sent them; and they hope that their word may be established.
Eze.13.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הלוא: PART
- מחזה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שוא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חזיתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- ומקסם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כזב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אמרתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- ואמרים: CONJ+VERB,qal,ptc,-,m,pl
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- דברתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
Parallels
- Ezekiel 22:28 (verbal): Same prophetic context and similar language condemning 'seeing false visions and divining lies'—both passages denounce prophets who utter false oracles in God's name.
- Jeremiah 14:14 (verbal): God says prophets keep telling people 'The LORD says' though He did not send them—directly parallels Ezek.13:7's rebuke of falsely claiming 'Thus says the LORD.'
- Jeremiah 23:25-32 (thematic): A sustained denunciation of false prophets who claim divine revelation; includes the charge that they prophesy lies and say 'The LORD declares' when God has not spoken.
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (structural): Provides the legal/test criteria for identifying false prophets—if a prophet's prediction in the name of the LORD does not come to pass, he has not spoken from God—echoing the concern about false 'Thus says the LORD' claims.
- 1 Kings 22:21-23 (allusion): The Micaiah narrative depicts a lying spirit inspiring prophets to speak misleading 'Thus says the LORD' messages—illustrates how false oracles can be produced and misattributed to God.
Alternative generated candidates
- Have you not seen a false vision and practiced divination — you utter lies and say, 'Declares the LORD,' when I have not spoken?
- Have you seen a false vision and divination, saying, "The LORD says," when I have not spoken?
Eze.13.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לכן: ADV
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- יען: CONJ
- דברכם: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2mp
- שוא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וחזיתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- כזב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לכן: ADV
- הנני: PRT+PRON,1,sg
- אליכם: PREP+PRON,2,pl
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 23:16 (verbal): Jeremiah expressly condemns prophets who 'prophesy lies' and give false visions; diction and accusation of false speech/visions closely parallel Ezekiel's rebuke.
- Jeremiah 23:25-32 (thematic): God challenges prophets who claim visions and dreams he did not send and pronounces judgment on their lying messages—parallel charge against false seers in Ezekiel 13:8.
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (structural): The law sets criteria and consequence for a false prophet whose word does not come to pass; provides the legal/theological framework behind prophetic rejection like Ezekiel's condemnation.
- Micah 3:5-7 (thematic): Micah condemns prophets who offer deceptive visions and false comfort, predicting peace with fabricated revelations—themewise close to Ezekiel's denunciation of 'false visions' and lying speech.
- Matthew 7:15-20 (thematic): Jesus warns against false prophets and teaches discernment (by their fruits); echoes the prophetic tradition of rejecting deceptive prophets whose words are not from God, as in Ezekiel 13:8.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have spoken lies and seen false visions, therefore behold—I am against you, declares the Lord GOD.
- Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have spoken a false word and seen a lie, therefore behold, I am against you, says the Lord GOD.
Eze.13.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והיתה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- ידי: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- אל: NEG
- הנביאים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- החזים: PART,qal,ptc,m,pl,def
- שוא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והקסמים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,def
- כזב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בסוד: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עמי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1s
- לא: PART_NEG
- יהיו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ובכתב: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- יכתבו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- אדמת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- יבאו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- וידעתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezekiel 13:7-8 (structural): Immediate context: same denunciation of prophets who see false visions and their exclusion from the people and the land.
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (verbal): Legal criterion and penalty for a false prophet who speaks in God's name what He has not commanded—theme of distinguishing true and false prophecy.
- Jeremiah 23:25-32 (verbal): Direct polemic against prophets who invent visions and prophesy lies; God disowns their messages and pronounces judgment.
- Zechariah 13:2-3 (thematic): Promise of removing or purging false prophets from the land—similar outcome to Ezekiel's exclusion of lying seers.
- Matthew 7:15-20 (thematic): New Testament warning about false prophets and the need to judge them by their fruits—parallel concern with identifying and rejecting false prophecy.
Alternative generated candidates
- My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and practice divination, who say, 'Thus says the LORD,' when I did not send them; they shall not be in the council of my people, nor shall they be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they come into the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
- My hand shall be against the prophets who see false visions and practice divination; they shall not be in the council of my people, nor shall they be written in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
Eze.13.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יען: CONJ
- וביען: CONJ
- הטעו: VERB,hif,perf,3,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- עמי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1s
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- שלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- שלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והוא: CONJ+PRON,3,m,sg
- בנה: NOUN,m,sg,abs+SUFF,3,f,sg
- חיץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והנם: CONJ+DEM,3,m,pl
- טחים: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- תפל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 6:14 (verbal): Nearly identical wording: false teachers 'heal the hurt of my people lightly, saying,
Alternative generated candidates
- For because, indeed, because they have misled my people, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace — and one builds up a wall — behold, they have plastered it with untempered mortar.
