Ezekiel 13:4

Translation
King James Version
O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.
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KJV (with Strong's)
O Israel H3478, thy prophets H5030 are like the foxes H7776 in the deserts H2723.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Isra'el, your prophets have been like jackals among ruins.
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Berean Standard Bible
Your prophets, O Israel, are like foxes among the ruins.
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American Standard Version
O Israel, thy prophets have been like foxes in the waste places.
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World English Bible Messianic
Israel, your prophets have been like foxes in the waste places.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
O Israel, thy Prophets are like the foxes in the waste places.
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Young's Literal Translation
As foxes in the wastes, Thy prophets, O Israel, have been.
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See also
Revelation 19:202 Thessalonians 2:92 Thessalonians 2:10Micah 2:11Galatians 2:4Micah 3:5Matthew 7:15
In the KJVVerse 20,713 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Ezekiel 13:4 delivers a searing indictment against the false prophets in Israel, employing the vivid and memorable imagery of "foxes in the deserts." This striking simile serves as a profound warning against spiritual deception, exposing the cunning, opportunistic, and destructive nature of those who falsely claimed divine authority. These individuals, driven by self-interest, left the covenant people vulnerable and spiritually desolate, rather than building them up in truth and preparing them for the impending divine judgment.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Ezekiel 13 is a crucial chapter within the larger prophetic judgments against Judah and Jerusalem (chapters 1-24), immediately following a series of visions exposing the deep-seated idolatry and moral corruption within the temple and throughout the land (e.g., Ezekiel 8). This chapter specifically targets the pervasive problem of false prophets and prophetesses who propagated deceptive messages of peace and security, directly contradicting the true, stern word of judgment delivered by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 13:10). The immediate literary context highlights a profound spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of God's people, where genuine divine revelation was being undermined by human fabrication, leading to a false sense of hope that would ultimately prove disastrous.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The prophet Ezekiel ministered during the tumultuous period of the Babylonian exile, beginning around 597 BCE. He was among the first wave of exiles deported to Babylon, while many still remained in Jerusalem, clinging to the hope of a quick return and national restoration. In this climate of national crisis, uncertainty, and despair, false prophets thrived, offering comforting but ultimately deceptive messages that contradicted the harsh reality of God's judgment and the true prophetic call to repentance and submission to Babylon. In ancient Israel, prophets held immense cultural and religious authority, seen as direct conduits of divine revelation. The comparison to "foxes" (or jackals, common scavengers in the desolate regions of the Near East) would have immediately evoked images of cunning, stealth, and destructive behavior, particularly their habit of undermining structures or preying on vulnerable flocks. This imagery starkly contrasts with the protective role of a true shepherd or watchman, a role Ezekiel himself was called to fulfill (as described in Ezekiel 3:17).
  • Key Themes: Ezekiel 13:4 profoundly contributes to several key themes within the book of Ezekiel and the broader prophetic tradition. Foremost is the theme of spiritual deception and the severe consequences of misleading God's people. The false prophets were not conveying God's truth but their own delusions, often for personal gain or popularity, thereby undermining the spiritual integrity of the nation. This leads directly to the theme of the destructive nature of falsehood, where the "foxes" metaphor emphasizes their opportunistic and ruinous impact on Israel's spiritual "wall" (as seen in Ezekiel 13:5). Unlike genuine shepherds who protect their flock, these false prophets exploited the people, leaving them exposed to danger and divine judgment. The verse implicitly highlights the crucial theme of divine discernment and the imperative for God's people to distinguish between true and false prophecy, a call echoed throughout the Old and New Testaments (e.g., Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Israel (Hebrew, Yisrâʼêl', H3478): From a root meaning "he will rule as God," this is the symbolic name given to Jacob and, by extension, to his descendants, the covenant people of God. The direct address "O Israel" underscores that this message is a lament and a severe warning directed at the entire nation, highlighting their responsibility to discern truth and the profound impact of these false prophets on the community's spiritual well-being.
  • prophets (Hebrew, nâbîyʼ', H5030): Derived from a root meaning "to bubble up" or "to announce," this term refers to an inspired person, one who speaks for God. In this context, however, it refers to those who claim to be such, but whose words are their own invention, not divine revelation. Ezekiel's indictment highlights the perversion of this sacred office, where those entrusted with divine communication instead propagate deceit.
  • foxes (Hebrew, shûwʻâl', H7776): This word can refer to either a fox or, more commonly in the ancient Near East, a jackal. Both animals are known for their cunning, stealth, scavenging habits, and their tendency to burrow and undermine structures. The imagery here suggests a destructive, opportunistic, and non-constructive presence that preys on vulnerability rather than building or protecting, contrasting sharply with the expected role of a true prophet.
  • deserts (Hebrew, chorbâh', H2723): Properly meaning "drought" or "desolation," this term signifies a decayed, desolate, or wasted place. It paints a picture of ruin and emptiness. The false prophets are not found in fertile, cultivated lands where true growth occurs, but in places of spiritual barrenness and destruction, where they contribute to the desolation rather than alleviate it. Their sphere of influence is one of decay and spiritual waste.

