Ezekiel 13:16 kjv
To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 13:16 nkjv
that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,' " says the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 13:16 niv
those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign LORD."?'
Ezekiel 13:16 esv
the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 13:16 nlt
They were lying prophets who claimed peace would come to Jerusalem when there was no peace. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!'
Ezekiel 13 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 18:20 | But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not... | Warning against false prophetic claims |
| Deut 18:21-22 | "How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?"... | The test for a true prophet is fulfillment |
| Jer 6:14 | They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’... | False comfort in the face of judgment |
| Jer 8:11 | For they have healed the wound of the daughter of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace,... | Repeating the lie of false peace |
| Jer 14:13-14 | Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see... | God denies sending prophets of false peace |
| Jer 23:16 | Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets... | Do not heed prophets speaking from their own heart |
| Jer 23:17 | They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, ‘It shall be well... | False assurance for the disobedient |
| Jer 23:21 | "I did not send these prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them... | God disclaims false prophets |
| Jer 23:25-32 | "I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name... | God's judgment on prophets who speak dreams |
| Eze 13:3 | Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit... | Condemnation for prophesying from self |
| Eze 13:7 | Have you not seen a delusive vision and uttered a lying divination,... | God questioning the source of false visions |
| Eze 13:10-12 | Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’... | Illustrates destruction of false security |
| Lam 2:14 | Your prophets have seen for you false and misleading visions;... | False visions are misleading |
| Mic 3:5-7 | Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray,... | Judgment against greedy false prophets |
| Zech 13:2-6 | "On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will cut off the names of... | Future eradication of false prophecy |
| Matt 7:15 | "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing... | Warning against disguised false teachers |
| Matt 7:16-20 | "You will recognize them by their fruits..." | Identifying false prophets by their outcome |
| 2 Pet 2:1 | But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false... | Continuity of false teaching threat |
| 1 Thes 5:3 | While people are saying, "There is peace and safety," then sudden destruction... | Deceptive peace leads to sudden judgment |
| 2 Tim 4:3-4 | For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching,... | Preference for agreeable falsehoods |
| Isa 30:10 | who say to the seers, "Do not see visions," and to the prophets, "Do not... | Desire for pleasant rather than true words |
| Zeph 3:4 | Her prophets are treacherous, faithless men; her priests profane what is holy... | Religious leaders are corrupt and deceptive |
| Amos 9:10 | All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘Disaster... | Judgment for those who deny coming disaster |
| Rom 1:18 | For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness... | God's righteous wrath against sin |
| Joel 2:12-14 | "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart... | Call for genuine repentance, not false hope |
Ezekiel 13 verses
Ezekiel 13 16 Meaning
Ezekiel 13:16 powerfully summarizes the indictment against the false prophets in Israel. It declares that these individuals consistently proclaimed "visions of peace" and security for Jerusalem, a message that starkly contradicted God's own pronouncement of impending judgment and destruction due to the nation's profound sin. The verse highlights the deceptive nature of these prophets, whose messages stemmed from their own desires rather than divine inspiration. By directly stating, "there is no peace, declares the Lord GOD," the verse emphatically exposes the chasm between the prophets' comforting lies and God's sovereign, unchangeable truth regarding Jerusalem's actual plight.
Ezekiel 13 16 Context
Ezekiel 13 is entirely dedicated to a scathing condemnation of the false prophets and prophetesses within Israel during the exilic period and the final days of Jerusalem before its ultimate destruction in 586 BC. This was a time of immense national turmoil, with the people divided between those in exile and those still clinging to hope in Jerusalem. The true prophets, like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, delivered messages of impending judgment and the need for repentance due to the nation's idolatry and rebellion. However, false prophets, as described in this chapter, offered delusive hope, predicting peace and an imminent end to the Babylonian threat, directly contradicting God's message. Verse 16 specifically targets those prophets in Jerusalem whose repeated, self-generated "visions of peace" created a dangerous illusion of security for a city on the verge of ruin. God's emphatic "there is no peace" shatters these human fabrications, affirming His authority over the nation's destiny and exposing the perilous lie of the false seers.
