TRV
Translation
King James Version
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai ELOHIM says: "Woe to the vile prophets who follow their own spirits and things which they have not seen!
Berean Standard Bible
This is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, yet have seen nothing.
American Standard Version
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
World English Bible Messianic
Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
Geneva Bible (1599)
Thus sayth the Lord God, Woe vnto the foolish Prophets that follow their owne spirit, and haue seene nothing.
Young's Literal Translation
Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Woe unto the prophets who are foolish, Who are going after their own spirit, And they have seen nothing.
See also
In the KJVVerse 20,712 of 31,102
Study This Verse
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 2:3
In the same way that a saint prays with the Spirit and prays with understanding and sings with the spirit and sings with understanding, so the false prophet prophesies according to his own heart and follows not the Spirit of God but his own spirit.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 3.) Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and see nothing. LXX: Woe to those who prophesy from their own heart and do not see at all, forsaking what is proposed by us and following their own spirit. Although the name of prophets, according to the rule of the Scriptures, is common to both the good and the bad, they differ in that the good prophets are said to be wise, while the bad ones are foolish and ignorant. The former is associated with ecclesiastical men, and the latter with all heretics, who, forsaking the spirit of God, follow their own spirit and prophesy not by divine inspiration but by their own heart. Hence, they see nothing. But whoever is wise, follows not the thoughts of his own heart, but the Spirit of God, according to what is mentioned in the earlier texts, that even animals and wheels followed the Spirit of God. And the prophet says: You shall walk after the Lord your God. And in another place: Lead me in the right path. And again: Your good Spirit shall lead me into the land. And for the people of God, the pillar of fire and the clouds were a guide in the wilderness. And Jeremiah speaks: I have not labored following you (Jerem. XVII, 16). But whoever of the heretics follows his own spirit, will stumble in darkness, and the blind will lead the blind into a pit? Although they may seem to see more in their mysteries, or rather orgies, than the ecclesiastical doctors, they do not see anything at all: because they have lost the sun of righteousness, and in vain imitate those who were previously called Seers, and to whom it is said: Go, you who see; turn back to the land of Judah; and in Bethel you will not prophesy (Amos VII, 12, 13). Therefore, the vision of Isaiah and Obadiah are placed in the titles. And the Lord commanded the apostles: Lift up your eyes and see (John 4:35). And the prophet earnestly prays: Open my eyes, and I will behold wondrous things out of your law (Psalm 119:18).
JeromeAD 420
COMMENTARY ON EZEKIEL 4:13.3
Since the name of prophets, according to the pattern of the Scriptures, is used of good and bad alike, they differ from each other in that good prophets are said to be wise and evil prophets are said to be stupid and senseless. The one refers to the people of the church, whereas the other refers to all heretics who depart from the Spirit of God and follow their own spirit, because in no way do they prophesy from divine impulse but from their own hearts.
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 13:3 delivers a profound and severe divine indictment against false prophets in Israel, proclaiming a "woe" upon those who claim to speak for the Lord but instead propagate messages born purely from their own imaginations and desires. These self-appointed seers are unequivocally condemned for their spiritual blindness and deceit, having received no genuine revelation or vision from God, yet misleading the people with baseless pronouncements. This verse serves as a critical foundational statement within Ezekiel's broader condemnation of spiritual deception, emphasizing the absolute and perilous distinction between divinely inspired truth and human fabrication.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 13:3 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message with striking impact. The most prominent is Invective, a direct and harsh denunciation, immediately evident in the opening "Woe unto the foolish prophets." This forceful declaration of judgment sets a severe and condemning tone for the entire oracle, emphasizing the depth of God's wrath against spiritual deception. There is also a strong element of Contrast established between the divine authority declared by the phrase "Thus saith the Lord GOD" and the human fabrication implied by "follow their own spirit." This juxtaposition highlights the fundamental and irreconcilable difference between true and false prophecy, underscoring the illegitimacy and danger of the latter. Furthermore, the phrase "have seen nothing" utilizes profound Irony, as prophets are traditionally those who "see" or receive visions from God. By stating that these self-proclaimed "prophets" have "seen nothing," Ezekiel exposes their fraudulent claims and spiritual blindness, turning the very definition and expectation of a prophet against them to reveal their utter lack of divine mandate.