Verse Breakdown

  • "O Israel,": This direct and poignant address underscores that the message is specifically for the covenant people of God, highlighting their unique relationship with Yahweh and their responsibility to discern truth. It is a lament and a warning directed at the very heart of the community, emphasizing the profound and widespread impact of these false prophets on the entire nation.
  • "thy prophets are like the foxes": This is the core of the indictment, employing a vivid simile. It directly compares those who claim to speak for God to cunning, destructive, and opportunistic animals. Unlike true shepherds who protect the flock, these "prophets" are likened to predators or scavengers, implying their self-serving motives and the profound harm they inflict upon the spiritual well-being of the people, subtly undermining their faith and security.
  • "in the deserts.": This phrase amplifies the negative imagery and deepens the indictment. The "deserts" (or desolate places) are not merely a geographical location but powerfully symbolize the spiritual barrenness and ruin that these false prophets either inhabit or actively create. They operate in places of decay and destruction, contributing to the desolation rather than bringing life or restoration. Their work is not one of building or cultivating, but of undermining and scavenging in a wasted spiritual landscape.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 13:4 powerfully employs several literary devices to convey its stark message. The most prominent is Simile, explicitly stating that the prophets "are like the foxes." This direct comparison vividly illustrates the insidious nature of the false prophets, drawing on the common understanding of foxes (or jackals) as cunning, destructive, and opportunistic creatures. This simile then extends into potent Symbolism, where the "foxes" symbolize not just cunning but also a predatory, undermining, and scavenging behavior that stands in stark contrast to the protective and edifying role of a true prophet or shepherd. The phrase "in the deserts" further enhances the powerful Imagery, painting a desolate and barren landscape. This imagery not only suggests the environment where these "foxes" thrive but also symbolizes the spiritual desolation and ruin that the false prophets bring upon Israel, rather than the spiritual nourishment and protection that God's people desperately needed.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 13:4 serves as a timeless theological warning about the insidious nature of spiritual deception and the critical importance of discerning true divine revelation from human fabrication. It underscores God's deep concern for the purity of His word and the spiritual integrity of His people, highlighting the severe judgment awaiting those who corrupt it for personal gain. The passage emphasizes that true spiritual leadership builds up and protects the flock, while false leadership undermines and exploits, leading to spiritual desolation. This discernment is not merely intellectual but spiritual, requiring an alignment with God's revealed character and truth, which always leads to repentance, righteousness, and genuine peace, not false comfort or superficial assurances.