Ezekiel 13 16 Word analysis
- Those prophets: In Hebrew,
נְבִיאֵי(nevi'ei). Refers to the deceptive spokespersons for God mentioned throughout chapter 13, whose prophecies originate from their own "spirit" (Eze 13:3) or "heart" (Eze 13:2), rather than from God. - of Israel:
יִשְׂרָאֵל(Yisra'el). Indicates that these were not foreign seers, but members of the covenant community, making their betrayal of God and misleading of His people particularly heinous. - who prophesied concerning Jerusalem:
הַנְּבִאִים עַל-יְרוּשָׁלַם(han-nevi'im 'al-Yerushalayim). Highlights their specific geographic focus. Jerusalem was the symbolic and actual center of the nation, and its fate was paramount. Their deceptive prophecies specifically concerned its welfare. - and saw visions of peace for her:
וְהָרֹאִים חֲזוֹן שָׁלוֹם לָהּ(ve-haro'im chazon shalom lah).חֲזוֹן(chazon): This word normally means a legitimate prophetic "vision." However, in context, it refers to a delusive, self-generated mental image rather than a divine revelation. They "saw" what they, or the people, wanted to see.שָׁלוֹם(shalom): A profound Hebrew concept encompassing well-being, wholeness, prosperity, safety, and the absence of conflict. The false prophets promised total security and deliverance for Jerusalem.לָהּ(lah): "For her," referring directly to Jerusalem. The promise of peace was directly for the city.
- when there was no peace:
וְאֵין שָׁלוֹם(ve-ein shalom).וְאֵין(ve-ein): A strong negation, meaning "and there is not" or "and there is no." It creates an absolute contrast to their promises. This is God's divine counter-statement, asserting the true reality of Jerusalem's precarious situation and coming judgment.שָׁלוֹם(shalom): Reiterates the same word but now with divine authority declaring its complete absence, debunking all prior false promises.
- declares:
נְאֻם(ne'um). A formal prophetic formula, consistently used by true prophets to authenticate the following words as a direct message from God Himself, underscoring its absolute authority and truthfulness. - the Lord GOD:
אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה(Adonai YHWH).Adonaisignifies "Master" or "Sovereign Lord," conveying absolute authority.YHWH(Yahweh), the covenant name of God, speaks to His unchangeable, faithful, and personal nature. The combination emphasizes God's supreme authority as the Master who reveals and executes truth and judgment, standing in stark contrast to the prophets' empty, human-sourced words.
Ezekiel 13 16 Bonus section
The concept of shalom (peace) being misused here is critical. True shalom in the Old Testament implies a holistic rightness, completeness, and flourishing that arises from right relationship with God and obedience to His covenant. The false prophets offered a superficial shalom – a mere absence of external conflict – which completely disregarded the nation's spiritual brokenness. By pronouncing "no peace," God signals that true well-being is absent because the foundational relationship has been violated. This dynamic highlights the difference between humanly conceived peace (often a wishful avoidance of trouble) and divine peace (a condition of spiritual reconciliation and righteousness). The repetition of "peace" emphasizes the false prophets' single-minded, but hollow, message, and then God's precise and decisive refutation.
Ezekiel 13 16 Commentary
Ezekiel 13:16 encapsulates the grave spiritual deception occurring in Israel as God's judgment loomed. False prophets, speaking from their own desires rather than God's revelation, fed the people's longing for positive news by prophesying "shalom"—a comprehensive sense of peace, security, and well-being—for Jerusalem. This message, while comforting, was a dangerous lie that kept the nation from confronting its sin and turning to God in repentance. The devastating climax comes with God's categorical declaration, "there is no peace," which utterly demolishes their fabricated visions. This statement is not merely a contradiction but an authoritative disclosure of truth by Adonai YHWH, the sovereign covenant God, who alone determines reality. The passage serves as a timeless warning against relying on self-generated optimism or comforting words that bypass genuine repentance and submission to God's difficult, yet true, message. True peace, whether individual or national, is found only in alignment with God's will, not in human-made assurances that deny His justice.