- Because, even because, they have misled my people, saying, "Peace," when there is no peace; and one builds a wall—see, they have plastered it with untempered mortar.
Eze.13.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- טחי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- תפל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויפל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- גשם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שוטף: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ואתנה: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- אבני: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- אלגביש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תפלנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- ורוח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- סערות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- תבקע: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Exodus 9:23–25 (verbal): Description of heavy rain, thunder and hailstones as God’s judgment—language of hail and storm closely parallels the imagery of ‘hailstones’ and a ‘stormy wind’ in Ezekiel 13:11.
- Job 38:22–24 (thematic): God’s control over stores of snow, hail and storm is invoked—thematically echoes the motif of divine sovereign agency in producing destructive weather used for judgment.
- Psalm 78:47–48 (thematic): Speaks of God sending hail and destroying crops/trees as punishment on nations; parallels Ezekiel’s use of hail and tempest as instruments of divine judgment.
- Ezekiel 13:13 (structural): Immediate context in the same oracle against false prophets: continues the theme of collapse and ruin (houses/plasters failing) so the imagery of things ‘falling’ and being ‘broken’ connects tightly with v.11’s language.
Alternative generated candidates
- Say to those who plaster with untempered mortar, 'Falling, it will fall! Behold, a washing rain shall come, and hailstones shall be poured down, and a stormy wind shall break it.'
- Say to those who plaster with untempered mortar, "Falling it will fall! There will be a pouring rain, and behold, hailstones shall fall; and a stormwind shall burst it."
Eze.13.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והנה: ADV
- נפל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- הקיר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הלוא: PART
- יאמר: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- אליכם: PREP+PRON,2,pl
- איה: ADV,interr
- הטיח: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- טחתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
Parallels
- Ezekiel 13:10-11 (structural): Immediate context in the same chapter condemning prophets who 'whitewash' or plaster a wall with false assurances; these verses explain the deceit that leads to the wall's collapse.
- Jeremiah 6:14 (thematic): Denounces leaders who give false reassurance—'They have healed the wound of my people lightly'—paralleling Ezekiel's image of deceptive plastering that masks danger.
- Matthew 23:27 (thematic): Jesus' 'whitewashed tombs' image parallels the motif of outward covering that hides an inner corruption—like prophets plastering a wall to give false security.
- Jeremiah 28:15-17 (thematic): Narrative of the false prophet Hananiah whose confident pronouncements fail and bring judgment—comparable to Ezekiel's challenge ('Where is the plaster you plastered?') when false prophecy collapses.
Alternative generated candidates
- When the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, 'Where is the plaster with which you plastered?'
- And when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, 'Where is the plaster with which you plastered?'
Eze.13.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לכן: ADV
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ובקעתי: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- סערות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- בחמתי: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,ps1
- וגשם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שטף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- באפי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,suf,1,sg
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ואבני: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,cs
- אלגביש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בחמה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לכלה: VERB,qal,inf,_,_,_
Parallels
- Ezekiel 13:11 (structural): Immediate context: earlier in the chapter God threatens to break down the false prophets' 'wall' — v.11 announces the judgment that v.13 depicts with storm imagery.
- Nahum 1:3-6 (thematic): Divine judgment pictured as storm/wrath: God is slow to anger but powerful in wrath, rebuking sea, making a whirlwind and storm — parallels the tempest and destructive fury in Ezek.13:13.
- Psalm 18:8-15 (or 2 Samuel 22:8-16) (verbal): Uses similar language of thick clouds, tempest, hailstones, and God's furious blasting — poetic imagery of God executing judgment by storm and hail.
- Exodus 9:23-25 (thematic): Plague of hail as an instrument of God's wrath in judgment against Egypt; echoes the motif of hail and destructive storm as divine punishment.
- Isaiah 30:30-31 (thematic): Speaks of the LORD coming with thunder, earthquake and storm, giving hailstones as if of a mighty one — parallels Ezekiel's depiction of God's tempestuous fury and hail-like destruction.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: In my anger I will open the stormy wind; in my wrath there will be a pouring rain, and hailstones in my fury to consume.
- Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: In my wrath I will send a stormwind; in my anger there shall be a pouring rain, and in my fury hailstones to consume.
Eze.13.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והרסתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- הקיר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- טחתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- תפל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והגעתיהו: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg,+obj:3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ונגלה: VERB,niphal,impf,3,_,sg
- יסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,+3,m,sg
- ונפלה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- וכליתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- בתוכה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,fs
- וידעתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezekiel 13:12-13 (structural): Immediate context: God pronounces judgment on false prophets and the plastered wall, declaring He will act against them and bring down their deception—same scene and outcome as v.14.
- Ezekiel 22:28 (verbal): Uses the same image/verb of prophets 'plastering' (daubing) with untempered mortar—identical fraudulent construction metaphor for false prophecy.
- Psalm 11:3 (thematic): Speaks of destroyed foundations—parallel theme of a ruined foundation leading to collapse and exposure of danger/judgment.
- Matthew 7:26-27 (thematic): Jesus’ parable of the foolish builder whose house collapses when its foundation fails echoes the motif of doomed construction and sudden ruin in Ezekiel 13:14.
- Jeremiah 23:16 (thematic): Condemns false prophets who speak lies and lead people astray; like Ezekiel 13, Jeremiah connects false prophecy with divine judgment and exposure.
Alternative generated candidates
- I will overturn the wall that you plastered with untempered mortar and bring it down to the ground; its foundation shall be laid bare, and it shall fall; and you shall be consumed in the midst of it — and you shall know that I am the LORD.
- I will destroy the wall which you plastered with untempered mortar, and will bring it down to the ground so that its foundation is revealed; it shall fall, and you shall be consumed in its midst; and you shall know that I am the LORD.
Eze.13.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכליתי: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- חמתי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1s
- בקיר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובטחים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- תפל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- אין: PART,neg
- הקיר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- הטחים: ART+NOUN,m,pl,def
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
Parallels
- Isaiah 30:10 (thematic): Condemns those who demand ‘smooth’ or comforting prophecies rather than truth—parallels Ezekiel’s critique of false prophets offering deceptive security (the ruined wall/covering).
- Jeremiah 8:11 (thematic): ‘They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace’—similar rebuke of false assurances and superficial prophetic healing as in Ezekiel 13.15.
- Jeremiah 23:16 (thematic): ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets…prophesying dreams’—a direct prophetic denunciation of false prophecy like Ezekiel’s judgment against those who build worthless walls.
- Zechariah 13:2 (thematic): Speaks of removing false prophets and cleansing the land—parallels Ezekiel’s pronouncement that the prophets’ protection (wall/covering) will be stripped away.
- Deuteronomy 18:20 (structural): Establishes the principle that false prophets are to be held accountable (punishment for speaking in God’s name what He has not commanded), a legal-theological background to Ezekiel’s condemnation and removal of the prophets’ ‘wall.’
Alternative generated candidates
- I will pour out my indignation on the wall and on those who plastered it with untempered mortar; I will say to them, 'The wall is no more, and those who plastered it are gone.'
- I will accomplish my wrath upon the wall and upon those who plastered it with untempered mortar, and I will say to you, 'There is no wall, nor those who plastered it.'"
Eze.13.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נביאי: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנבאים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אל: NEG
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- והחזים: CONJ+VERB,qal,ptcp,3,m,pl
- לה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
- חזון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שלם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- שלם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 23:16 (verbal): Condemns prophets who 'prophesy out of their own heart' and produce visions not from the LORD—close verbal and thematic parallel to Ezekiel's indictment of false visions.
- Jeremiah 14:14 (quotation): God declares that prophets who prophesy lies in His name were not sent by Him—directly parallels Ezekiel's charge that the prophets speak visions when there is no true word from the LORD.
- Jeremiah 6:14 (thematic): Accuses leaders/prophets of saying 'Peace, peace' when there is no peace; echoes Ezekiel's rebuke of false assurances and deceptive visions.
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22 (structural): Gives the criterion for identifying false prophets (their words do not come to pass); provides the legal/testing framework behind prophetic critique found in Ezekiel 13.
- Ezekiel 13:6-9 (allusion): Immediate context within Ezekiel that develops the same theme—condemning prophets who see vain visions and plaster walls with untempered mortar—offers an internal parallel explaining Ezekiel 13:16's accusation.
Alternative generated candidates
- The prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem and see visions of peace for her when there is no peace — thus says the Lord GOD.