  • Jeremiah 14:14 - "Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: They prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart."
  • Matthew 7:15 - "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."
  • 1 John 4:1 - "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 13:4 remains profoundly relevant for believers today, serving as a powerful call to spiritual vigilance and discernment. In an age saturated with information and diverse voices claiming spiritual authority, this verse compels us to critically evaluate teachings and leaders, ensuring they align with the unchanging truth of God's Word rather than human agendas or comforting falsehoods. It challenges us to cultivate a robust spiritual discernment, recognizing that genuine spiritual nourishment comes from those who faithfully steward God's truth, even when it is challenging, and not from those who offer superficial assurances or exploit vulnerabilities. We are called to be guardians of truth, protecting ourselves and our communities from the cunning and destructive influence of spiritual "foxes" who seek to undermine faith and lead astray, ultimately leading to spiritual barrenness.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does the imagery of "foxes in the deserts" help you understand the nature and impact of false teaching or leadership in any context?
  • What are practical steps you can take to develop greater spiritual discernment in your own life and in evaluating spiritual messages?
  • In what ways might we, even unintentionally, act like "foxes" by prioritizing personal comfort or popularity over the challenging truth of God's Word?
  • How can communities of faith better equip their members to identify and resist deceptive spiritual influences?

FAQ

Why does God compare false prophets to foxes, specifically "in the deserts"?

Answer: The comparison to "foxes" (or more accurately, jackals, which were common in the ancient Near East) is highly symbolic and deeply insightful. These animals are known for their cunning, stealth, and opportunistic nature. They are scavengers, often preying on vulnerable livestock (like a shepherd's flock) or undermining structures by digging burrows. This imagery vividly portrays the false prophets as not building up or protecting Israel, but rather subtly undermining its spiritual foundations, preying on the people's fears and hopes for their own gain. The phrase "in the deserts" further emphasizes this negative portrayal. Deserts are places of desolation, barrenness, and ruin. It suggests that these false prophets operate in or contribute to a spiritually desolate landscape. They offer no true nourishment or protection, but rather thrive in and exacerbate the spiritual decay of the nation, leaving the people exposed and vulnerable to divine judgment, much like "the little foxes that spoil the vines" (as seen in Song of Solomon 2:15).

Who were these false prophets that Ezekiel was condemning?

Answer: These were individuals within Israel, both among the exiles in Babylon and those remaining in Jerusalem, who claimed to speak on behalf of Yahweh but whose messages were not divinely inspired. Instead, they prophesied "out of their own heart" (as stated in Ezekiel 13:2). They often delivered messages of peace and prosperity, contradicting God's true word of impending judgment and exile (e.g., Jeremiah 6:14). Their motivations often included personal gain, popularity, or a desire to appease the people rather than confront them with uncomfortable truths. They were essentially spiritual con artists, offering false hope that prevented genuine repentance and submission to God's will, thereby leading the people further astray and making them vulnerable to the very judgment they denied.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Ezekiel 13:4, with its stark condemnation of false prophets as destructive "foxes," finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and ministry of Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament prophets often lamented the absence of true shepherds and the proliferation of those who exploited God's flock, Jesus declares Himself the Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for the sheep, utterly contrasting with the self-serving "foxes" who scatter and devour. He is the embodiment of truth, the Word made flesh, whose teachings are not born of human deceit but from perfect communion with the Father (as seen in John 14:10). Unlike the false prophets who offered empty promises of peace, Jesus offers genuine peace through reconciliation with God (e.g., John 14:27) and the ultimate sacrifice for sin. He warned His disciples to beware of false prophets, who come in sheep's clothing but are inwardly ravenous wolves, thereby reinforcing the very discernment Ezekiel called for. In Christ, the desolate spiritual "deserts" are transformed into living waters, and the flock finds true security and life under the care of the one who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, forever exposing and vanquishing the deceit of the spiritual "foxes."

