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Commentary on Ezekiel 13 verses 10–16
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, Eze 13:10. They pretended to have seen visions of peace, Eze 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 (Mat 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, Pro 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 (Kg1 19:11), much more an ill-built wall, Eze 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 (Eze 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, Isa 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 (Eze 13:11), the hailstones shall consume it (Eze 13:13); I will break it down (Eze 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 Isa 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 Isa 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 (Psa 62:3, Psa 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, Hab 3:13. The day will declare what every man's work is, and the fire will try it, Co1 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, Eze 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, Eze 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 (Eze 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, Psa 52:6, Psa 52:7. I also will laugh at your calamity, Pro 1:26. They will say unto you (Eze 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," Eze 13:16. Note, Those that usurp the honours that do not belong to them will shortly be filled with the shame that does.
The words that follow describe and condemn some sin that has been committed. The judgment contained in these words is just, for it is as if he were giving notice in the words of the prophet that, if you had not sinned, he would not have made these threats.… The inspired Word exists because of both obedience and disobedience: that we may be saved by obeying it and educated because we have disobeyed.
(Verse 10 and following) Because they have deceived my people, saying: peace, and there is no peace. And he was building a wall: but they were plastering it with mud without straw. Say to those who plaster without mortar, that it will fall. For there will be a overflowing rain: and I will give great stones falling from above, and a stormy wind blowing. Indeed, behold, the wall has fallen. Will it not be said to you, where is the whitewash that you plastered? Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: I will unleash the spirit of storms in my anger; and there will be a torrential rain in my fury, and great stones of wrath will be poured out, and I will destroy the wall that you have whitewashed without mortar, and I will level it to the ground; its foundation will be exposed, and it will fall and be consumed in its midst; and you will know that I am the Lord. And I will fulfill my anger against the wall and against those who whitewashed it without mortar; and I will say to you: The wall is no more, and there are no longer any who whitewash it. The prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem see a vision of peace, but there is no peace, says the Lord God. LXX: For they have deceived my people, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. And this one builds a wall, and these ones plaster it with folly. Say to those who plaster with folly, it will fall. There will be a flooding rain, and I will give great stones for their joints and they will fall. And a wind will come and tear it apart. And behold, the wall has fallen, and they will not say to you, 'Where is the whitewash that you whitewashed with?' Therefore, thus says the Lord Adonai: I will break the spirit of fury that carries away, and rainwill overflow in my anger, and I will bring great stones in fury to a consummation, and I will dig up the wall that you have plastered, and it will fall. And I will put it on the ground, and its foundations will be exposed, and it will fall. And you will be consumed with reproach, and you will know that I am the Lord. And I will complete my fury on the wall, and on those who plaster it, it will fall. And I said to you: There is no wall, nor those who plaster it, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem and see peace for her: there is no peace for them, says the Lord God. The prophets of Israel, who will not be in the assembly of the people of God, nor be written in the scriptures of the house of Israel, nor enter the promised land, therefore suffer these things because they have deceived my people, proclaiming peace and prosperity by the severity of repentance and the wrongfulness of conversion, according to what is said elsewhere: Peace, peace, where is peace? (Jeremiah 8:11) Therefore, God figuratively built a wall for them through the commands of the law and the words and warnings of the holy prophets. For this Hebrew word signifies 'His', that is, it would repel every incursion of wild beasts and hostile attack from them, while they turned to God, they would be surrounded by this like a very strong wall and fortress. But the false prophets, not once but often, promised them peace, for this repeated talk of peace signifies this. And they were building the very wall which is called 'Cir' in the following, the false prophets were coating it without any restraint, as Symmachus interpreted, that is, with pure mud, and that it did not have straw, so that it could not provide any strength. But indeed, both the Septuagint and Theodotion interpret it as folly: but the eagle has interpreted the Hebrew word Thaphel as ἀνάλῳ, which means without salt, passing from one translation to another, just as food without salt has no flavor: so too clay, without straw to strengthen and bind it, can offer no strength to a wall. Say, he says, to those who make empty promises and pledge useless help, that this wall and this structure will fall, and I will send a very violent rain, namely the most fierce enemies. But it refers to the Babylonians and the Chaldeans; and it signifies the same hails stones falling from above, everything through a metaphor, by which a sudden whirlwind overturns and destroys an unstable wall; and afterwards it is said to them, that is, to the false prophets, Where is the plaster with which you plastered it, and where is the help that you promised? But whatever we have said about false prophets can also be applied to heretics, for all their God-inspired inventions will be dissolved by God's wrath; and the structure of false teachings, which the Holy Spirit does not support, shall fall and crumble down to its foundations and turn to dust, and become equal to the wall of the earth, and fall, and the prophets who made promises and the people to whom the promises were made shall be consumed in its midst; so that once He has completed His wrath and says to them: this is not a wall, that is, this is not your defense; and there are none who plaster it, but all are empty and amount to nothing: then you shall come to know by these actions that I am the Lord. But in order to know who these individuals are who daub the wall, it follows, the prophets of Israel, that is, the false prophets, who prophesy to Jerusalem and see for her a vision of peace, these are the cause of sin and ruin, and foolish security. For there will be no peace, says the Lord, because the Lord did not send them, nor did he speak to them. This which the Septuagint translated as 'and on their joints' is not found in the Hebrew. However, it signifies the joints of the stones in the wall, or the supports of wood, by which the walls are strengthened. And also that which we read above: he himself was building the wall; most people report that Israel, who promised himself either the empty help of the Egyptians or of peace, was referring to the people.
