TRV
Translation
King James Version
Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;
Complete Jewish Bible
"Human being, prophesy against the prophets of Isra'el who prophesy. Tell those prophesying out of their own thoughts, 'Listen to what ADONAI says!
Berean Standard Bible
“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Tell those who prophesy out of their own imagination: Hear the word of the LORD!
American Standard Version
Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own heart, Hear ye the word of Jehovah:
World English Bible Messianic
Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, Hear the LORD’s word:
Geneva Bible (1599)
Sonne of man, prophecie against the prophets of Israel, that prophecie, and say thou vnto them, that prophecie out of their owne hearts, Heare the worde of the Lord.
Young's Literal Translation
`Son of man, prophesy concerning the prophets of Israel who are prophesying, and thou hast said to those prophesying from their own heart: Hear ye a word of Jehovah:
In the KJVVerse 20,711 of 31,102
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Commentary on Ezekiel 13 verses 1–9
1 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;
3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.
5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.
6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.
7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken?
8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.
9 And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
The false prophets, who are here prophesied against, were some of them at Jerusalem (Jer 23:14): I have seen in the prophets at Jerusalem a horrible thing; some of them among the captives in Babylon, for to them Jeremiah writes (Jer 29:8), Let not your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you. And as God's prophets, though at a distance from each other in place or time, yet preached the same truths, which was an evidence that they were guided by one and the same good Spirit, so the false prophets prophesied the same lies, being actuated by one and the same spirit of error. There were little hopes of bringing them to repentance, they were so hardened in their sin; yet Ezekiel must prophesy against them, in hopes that the people might be cautioned not to hearken to them; and thus a testimony will be left upon record against them, and they will thereby be left inexcusable.
Ezekiel had express orders to prophesy against the prophets of Israel; so they called themselves, as if none but they had been worthy of the name of Israel's prophets, who were indeed Israel's deceivers. But it is observable that Israel was never imposed upon by pretenders to prophecy till after they had rejected and abused the true prophets; as, afterwards, they were never deluded by counterfeit messiahs till after they had refused the true Messiah and rejected him. These false prophets must be required to hear the word of the Lord. They took upon them to speak what concerned others as from God; let them now hear what concerned themselves as from him. And two things the prophet is directed to do: -
I. To discover their sin to them, and to convince them of that if possible, or thereby to prevent their proceeding any further, by making manifest their folly unto all men, Ti2 3:9. They are here called foolish prophets (Eze 13:3), men that did not at all understand the business they pretended to; to make fools of the people they made fools of themselves, and put the greatest cheat upon their own souls. Let us see what is here laid to their charge. 1. They pretend to have a commission from God, whereas he never sent them. They thrust themselves into the prophetic office, without warrant from him who is the Lord God of the holy prophets, which was a foolish thing; for how could they expect that God should own them in a work to which he never called them? They are prophets out of their own hearts (so the margin reads it, Eze 13:2), prophets of their own making, Eze 13:6. They say, The Lord saith; they pretend to be his messengers, but the Lord has not sent them, has not given them any orders. They counterfeit the broad seal of heaven, than which they cannot do a greater indignity to mankind, for hereby they put a reproach upon divine revelation, lessen its credit, and weaken its credibility. When these pretenders are found to be deceivers atheists and infidels will thence infer, They are all so. The Lord has not sent them; for though crafty enough in other things like the foxes, and very wise for the world, yet they are foolish prophets and have no experimental acquaintance with the things of God. Note, Foolish prophets are not of God's sending, for whom he sends he either finds fit or makes fit. Where he gives warrant he gives wisdom. 2. They pretend to have instructions from God, whereas he never made himself and his mind known to them: They followed their own spirit (Eze 13:3); they delivered that as a message from God which was the product either of their subtle invention, to serve a turn for themselves, or of their own crazed and heated imagination, to give vent to a fancy. For they have seen nothing, they have not really had any heavenly vision; they pretend that what they say the Lord saith it, but God disowns it: "I have not spoken it, I never said it, never meant any such thing." What they delivered was not what they had seen or heard, as that is which the ministers of Christ deliver (Jo1 1:1), but either what they had dreamed or what they thought would please those they coveted to make an interest in; this is called their seeing vanity and lying divination (Eze 13:6); they pretended to have seen that which they did not see, and produced that as a divine truth which they knew to be false. To the same purport (Eze 13:7): You have see a vain vision and spoken a lying divination, which had no divine original and would have no effect, but would certainly be disproved by the event; the words are changed (Eze 13:8): You have spoken vanity and seen lies; what they saw and what they said was all alike, a mere sham; they saw nothing, they said nothing, to the purpose, nothing that could be relied on or that deserved regard. Again (Eze 13:9), They see vanity and divine lies; they pretended to have had visions, as the true prophets had, whereas really they had none, but either it was the creature of their own fancy (they thought they had a vision, as men in a delirium do, that was seeing vanity) or it was a fiction of their own politics, and