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Commentary on Ezekiel 13 verses 1–9

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 2:4
The fox is an animal good for nothing, sly, wild, ferocious.
Basil of CaesareaAD 379
HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 19:8 (PS 48)
At another time, because of his deceit toward his brother, he makes himself like the villainous fox. Truly, there is in him excessive folly and a bestial lack of reason, because, made according to the image of the Creator, he neither perceives his own constitution from the beginning nor wishes to understand such great dispensations that were made for his sake, so that he could learn his own dignity from them; he does not realize that, throwing aside the image of the heavenly, he has taken up the image of the earthly.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Versed 4 et sequentia) Your prophets, Israel, will be like foxes in the desert. You did not go up to face the enemy or build a wall for the house of Israel to stand firm in battle on the day of the Lord. They see false visions and speak deceptive divinations, saying, 'The Lord declares,' when the Lord has not sent them; yet they hope for the fulfillment of their words. Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination when you say, 'The Lord declares,' though I have not spoken?' LXX: Like foxes in the deserts are your prophets, O Israel ((Add. they were or will be)). They did not stand in the firmament, and they gathered flocks over the house of Israel. Those who say in the day of the Lord did not rise: seeing falsehoods, divining vanities, those who say, says the Lord, and the Lord did not send them: and they began to stir up discourse. Did you not see false visions, and speak vain divinations? And you said, says the Lord, and I did not speak. Let us first speak according to the Hebrew. The prophets of Israel are like foxes, committing thefts of domestic birds every day: those who live, according to Aquila and the Septuagint, in the deserts; according to Symmachus and Theodotion, in walls and ruins: who cannot advance opposite, nor oppose a wall for the house of Israel. We read that Aaron stood in the middle against the fire devouring the people of Israel, and opposed a wall for the salvation of the people (Num. XVI). It is also said of Jeremiah, 'Do not confront the Lord, nor stand against His wrath with persevering prayer' (Jer. 7). Just as a wall is set against an enemy and is usually met head-on by the adversary, so the will of God is weakened by the prayers of the saints. Therefore, Moses is also told, 'Let me alone, and I will destroy this people' (Exod. 32:10), which shows that he had the power to hold back. These people cannot stand in battle on the Day of the Lord, to fight for the people with prayers and resist the judgments of God's pleas. Therefore, because they see in vain and falsely prophesy, and claim to be sent by the Lord when they are not sent by Him, and persist in their errors, and desire to affirm their own words; they are accused of preaching empty things, saying that their lies are the words of the Lord. Furthermore, according to the Septuagint, the sense here is: All heretics are like foxes because of their deceit and wickedness, about whom the Savior speaks: Foxes have dens, and birds of the air have nests (Matthew 8:20). And it is written about Herod: Say to this fox (Luke 13:32). And about those same foxes that deceive the innocent and plunder the vineyard of Christ, Solomon speaks: Catch for us the little foxes, who spoil the vineyards (Song of Solomon 2:15). And in the psalm about those who are deceived by their trickery, it is sung: They shall go into the depths of the earth, they shall be delivered into the hands of the sword, they shall become the portion of foxes (Psalm 63:10, 11). O prophets who are like foxes, they did not stand in the firmament; nor did they deserve to hear from Peter: You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church (Matthew 16:18). Nor are they like Moses, to whom it was said: You stand here with me (Deuteronomy 5:31). Nor like him who says: He has set my feet upon a rock; but they have swayed with every wind of doctrine. They have not stood in the firmament, of which we read in the eighteenth psalm: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands. These gathered together the irrational ones, and due to the excessive innocence of the livestock, they are similar to the house of God. Hence, it is now said: And they gathered flocks over the house of Israel: neither they themselves rose, nor were they able to raise others; but whatever they did and do, they are full of lies. And what follows: And they began to stir up discourse, signifies that they indeed desire to rise up and lift themselves to heights; but what they desire, they cannot fulfill: and it is said to them: Have you not seen a false vision and spoken idle divinations? And what follows, and you were saying, 'Thus says the Lord,' and I have not spoken, it is not found in the Septuagint.
JeromeAD 420
COMMENTARY ON EZEKIEL 4:13.4-7
They observe empty things and divine falsehood and say that they have been sent by God, although have not; and they persist in their errors, keen on establishing only what they are saying. They argue because everything they have preached is empty.
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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