- The prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem and see visions of peace when there is no peace—yes, they see a complete vision though there is no completion, says the Lord GOD.
Eze.13.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואתה: CONJ+PRON,2,m,sg
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שים: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- פניך: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- בנות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- עמך: NOUN,m,sg,suff-2m
- המתנבאות: PART,hitpael,pres,f,pl,def
- מלבהן: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,suff+3,f,pl
- והנבא: CONJ+VERB,qal,imp,2,ms
- עליהן: PREP+PRON,3,pl,f
Parallels
- Ezekiel 13:2-3 (verbal): Same prophetic address ('son of man') and indictment against prophets/prophetesses who prophesy falsely to the people; continues the immediate context calling for denunciation.
- Ezekiel 13:18-23 (structural): Direct continuation that specifically condemns the prophetesses mentioned in 13:17, describing their deceptive practices and pronouncing judgment.
- Jeremiah 23:16-17 (verbal): Jeremiah rebukes prophets who 'speak visions of their own heart' and lead the people astray—language and charge closely parallel to Ezekiel's critique of inward, false prophecy.
- Zechariah 13:2-3 (allusion): Foretells removal of false prophets and declares that if a prophet still prophesies, God will set His face against him—echoes the theme of divine opposition to false seers and the formula 'set your/His face.'
- Revelation 2:20 (thematic): Jesus condemns a woman calling herself a prophetess (Jezebel) who misleads the church—a New Testament parallel to the problem of deceptive prophetesses leading God's people.
Alternative generated candidates
- And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy from their own hearts; prophesy against them.
- And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them.
Eze.13.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואמרת: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- הוי: INTJ
- למתפרות: PREP+VERB,piel,part,3,f,pl
- כסתות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- על: PREP
- כל: DET
- אצילי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- ידי: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- ועשות: CONJ+VERB,qal,inf
- המספחות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- על: PREP
- ראש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כל: DET
- קומה: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- לצודד: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- נפשות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- הנפשות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- תצודדנה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,f,pl
- לעמי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- ונפשות: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- לכנה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
- תחיינה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,f,pl
Parallels
- Ezekiel 13:17 (structural): Immediate context: the same oracle addresses 'daughters' or prophetesses who prophesy from their own heart and prepare these magical charms—verse 18 is part of this unit condemning them.
- Ezekiel 13:20-23 (structural): Continuation of the denunciation: God exposes the tools and lies of the false prophetesses and announces punishment—develops the same theme of deceptive practices that 'hunt souls.'
- Jeremiah 23:25-32 (allusion): Denounces false prophets who speak their own word and deceive the people; language of false, self‑originated prophecy and divine judgment parallels Ezekiel's critique of prophetesses who mislead the community.
- Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (thematic): Legal prohibition of divination, charm‑working and witchcraft; thematically parallels Ezekiel's condemnation of women using charms/kerchiefs to ensnare souls as illicit occult practice.
- Revelation 2:20 (thematic): Jesus condemns a 'Jezebel' figure in the church who misleads believers—a New Testament parallel of a woman teaching/enticing others into false ways and spiritual corruption.
Alternative generated candidates
- Say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the women who sew charms on all wrists and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to ensnare lives — will you ensnare the lives of my people and keep alive the lives that should die and preserve alive the lives that should not live by your lying words?'
- And say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the women who sew enchantments on every wrist and make veils of every stature to ensnare lives—
Eze.13.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותחללנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- אתי: PRON,1,sg
- אל: NEG
- עמי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1s
- בשעלי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,suff
- שערים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובפתותי: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,suff
- לחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- להמית: VERB,hiphil,inf
- נפשות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- תמותנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- ולחיות: VERB,hiphil,inf
- נפשות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- תחיינה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- בכזבכם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,suff
- לעמי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- שמעי: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- כזב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 14:14 (verbal): God condemns prophets who ‘prophesy lies’ in His name—like Ezek.13:19’s false prophets whose falsehoods mislead the people and profane the LORD.
- Jeremiah 23:16–17 (thematic): Jeremiah denounces prophets who give comforting false visions and cause the people to forget God—parallel to Ezekiel’s charge that prophets speak lies that preserve the wicked and destroy the righteous.
- Micah 3:5–7,11 (thematic): Micah condemns prophets who cry ‘Peace’ for pay and build Zion with injustice—echoing Ezek.13:19’s portrait of paid/false prophecy that misleads and harms the community.