they knew they had none, and then they saw lies, and divined lies. See Jer 23:16, etc. Note, Since the devil is universally know to be the father of lies, those put the highest affront imaginable upon God who tell lies, and then father them upon him. But those that had put God's character upon Satan, in worshipping devils, arrived at length at such a pitch of impiety as to put Satan's character upon God. 3. They took no care to prevent the judgments of God that were breaking in upon the kingdom. They are like the foxes in the deserts, running to and fro, and seeming to be in a great hurry, but it was to get away and shift for their own safety, not to do any good: The hireling flees, and leaves the sheep. They are like foxes that are greedy of prey for themselves, crafty and cruel to feed themselves. But (Eze 13:5), "You have not gone up into the gaps, nor made up the hedge of the house of Israel. A breach is made in their fences, at which judgments are ready to pour in upon them, and then, if ever, is the time to do them service; but you have done nothing to help them." They should have made intercession for them, to turn away the wrath of God; but they were not praying prophets, had no interest in heaven nor intercourse with heaven (as prophets used to have, Gen 20:7) and so could do them no service that way. They should have made it their business by preaching and advice to bring people to repentance and reformation, and so have made up the hedge, and put a stop to the judgments of God; but this was none of their care: they contrived how to pleased people, not how to profit them. They saw a deluge of profaneness and impiety breaking in upon the land, waging war with virtue and holiness, and threatening to crush them and bear them down, and then they should have come in to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty, by witnessing against the wickedness of the time and place they lived in; but they thought that would be as dangerous a piece of service as standing in a breach to make it good against the besiegers, and therefore they declined it, did nothing to stem the tide, stood not in the battle against vice and immorality, but basely deserted the cause of religion and reformation, in the day of the Lord, when it was proclaimed, Who is on the Lord's side? Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers? Psa 94:16. Those were unworthy the name of prophets that could think so favourably of sin, and had so little zeal for God and the public welfare. 4. They flattered people into a vain hope that the judgments God had threatened would never come, whereby they hardened those in sin whom they should have endeavoured to turn from sin (Eze 13:6): They have made others to hope that all should be well, and they should have peace, though they went on still in their trespasses, and that the event would confirm the word. They were still ready to say, "We will warrant you that these troubles will be at an end quickly, and we shall be in prosperity again." as if their warrants would confirm false prophecies, in defiance of God himself.
II. He is directed to denounce the judgments of God against them for these sins, from which their pretending to the character of prophets would not exempt them. 1. In general, here is a woe against them (Eze 13:3), and what that woe is we are told (Eze 13:8). Behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God. Note, Those are in a woeful condition that have God against them. Woe, and a thousand woes, to those that have made him their enemy. 2. In particular, they are sentenced to be excluded from all the privileges of the commonwealth of Israel, for they are adjudged to have forfeited them all (Eze 13:9): God's hand shall be upon them, to seize them and bring them to his bar, to shut them out from his presence, and they will find it a fearful thing to fall into his hands. They pretend to be prophets, particular favourites of heaven, and authorized to preside in the congregation of his church on earth; but, by pretending to the honours they were not entitled to, they lost those that otherwise they might have enjoyed, Mat 5:19. Their doom is, (1.) To be expelled from the communion of saints, and not to be looked upon as belonging to it: They shall not be in the secret of my people; their folly shall be so clearly manifested that they shall never be consulted, nor their advice asked; they shall not be present at any debates about public affairs. Or, rather, they shall not be in the assembly of God's people for religious worship, for they shall be ashamed to show their heads there, when they are proved by the events to be false prophets, and, like Cain, shall go out from the presence of the Lord. The people that are deceived by them shall abandon them, and resolve to have no more to do with them. Those that usurped Moses's chair shall not be allowed so much as a door-keeper's place. In the great day they shall not stand in the congregation of the righteous (Psa 1:5), when God gathers his saints together to him (Psa 50:5, Psa 50:16), to be for ever with him. (2.) To be expunged out of the book of the living. They shall die in their captivity, and shall die childless, shall leave no posterity to take their denomination from them, and so their names shall not be found among those who either themselves or their posterity returned out of Babylon, of whom a particular account was kept in a public register, which was called the writing of the house of Israel, such as we have Ezra 2. They shall not be found among the living in Jerusalem, Isa 4:3. Or they shall not be found written among those whom God has from eternity chosen to be vessels of his mercy to eternity. We read of those who prophesied in Christ's name, and yet he will tell them that he never knew them (Mat 7:22, Mat 7:23), because they were not among those that were given to him. The Chaldee paraphrase reads it, They shall not be written in the writing of eternal life, which is written for the righteous of the house of Israel. See Psa 69:28. (3.) To be for ever excluded from the land of Israel. God has sworn in his wrath concerning them that they shall never enter with the returning captives into the land of Canaan, which a second time remains a rest for them. Note, Those who oppose the design of God's threatenings, and will not be awed and influenced by them, forfeit the benefit of his promises, and cannot expect to be comforted and encouraged by them.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–9. Public domain.
