King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces 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?
Complete Jewish Bible:
You dishonor me before my people for a few handfuls of barley and crumbs of bread, killing people who should not die and sparing those who should not live, by your lying to my people, who love hearing lies.'
Berean Standard Bible:
You have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to My people who would listen, you have killed those who should not have died and spared those who should not have lived.
American Standard Version:
And ye have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces 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 hearken unto lies.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And will ye pollute{H2490} me among my people{H5971} for handfuls{H8168} of barley{H8184} and for pieces{H6595} of bread{H3899}, to slay{H4191} the souls{H5315} that should not die{H4191}, and to save{H2421} the souls{H5315} alive{H2421} that should not live{H2421}, by your lying{H3576} to my people{H5971} that hear{H8085} your lies{H3577}?
Cross-References (KJV):
Proverbs 28:21
- ¶ To have respect of persons [is] not good: for for a piece of bread [that] man will transgress.
Micah 3:5
- Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.
Ezekiel 22:26
- Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed [difference] between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
Jeremiah 23:14
- I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
Ezekiel 20:39
- As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter [also], if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
Jeremiah 23:17
- They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
Micah 3:11
- The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, [Is] not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.
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Commentary for Ezekiel 13:19
Ezekiel 13:19 is a verse that addresses the severe consequences of false prophecy within the context of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, during a time of great turmoil and impending exile. Ezekiel, a prophet among the exiles in Babylon, is speaking out against the immorality and corruption of the prophets and prophetesses who were supposed to be spiritual leaders to the people of Judah. These false prophets were accused of profaning God's name and misleading the people for personal gain—accepting trivial things like "handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread."
In this verse, God, through the prophet Ezekiel, condemns these false prophets for their role in leading people astray. They are accused of causing the death of those who should have been spared and keeping alive those who should have died, effectively tampering with the natural order and God's justice. Their "lying to [God's] people" not only misrepresented God's will but also endangered the souls of those who trusted them for guidance. This reflects the broader theme of Ezekiel, which often deals with issues of true versus false prophecy and the importance of faithfulness to God's covenant.
The historical context of this verse is set against the backdrop of the Babylonian Exile (597-586 BCE), a period when many Judeans were taken into exile in Babylon, including Ezekiel. During this time, the people of Judah were desperate for hope and assurance, which made them particularly vulnerable to the messages of false prophets who promised peace and security without requiring repentance or obedience to God's laws. Ezekiel's message was a stark contrast, calling for genuine repentance and a return to covenant faithfulness, while warning of divine judgment if the people continued in their corrupt ways.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H2490
There are 131 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָלַל
Transliteration: châlal
Pronunciation: khaw-lal'
Description: a primitive root (compare חָלָה); also denominative (from חָלִיל); properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge'); to play (the flute); begin ([idiom] men began), defile, [idiom] break, defile, [idiom] eat (as common things), [idiom] first, [idiom] gather the grape thereof, [idiom] take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute, slay (slain), sorrow, stain, wound. - Strong's Number: H5971
There are 1654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עַם
Transliteration: ʻam
Pronunciation: am
Description: from עָמַם; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock; folk, men, nation, people. - Strong's Number: H8168
There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שֹׁעַל
Transliteration: shôʻal
Pronunciation: sho'-al
Description: from an unused root meaning to hollow out; the palm; by extension, a handful; handful, hollow of the hand. - Strong's Number: H8184
There are 32 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שְׂעֹרָה
Transliteration: sᵉʻôrâh
Pronunciation: seh-o-raw'
Description: or שְׂעוֹרָה (feminine meaning the plant); and (masculine meaning the grain); also שְׂעֹר; or שְׂעוֹר; from שָׂעַר in the sense of roughness; barley (as villose); barley. - Strong's Number: H6595
There are 15 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פַּת
Transliteration: path
Pronunciation: path
Description: from פָּתַת; a bit; meat, morsel, piece. - Strong's Number: H3899
There are 277 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לֶחֶם
Transliteration: lechem
Pronunciation: lekh'-em
Description: from לָחַם; See also בֵּית לְעַפְרָה; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it); (shew-) bread, [idiom] eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals. - Strong's Number: H4191
There are 694 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מוּת
Transliteration: mûwth
Pronunciation: mooth
Description: a primitive root; to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill; [idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) wise. - Strong's Number: H5315
There are 683 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נֶפֶשׁ
Transliteration: nephesh
Pronunciation: neh'-fesh
Description: from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental); any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, [phrase] slay, soul, [phrase] tablet, they, thing, ([idiom] she) will, [idiom] would have it. - Strong's Number: H2421
There are 235 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָיָה
Transliteration: châyâh
Pronunciation: khaw-yaw'
Description: a primitive root (compare חָוָה, חָיָה); to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive; keep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole. - Strong's Number: H3576
There are 16 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כָּזַב
Transliteration: kâzab
Pronunciation: kaw-zab'
Description: a primitive root; to lie (i.e. deceive), literally or figuratively; fail, (be found a, make a) liar, lie, lying, be in vain. - Strong's Number: H8085
There are 1072 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁמַע
Transliteration: shâmaʻ
Pronunciation: shaw-mah'
Description: a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.); [idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, [idiom] surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness. - Strong's Number: H3577
There are 31 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כָּזָב
Transliteration: kâzâb
Pronunciation: kaw-zawb'
Description: from כָּזַב; falsehood; literally (untruth) or figuratively (idol); deceitful, false, leasing, + liar, lie, lying.