- Deuteronomy 18:20–22 (structural): Gives the canonical test for true vs. false prophecy (if what a prophet predicts does not come to pass he is false), which undergirds Ezekiel’s judgment of prophets who prophesy falsely.
- 1 Kings 22:22–23 (allusion): The account of a deceiving/lying spirit urging false prophecy to flatter a king parallels Ezekiel’s theme of prophetic messages manufactured to give false assurance and preserve the wicked.
Alternative generated candidates
- Will you profane me among my people in trading charms and giving cakes of bread as offerings to make alive the one who should not live and to put to death the one who should not die, by your lying to my people who listen to lies?
- will you profane me among my people for a handful of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay lives that should not die and to keep alive lives that should not live, by your lying to my people who hear lies?'
Eze.13.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לכן: ADV
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- הנני: PRT+PRON,1,sg
- אל: NEG
- כסתותיכנה: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אתנה: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- מצדדות: VERB,piel,ptcp,*,f,pl
- שם: ADV
- את: PRT,acc
- הנפשות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- לפרחות: VERB,qal,inf,*,*,*
- וקרעתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,*,sg
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- מעל: PREP
- זרועתיכם: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ושלחתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- הנפשות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אתם: PRON,2,m,pl
- מצדדות: VERB,piel,ptcp,*,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- נפשים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- לפרחת: VERB,qal,inf,*,*,*
Parallels
- Ezekiel 13:18 (verbal): Same chapter and immediate context — God says he will 'tear off your veils' and expose the false prophets, echoing the same language and action against deceptive coverings.
- Jeremiah 23:25-32 (thematic): Jeremiah condemns false prophets who speak lies and give false assurances; like Ezekiel 13:20, God promises to judge and expose those who mislead the people.
- Micah 3:5-7 (thematic): Micah denounces prophets who prophesy for reward and mislead the nation with false visions — a parallel denunciation of prophetic deceit and its consequences.
- 2 Corinthians 3:14-16 (allusion): Paul uses the image of a veil that prevents understanding and says it is removed in turning to the Lord; thematically parallels Ezekiel’s motif of tearing away veils so people may know the LORD.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against the charms with which you ensnare the lives; I will tear them from your arms and release the lives you hunt to escape.
- Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against your charms with which you ensnare lives; I will tear them from your arms and let the lives you ensnare go, the lives you hunt.
Eze.13.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וקרעתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,com,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- מספחתיכם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,m,pl
- והצלתי: VERB,hif,perf,1,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- עמי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1s
- מידכן: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,f,pl
- ולא: CONJ
- יהיו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- עוד: ADV
- בידכן: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,f,pl
- למצודה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וידעתן: VERB,qal,perf,2,f,pl
- כי: CONJ
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezekiel 13:17-18 (structural): Same unit addressing prophetesses who bind veils/kerchiefs and practice divination; v.21 completes the judgment first announced in vv.17–18 (tearing off veils and ending their power).
- Ezekiel 20:42 (verbal): Both verses link God's act of deliverance with the revelatory formula “then you shall know that I am the LORD,” using deliverance from others’ hands to demonstrate Yahweh’s identity and power.
- Jeremiah 23:25-32 (thematic): Jeremiah condemns false prophets who speak lies and lead the people astray; like Ezek.13:21, God promises to judge and remove the influence of deceptive fortune‑tellers/prophets.
- Micah 3:5-7 (thematic): Micah criticizes prophets who promise peace and false reassurance for gain and predicts their disgrace when God's judgment exposes them—paralleling Ezekiel’s denunciation of profit‑driven false seers and the loss of their hold over the people.
Alternative generated candidates
- I will tear off your veils and deliver my people out of your hands; you shall no longer be their prey, and you shall know that I am the LORD.
- I will tear off your veils, and I will rescue my people from your hand; you shall no longer be their prey, and you shall know that I am the LORD.
Eze.13.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יען: CONJ
- הכאות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- צדיק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- הכאבתיו: VERB,hiph,perf,1,_,sg
- ולחזק: VERB,qal,inf
- ידי: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- רשע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לבלתי: PART,neg
- שוב: ADV
- מדרכו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- הרע: ADJ,m,sg,def
- להחיתו: VERB,hiph,inf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 23:21-22 (verbal): Jeremiah condemns prophets who speak without the Lord and who fail to stand in God’s counsel—similar rebuke of false prophecy and the implication that such prophets do not turn the wicked to life.