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Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
HOMILIES ON EZEKIEL 2:2
If the Word of God accuses me, I will try to be converted.
Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
HOMILIES ON EZEKIEL 2:2
If anyone reading the gospel fits its proper sense to the gospel without understanding that the Lord speaks, he is a false prophet speaking according to his own heart in the gospel.
Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
HOMILIES ON EZEKIEL 2:2
The word of the present can agree with those who teach in the church, as long as they do not teach other than what the truth demands.
Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
HOMILIES ON EZEKIEL 2:2
If I find in Moses and the prophets the thought of Christ, I speak not according to my own heart but from the Holy Spirit.
Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
HOMILIES ON EZEKIEL 2:1
False prophets are teachers of the church whose words or life do not properly accord with the doctrine that they preach.
JeromeAD 420
HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 15 (PS 82)
The Ishmaelites represent those who are a law unto themselves, who yield to their own capricious hearts and evil desires. Ezekiel expresses the same thought: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets that prophesy their own thought and do whatever their spirit impels.” We, however, must not follow our own inclinations and be labeled Ishmaelites, “obedient to themselves,” but rather be called Ishmael, “obedient to God.”
JeromeAD 420
COMMENTARY ON EZEKIEL 4:13.1-3
Whatever was said at that time to the people of Israel now applies to the church. The holy prophets are apostles and apostolic people, but the lying and raging prophets are all heretics, whose leaders invent things from their own heart; the people are led astray by them and acquiesce in the falsehoods of others.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Chapter 13, Verses 1, 2) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own heart: Hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God. This is what we have added: 'who prophesy,' and say to those who prophesy from their own heart, which the Septuagint omitted, and because it is not found in Hebrew, they added, 'and you shall prophesy' and say to them. This is a message against false prophets who deceived the people and, against God's commands, prophesied something else. And let it not bother anyone that they are called prophets, for Holy Scripture has this custom, that it names each one of its prophecies and speeches a prophet, just as the prophets are called Baal, and the prophets of idols, and the prophets of confusion. Hence the apostle Paul also calls a Greek poet a prophet: A certain one of their own prophets said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons (Titus 1). And in Hosea we read: Like a prophet driven mad, a man carrying the Spirit (Hosea 9:7). But whatever was said to the people of Israel at that time is now applied to the Church: so that the holy prophets may be the apostles and apostolic men. But the false and mad prophets are all heretics, whose leaders invent falsehoods from their own hearts; and those who are led astray by them believe in the lies of others.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Ezekiel 13:2 initiates a profound divine indictment against the pervasive false prophecy within Israel during the Babylonian exile. The LORD commissions Ezekiel, addressed as "Son of man," to confront those who claim to speak for God but whose messages are self-generated, arising from their own deceitful imaginations and desires rather than from divine revelation. This verse establishes a critical theological distinction between authentic, God-breathed prophecy and counterfeit pronouncements, setting the stage for a powerful call to heed the authoritative word of the LORD amidst widespread spiritual deception.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 13:2 employs several potent literary devices to convey its urgent and confrontational message. The direct address, Apostrophe, is immediately evident in "Son of man," which establishes the divine speaker and the human recipient, underscoring the gravity and personal nature of the divine commission. There is a powerful use of Contrast throughout the verse, setting the authentic "word of the LORD" against the deceptive messages that "prophesy out of their own hearts," thereby highlighting the fundamental difference between divine truth and human deception. The Repetition of the Hebrew root for "prophesy" (nâbâʼ) and "prophets" (nâbîyʼ) emphasizes the pervasive nature of the problem and the specific target of God's judgment, creating a sense of urgency and highlighting the widespread spiritual crisis. Furthermore, the verse uses Imperative Mood ("prophesy," "say," "Hear ye"), conveying the urgency, authority, and non-negotiable nature of God's command. This direct, commanding language leaves no ambiguity about the divine will and the seriousness of the false prophets' transgression.