Ezekiel 13 15

Ezekiel 13:15 kjv

Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it;

Ezekiel 13:15 nkjv

"Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, 'The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it,

Ezekiel 13:15 niv

So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, "The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it,

Ezekiel 13:15 esv

Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it,

Ezekiel 13:15 nlt

At last my anger against the wall and those who covered it with whitewash will be satisfied. Then I will say to you: 'The wall and those who whitewashed it are both gone.

Ezekiel 13 verses

Ezekiel 13 15 Meaning

God declares that His complete and final judgment will be fully executed upon both the false prophecies (metaphorically, the "wall") and the false prophets who promulgated them (the "plasterers"). This pronouncement signals an absolute and irreversible destruction of all deceptive messages and those who propagate them, serving as a powerful vindication of God's truth and sovereignty.

Ezekiel 13 15 Context

Ezekiel chapter 13 focuses entirely on God's judgment against false prophets and prophetesses who were leading Israel astray. These prophets offered soothing words of "peace" and "safety" (Ezek 13:10, 16) even when judgment was imminent, both in Jerusalem and among the exiles in Babylon. They contradicted the true prophets, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who declared God's righteous wrath due to Israel's idolatry and sin. Verse 10 introduced the metaphor of a poorly built "wall" that needed mending, which these false prophets deceitfully "plastered with untempered mortar," making it appear sound and secure when it was structurally unsound. God declares that this false facade will be destroyed by His judgment (stormy wind, overflowing rain, hailstones, vv. 11-13). Verse 15 marks the climax of this condemnation, solidifying the utter and irreversible destruction of both the deceitful message (the wall) and those who presented it as truth (the plasterers). The historical setting is the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BCE, a time when many eagerly sought false hope instead of repenting and trusting God's word.

Ezekiel 13 15 Word analysis

• So I will accomplish my wrath (וְכִלֵּיתִ֥י חֲמָתִ֖י - ve-khillêti chamati):

  • וְכִלֵּיתִ֥י (ve-khillêti): "And I will bring to an end," "I will finish." From the root כלה (kalá), meaning "to complete" or "to cease." This conveys the absolute and final nature of God's judicial action; His judgment is thorough, reaching its appointed conclusion without fail.
  • חֲמָתִ֖י (chamati): "My wrath," "My hot displeasure." From חמה (chemá), signifying God's intense, righteous indignation and decisive judgment against sin, distinct from human capriciousness. It underscores the severity and justice of His response to grave deception.

• upon the wall (בַּקִּ֣יר - baqir):

  • בַּקִּ֣יר (baqir): "Upon the wall." This is a central metaphor. It represents the deceptive prophecies, the false assurances of peace and security built on lies, lacking any genuine divine foundation. It symbolizes the fragile and temporary edifice of their spiritual fraud.

• and upon those who have plastered it (וּבְטָחִ֑ים - u-ve-ṭaḥîm):

  • וּבְטָחִ֑ים (u-ve-ṭaḥîm): "And upon those who plastered (it)." The noun form derived from טוח (túaḥ), meaning "to plaster" or "to smear." This refers to the false prophets and prophetesses themselves. Their act of "plastering" indicates a deliberate concealment of fundamental flaws and weaknesses with a superficial veneer of peace and truth, using טָפֵל (ṭāphēl), "untempered mortar" (from earlier verses 10-14).

• and I will say to you (אֹמַ֥ר אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם - omar aleichem):

  • אֹמַ֥ר (omar): "I will say." This verb emphasizes the divine authority of the pronouncement. It's a formal declaration from God, signifying that what is spoken will definitively come to pass.
  • אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם (aleichem): "To you (plural)." The direct address confirms the personal and targeted nature of God's judgment specifically towards the false prophets, ensuring they understand their fate.

• ‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it!’ (אֵ֥ין הַקִּ֖יר וְאֵ֥ין טָחָֽיו׃ - ein haqir ve-ein taḥav):

  • אֵ֥ין (ein): "There is no," "is not," "no more." A strong particle of negation, expressing absolute absence and complete cessation. It highlights utter obliteration.
  • הַקִּ֖יר (haqir): "The wall." Reiterates the complete disappearance of the deceptive prophecies and their supposed stability.
  • וְאֵ֥ין (ve-ein): "And there is no." The repetition of this negating term serves for emphatic stress, underscoring the comprehensiveness of the destruction.
  • טָחָֽיו (taḥav): "Its plasterers" or "those who plastered it." Confirms the total eradication not only of the false messages but also of the influence and presence of the false messengers themselves.

• "I will accomplish my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have plastered it": This phrase underlines that divine judgment is comprehensive, addressing both the sinful deed (the "wall" of deception) and the perpetrators of the sin (the "plasterers" of falsehood). It is a judgment of both consequences and causality, ensuring justice is fully served. The nature of their טָפֵל (ṭāphēl) (untempered/crude mortar) implies that their work was both physically weak and spiritually "tasteless" or insipid, devoid of true spiritual substance, much like unseasoned food or a flimsy structure.

• "The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it!": The double negation vividly portrays the utter annihilation of both the deceptive ideology and the individuals who championed it. It speaks to a level of destruction that erases all trace, confirming that God’s truth ultimately prevails and all that opposes it will vanish without a trace. This divine declaration leaves no ambiguity about the outcome of confronting God with falsehood.

Ezekiel 13 15 Bonus section

The specific choice of טָפֵל (ṭāphēl) (untempered mortar/plaster, implied from previous verses to characterize the "plastering") carries more than just an architectural meaning of weak material. In other biblical and ancient contexts, taphel can also denote something that is "insipid," "tasteless," or "foolish" (Job 6:6). This multi-layered nuance suggests that the false prophecies were not merely structurally unsound, but also spiritually devoid of nourishment and wisdom—they lacked the vital truth and robust insight that true prophecy from God provides. This further heightens the culpability of the false prophets, implying they offered "tasteless" spiritual food instead of life-giving sustenance. Furthermore, the explicit statement "I will say to you, ‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it!’" demonstrates God's sovereignty over language and declaration. Just as His Word brings things into existence (Gen 1:3), His decree here definitively nullifies and erases, reversing the false claims and perceived reality established by the deceivers, thus showcasing the ultimate power of the divine pronouncement over all human pretense.

Ezekiel 13 15 Commentary

Ezekiel 13:15 climactically seals God's judgment on false prophecy. The prior verses developed a vivid metaphor: false prophets were like shoddy builders creating a weak "wall" (their deceitful messages) and covering it with "untempered mortar" (superficial, empty words) to give an illusion of strength and peace where none existed. God's declaration, "I will accomplish my wrath," signals that His righteous indignation will be fully and irreversibly executed. This divine judgment targets two interdependent aspects: the false message itself, which offers no true refuge or stability, and the messengers, the prophets who spread these lies. The culminating statement, "The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it!", emphasizes the absolute cessation and obliteration of both the deceit and the deceivers. This outcome vindicates God’s truth, exposing and dismantling all that falsely claims divine authority. It leaves no room for the persistent presence of spiritual fraud or its propagators.

• Example 1: When political or spiritual leaders promise security based on human ingenuity rather than God's principles, such pronouncements, like the untempered wall, will eventually crumble under the pressure of reality and God's judgment.
• Example 2: Any teaching that promotes an easy salvation without genuine repentance or that diminishes the gravity of sin constructs a deceptive "wall" that will not stand the test of God's pure and demanding truth.