- Ezekiel 33:7-9 (structural): Ezekiel’s watchman analogy: prophets/watchmen have responsibility to warn and turn the wicked; failure to do so leaves guilt on the prophet—parallels the claim that the prophet did not touch (turn) the righteous or prevent the wicked’s way.
- Ezekiel 22:30 (thematic): God laments His search for someone to 'stand in the gap' and intercede for the land; this contrasts with the absence of prophetic action in 13:22, highlighting the failure of leaders to avert calamity by turning sinners.
- Jeremiah 6:14 (thematic): Jeremiah accuses prophets of offering false peace and lightly healing the people—a related critique of prophets whose words do not bring true repentance or life, echoing the failure described in Ezekiel 13:22.
Alternative generated candidates
- Because with lies you have made the righteous mourn — though I did not make him mourn — and you have strengthened the arm of the wicked so that he would not turn from his wicked way to save his life.
- Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous faint, though I did not make him faint, and have strengthened the hands of the wicked so that he does not turn from his wicked way to live,
Eze.13.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לכן: ADV
- שוא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- תחזינה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- וקסם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- תקסמנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- עוד: ADV
- והצלתי: VERB,hif,perf,1,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- עמי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1s
- מידכן: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,2,f,pl
- וידעתן: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,2,f,pl
- כי: CONJ
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezekiel 13:6-9 (verbal): Immediate context in Ezekiel condemning prophets who 'see false visions' and practice divination; 13:23 continues the denunciation and promise to rescue Israel from such prophets' influence.
- Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (thematic): Law forbidding divination, soothsaying and related practices—background for Ezekiel's prohibition of 'seeing false visions' and 'divination' as detestable to God.
- Jeremiah 23:25-27 (allusion): Jeremiah condemns false prophets who claim visions and dreams that God did not send; parallels Ezekiel's charge that the visions are vain and the promise that false prophecy will be exposed.
- 1 Samuel 15:23 (thematic): Statement that 'rebellion is as the sin of divination' links divinatory practices with sin and disobedience, reflecting Ezekiel's connection between false prophecy/divination and judgement.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore, no more shall you prophesy lies or practice divination; I will rescue my people from your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.
- therefore no more shall false visions be seen, nor divination practiced; I will deliver my people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy from their own hearts; say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, 'Hear the word of the LORD!' Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the worthless prophets who follow their own spirit and have not seen.
Like foxes among ruins were your prophets of Israel.
You did not go up into the breaches, nor build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in the day of battle on the day of the LORD.
They see false visions and utter lying divinations, saying, 'Declares the LORD,' when the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope that their word may be established.
Was it not a false vision that you saw, and a lying divination that you uttered—'Declares the LORD'—when I had not spoken?
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have spoken false words and seen lying visions, therefore behold—I am against you, says the Lord GOD.
My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations; there shall be no place for them in the council of my people, nor shall they be written in the records of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am the LORD.
For because they have misled my people, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace—when a wall is built, they cover it with untempered mortar.
Say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, 'It will fall; behold, rain will come—flooding rain—and hailstones will fall; a stormy wind shall break it.'
When the wall falls, will it not be said to you, 'Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?'
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: I will open the store of my wrath; I will pour down a flood in my anger, and in my fury I will send down great hailstones, to consume.
I will destroy the wall that you plastered with untempered mortar and bring it down to the ground; its foundations shall be laid bare, and it shall fall, and you shall be consumed within it; and you shall know that I am the LORD.
I will spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who plastered it with untempered mortar; I will say to you, 'The wall is no more, neither are those who plastered it.'
The prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem and see visions of peace for her when there is no peace, and give her false hope—'Peace'—thus says the Lord GOD. And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own hearts, and prophesy against them.
Say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the women who sew charms on every wrist and make veils for the heads of every stature to ensnare souls—will you ensnare the souls of my people and keep your own souls alive?'
Will you profane me among my people by your charms and by your lies, killing the souls that should not die and keeping alive the souls that should not live, by your lying to my people who listen to lies?
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against your charms with which you ensnare souls; I will tear them from your arms and release the souls you have hunted, the souls you have trapped.
I will tear off your veils and deliver my people from your hands; they shall no longer be prey in your hands, and you shall know that I am the LORD.
Because with lies you made the heart of the righteous faint, though I did not make it faint, and strengthened the hands of the wicked so that he would not turn from his wicked way by saying to him, 'Live!'
Therefore there shall be no more false visions or divinations for you; I will deliver my people from your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.