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 13:2 serves as a timeless warning against spiritual deception and underscores the paramount importance of divine authority in all matters of faith and practice. It establishes a fundamental theological principle: true spiritual guidance flows solely from the revealed "word of the LORD," not from human intellect, emotion, personal ambition, or self-interest. This distinction is crucial for the spiritual health, integrity, and survival of God's people, as false prophecy, while often comforting or appealing in the short term, ultimately leads to spiritual ruin, a misapprehension of God's true character, and a distortion of His sovereign purposes. The passage calls believers in every age to cultivate a posture of vigilant discernment, continually testing all claims of truth against the established, infallible revelation of God.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 13:2 holds profound and enduring relevance for believers today, serving as a vital call to spiritual vigilance and discernment in an age saturated with diverse voices claiming spiritual authority. The stark warning against those who "prophesy out of their own hearts" reminds us that genuine spiritual truth is not born from human ingenuity, emotional fervor, popular opinion, or self-serving agendas, but from the authoritative, unchanging Word of God. We are challenged to critically evaluate all teachings, messages, and spiritual claims, ensuring they align perfectly with the revealed Scriptures. This requires a deep commitment to studying God's Word, allowing it to be the ultimate plumb line for our faith, doctrine, and practice. For those in positions of spiritual leadership, this verse is a sobering reminder of the immense responsibility to speak only what is consistent with God's truth, resisting the temptation to cater to popular sentiment, personal ambition, or the desires of the audience. Our ultimate loyalty must be to "the word of the LORD," ensuring that our messages build up, correct, and guide God's people according to His perfect will, rather than leading them astray with comforting but ultimately deceptive words.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of God addressing Ezekiel as "Son of man"?
Answer: The address "Son of man" (Hebrew: ben-adam) is used over 90 times in the book of Ezekiel, making it a distinctive feature of this prophetic book. It serves primarily to emphasize Ezekiel's humanity and mortality, distinguishing him sharply from the divine speaker, the LORD. This designation underscores his role as a human representative speaking on behalf of God to a rebellious human audience. It highlights the immense gap between the divine and the human, yet also God's condescension in choosing a mortal to deliver His weighty messages of judgment and hope. The phrase also carries a broader theological weight, foreshadowing the ultimate "Son of Man" in the New Testament, Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies both humanity and divinity (Daniel 7:13).
How can we identify false prophecy or teaching today, based on this verse?
Answer: Ezekiel 13:2 provides a crucial criterion for identifying false prophecy: it originates "out of their own hearts," meaning from human imagination, desires, self-interest, or uninspired intellect, rather than from divine revelation. To identify false teaching today, we must rigorously compare all messages and claims against the established "word of the LORD" found in the Bible. If a teaching contradicts Scripture, promotes self-serving agendas, offers false comfort without a call to repentance, appeals primarily to emotions or personal gain rather than biblical truth, or fails to magnify Christ, it likely stems from a human heart, not God. The ultimate test is fidelity to God's revealed Word (Acts 17:11).
Why is it so dangerous to "prophesy out of their own hearts"?
Answer: Prophesying out of one's own heart is profoundly dangerous because it substitutes human opinion, desire, and imagination for divine truth, leading people astray from God's actual will and purposes. It creates a false sense of security or a distorted view of reality, preventing genuine repentance, spiritual growth, and a true understanding of God's character. Such messages often cater to what people want to hear rather than what they need to hear, ultimately undermining faith in the true God and His authoritative word. This deception can have devastating spiritual and even eternal consequences, as it misleads individuals away from the path of righteousness and into spiritual delusion (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 13:2, with its stark contrast between false prophecy originating from human hearts and the authoritative "word of the LORD," finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the quintessential Prophet, the very embodiment of the "word of the LORD" made flesh (John 1:14). Unlike the false prophets who spoke from their own hearts, Jesus consistently declared, "I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me" (John 8:28). He is the truth (John 14:6), and His words are spirit and life (John 6:63), possessing inherent power and authority. The Old Testament call to "Hear ye the word of the LORD" culminates in the New Testament's exhortation to "listen to him!" (Matthew 17:5), referring to Jesus at His transfiguration. In Christ, God's definitive and final word has been spoken (Hebrews 1:1-2), rendering all human-generated "prophecy" that contradicts Him null and void. He is the ultimate standard by which all truth claims, past and present, must be measured, offering true hope, eternal life, and salvation rather than the deceptive promises of human invention.