25 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Ezekiel 13 It being said in Ezekiel 12:24; that there should be no more a vain vision, nor a flattering divination; the prophet is ordered to prophesy against the false prophets and prophetesses, Ezekiel 13:1; the former are described as prophesying out of their own hearts, Ezekiel 13:2; as foolish ones, following their own spirit,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. Giving orders to prophesy against the false prophets and prophetesses, which were either in the land of Israel, of whom the prophet had notice; or rather who were among the captives in Babylon, where Ezekiel now was.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
Mention had been made, in the chapter before, of the vain visions and flattering divinations with which the people of Israel suffered themselves to be imposed upon (ver. 24); now this whole chapter is levelled against them. God's faithful prophets are nowhere so sharp upon any sort of sinners as upon the false prophets, not because they were the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel,.... Who called themselves so, and were accounted such by others; though they were not true, but false prophets; and so the Targum calls them: that prophesy; that is, smooth things to the people; promising a speedy return from the captivity; or that Jerusalem should not be taken by the Chaldeans,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thus saith the Lord God, woe unto the foolish prophets,.... The false prophets, as the Targum; who are foolish, as all are who are not sent of God, and furnished by him with wisdom and knowledge, and who prophesy out of their own hearts; for what else but folly can proceed from thence? this must be a great mortification to these prophets to be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes of the deserts. The false prophets, as the Targum; these are called Israel's prophets, because received, embraced, and encouraged by them; not the Lord's, for they were not sent by him, nor had any messages from him; and such are comparable to foxes, for their craftiness and cunning, and lying in wait to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Ye have not gone up into the gaps,.... Or "breaches" (d); so the Targum. The allusion is to breaches made in the walls of a city when besieged; at which time those within gather together in great numbers to meet the enemy, and prevent his entrance by the breaches. These words are either spoken to the princes of Israel, the civil magistrates; or to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
They have seen vanity, and lying divination,.... The visions the false prophets pretended to see were nothing but the fruit of their own fancies and imaginations, and had nothing real in them; and what they divined or foretold should be were all lies, and never came to pass, and never would: saying the Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Have ye not seen a vain vision,.... A vision only in pretence, and not in reality; the effect of their own fancy, and not anything shown them by the Lord: and have ye not spoken a lying divination; delivered out a known lie, saying they had it from the Lord, when they had it not; or a prophecy that will deceive, and be without effect, and in the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Therefore thus saith the Lord God,.... This is what he says, and it may be depended on will come to pass; though the other he said not, they said he did, but was a lying divination: because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies; which will in the issue prove so, lying and deceitful; what never came from God, but from themselves and the father of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies,.... Meaning, by his hand, not the true spirit of prophecy, attended with a divine power and energy, as in Ezekiel 1:3; but the wrath and power of God seizing on them and punishing them. So the Targum, "and the stroke of my power shall be upon the false prophets, c.''...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Because, even because they have seduced my people,.... Who were so by profession; otherwise such who are truly the people of God, though they may be deceived in civil things, yet not in religious matters, at least not totally and finally; in this sense it is impossible to deceive the elect of God; but as false teachers are deceivers, they lie in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Say unto them which daub [it] with untempered [mortar],.... The false prophets, that flattered the people with peace, prosperity, and safety: that it shall fall; the wall they have built and daubed over; the city of Jerusalem shall be taken and destroyed; the predictions of the prophets shall prove lies; and the vain hopes and expectations of the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Lo, when the wall is fallen,.... Jerusalem is taken: shall it not be said unto you; the false prophets, by the people who had been deceived by them: where [is] the daubing wherewith ye have daubed [it]? what is become of all your promises of peace, and assurance of safety and prosperity; your smooth words and plausible arguments; your specious...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Therefore thus saith the Lord God,.... Confirming what he had before bid the prophet say, Ezekiel 13:11; I will even rend [it] with a stormy wind in my fury; stormy winds sometimes rend rocks asunder, 1 Kings 19:11; and much more feeble tottering walls; what is before ascribed to the stormy wind is said to be done here by the Lord himself, making...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered [mortar],.... Which is repeated and expressed in these words, both for the sake of confirmation and explanation of what is before said: and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered; meaning the city of Jerusalem, and by these phrases declaring...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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:''...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
[To wit], the prophets of Israel, which prophesy concerning Jerusalem,.... This explains who are meant by those that daubed with untempered mortar: and which see visions of peace for her; not in reality, but in pretence; they boasted that they had visions and revelations from the Lord, and assured the people they should enjoy great peace and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people,.... The false prophetesses; for as there were women in some ages, who had the true spirit of prophecy, as Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah, Exodus 15:20; so there were some that pretended to it, who had it not, as Noadiah in the times of Nehemiah, Ne 6:14; and such there were...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And say, thus saith the Lord God, woe to the [women] that sew pillows to all armholes,.... Or, "put pillows to all elbows" (l); thereby signifying that they might be at ease, and rest secure, and look upon themselves as in the utmost safety, and not fear any enemy, the invasion of the Chaldeans; or that their city would be destroyed, and they...