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SUMMARY
Ezekiel 13:13 delivers a stark divine declaration of inevitable judgment against the false prophets of Israel, who had misled the people with deceptive messages of peace and security. Through vivid imagery of destructive natural forces—a stormy wind, an overflowing shower, and great hailstones—the Lord GOD affirms His sovereign intent to utterly dismantle the flimsy, deceptive wall of lies erected by these prophets, exposing their falsehood and bringing their false assurances to a complete and devastating end. This verse underscores the certainty and overwhelming power of God's righteous wrath against spiritual deception and unrepentant sin.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 13:13 is rich in Imagery, painting a vivid picture of divine judgment using powerful natural phenomena: "stormy wind," "overflowing shower," and "great hailstones." These are not merely descriptive but serve as potent Symbols of God's irresistible power and wrath. The cumulative effect of these elements creates a sense of overwhelming, inescapable destruction. The repeated phrase "in my fury" (or "in mine anger") is an example of Repetition, which emphasizes the intensity and unwavering nature of God's righteous indignation. Furthermore, the entire passage employs Metaphor, where the "wall" built by the false prophets (mentioned in preceding verses) is implicitly understood as their deceptive prophecies, and the natural elements are metaphors for God's active dismantling of that deception. This use of natural disaster imagery also functions as Hyperbole to convey the absolute certainty and devastating scale of God's judgment, ensuring the audience grasps the totality of the impending divine intervention.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 13:13 profoundly articulates God's unwavering commitment to truth and His fierce opposition to spiritual deception. It reveals a God who is not passive in the face of lies that mislead His people but actively intervenes with overwhelming power to expose and dismantle falsehood. This judgment is not arbitrary but flows from His holy character, demonstrating that His justice is as certain and powerful as the forces of nature He commands. The theological implication is that true security and peace can only be found in God's genuine word, not in the comforting but ultimately destructive lies of false prophets. This verse serves as a timeless warning against any message that offers an easy path or false assurance apart from genuine repentance and adherence to divine truth. It underscores that God's holiness demands the eradication of all that is false and misleading within His covenant community.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 13:13 stands as a potent reminder for believers today to cultivate profound discernment and anchor their faith firmly in the unshakeable truth of God's Word. In a world saturated with competing narratives and voices, it is crucial to test every teaching and prophecy against the clear revelation of Scripture, rather than being swayed by messages that promise comfort or prosperity without demanding repentance or holiness. This verse reassures us that God is actively engaged in upholding His truth and will ultimately expose and dismantle all forms of spiritual deception, no matter how appealing or pervasive they may seem. It calls us to trust in His perfect justice, even when falsehood appears to triumph, and to align our lives with His genuine will, which alone offers true and lasting security. Our peace is found not in avoiding judgment, but in embracing the truth that saves and building our lives upon the solid foundation of Christ.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the "it" that God will rend and consume in Ezekiel 13:13?
Answer: The "it" refers to the "wall" that the false prophets built and "daubed with untempered mortar," as described in the preceding verses (Ezekiel 13:10-12). This wall is a metaphor for the deceptive prophecies and false assurances of peace and security that the false prophets offered to the people of Israel. God's declaration means He will utterly dismantle and destroy these lies and the false hope they created, exposing the spiritual emptiness and danger of such messages.
Why does God use such destructive natural phenomena (wind, shower, hailstones) to describe His judgment?
Answer: The use of "stormy wind," "overflowing shower," and "great hailstones" is powerful Imagery that symbolizes the overwhelming, irresistible, and comprehensive nature of God's judgment. These elements represent forces of nature that are beyond human control and can bring about complete devastation. By invoking them, God emphasizes that His judgment against deception is not merely a rebuke but an active, inescapable, and utterly destructive intervention that will leave nothing of the false prophecies intact. It highlights His sovereign control over creation to execute His righteous decrees, as seen in other biblical accounts of divine judgment, such as the plague of hail in Exodus 9:18-26 and the destruction of the earth by flood in Genesis 6:17.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 13:13, with its depiction of God's furious judgment against false prophets and their deceptive works, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament speaks of God's wrath against those who mislead His people, the New Testament reveals Jesus as the one who perfectly embodies divine truth and exposes all falsehood. He is the "true prophet" promised by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15) whose words are "spirit and life" (John 6:63), standing in stark contrast to the empty words of false teachers. All false prophecies and deceptive teachings, those "untempered walls" of human construction, are ultimately judged and dismantled by the unshakeable truth of Christ. His coming ushered in the ultimate revelation of God, rendering all human attempts to create their own paths to peace or security as futile. The judgment against false prophets in Ezekiel foreshadows Christ's own stern warnings against false teachers who would come in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15) and His righteous indignation against those who pervert the truth of God's kingdom. Ultimately, the "fury" and "anger" of God against sin and deception are fully satisfied and absorbed in the sacrificial death of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, allowing for a true and lasting peace to be offered to all who believe, a peace built not on human lies but on the solid rock of Christ's finished work (Ephesians 2:14). Through Christ, God's judgment is both revealed and satisfied, offering salvation to those who trust in His truth.