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 13:3 is a foundational text for understanding the nature of true prophecy and the dangers of spiritual deception. It underscores the absolute necessity of divine revelation as the source of all authentic spiritual truth, contrasting it sharply with human-generated messages. Theologically, it affirms God's sovereignty over His word and His fierce jealousy for the purity of His communication to His people. The "foolishness" of these prophets is not merely a lack of intelligence, but a profound moral and spiritual senselessness, indicating a heart estranged from God and His truth. This verse serves as a timeless warning against those who claim spiritual authority without divine mandate, emphasizing the severe consequences for both the deceivers and the deceived. It calls believers to a posture of vigilant discernment, prioritizing God's revealed word above all human pronouncements, however comforting or popular they may seem, recognizing that true peace comes only from God's truth.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel's stern warning in 13:3 resonates powerfully in every generation, calling believers to a vigilant discernment regarding spiritual claims. In an age saturated with diverse voices, self-proclaimed gurus, and readily available information, the challenge of identifying authentic divine truth remains paramount. This verse compels us to critically examine the source of any message claiming spiritual authority: Is it genuinely rooted in God's revealed Word, or is it merely the product of human imagination, ambition, or a desire to appease? We are reminded that true spiritual guidance flows from a genuine encounter with God and His truth, not from personal opinion or self-serving agendas. The "foolish prophets" of Ezekiel's day offered comforting lies that prevented genuine repentance and led people astray; similarly, today, messages that promise peace without addressing sin, or prosperity without righteousness, can be equally deceptive. Our spiritual well-being depends on our ability to distinguish between the voice of the Shepherd and the voices of those who "follow their own spirit," ensuring that our faith is built upon the solid foundation of God's unchanging word.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What defines a "foolish prophet" according to this verse?
Answer: According to Ezekiel 13:3, a "foolish prophet" is someone who claims to speak for God but is morally and spiritually senseless, acting impiously and unwisely in God's sight. The Hebrew term nâbâl (H5036) implies not just a lack of intelligence, but a profound spiritual blindness and a disregard for divine truth. Their folly lies in their self-reliance and their willingness to propagate messages that originate from their own minds ("follow their own spirit") rather than from God. They are condemned for their spiritual deception and for misleading God's people with lies, as seen in Jeremiah 23:21.
Why is "having seen nothing" so significant for a prophet?
Answer: For a prophet, "having seen nothing" is a damning indictment because the very essence of prophecy involves receiving a direct vision, revelation, or word from God. Prophets are meant to be God's mouthpieces, communicating what they have perceived from Him. The phrase "and have seen nothing" (H7200) explicitly states that these individuals have no genuine divine encounter, no true vision, and no authentic message from the Lord. Their pronouncements are therefore baseless fabrications, completely devoid of divine authority or truth. This lack of genuine revelation is what makes their prophecies dangerous and deceptive, as highlighted in Jeremiah 23:32.
How can believers identify false prophets or teachers today, based on the principles in Ezekiel 13:3?
Answer: Believers can identify false prophets or teachers today by applying the principles of Ezekiel 13:3. First, examine the source of their message: Does it align with "Thus saith the Lord GOD" as revealed in the Bible, or does it primarily stem from their own opinions, desires, or personal interpretations ("follow their own spirit")? Second, assess the content of their message: Does it consistently point to God's truth, call for repentance, and align with the character of God, or does it offer only comforting but unbiblical assurances, or contradict established biblical doctrine? True prophets speak what God has genuinely revealed, while false ones "have seen nothing" from God and rely on self-generated ideas. Jesus Himself warned against false prophets, stating that "by their fruits you will recognize them" (Matthew 7:15-20), emphasizing that their true nature is revealed by their actions and the ultimate outcome of their teachings.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel 13:3, with its condemnation of false prophets, finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the Prophet par excellence, the one of whom Moses spoke, whom God would raise up to speak His words with unparalleled authority (Deuteronomy 18:15). Unlike the "foolish prophets" who "follow their own spirit" and "have seen nothing," Jesus speaks with absolute divine authority, declaring, "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen" (John 3:11). His words are not from "His own spirit" but are the very words of the Father who sent Him, a perfect reflection of divine revelation (John 12:49-50). Jesus consistently exposed the spiritual blindness and hypocrisy of those who claimed religious authority but lacked true divine insight, warning His disciples against false prophets who come in "sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15). Through His life, death, and resurrection, Christ perfectly embodies the true revelation of God, providing the definitive "Thus saith the Lord GOD" for all humanity, and by His Spirit, empowers believers to discern truth from falsehood, guiding them into all truth and enabling them to recognize the true Shepherd's voice (John 16:13).