Ezekiel 13:17 kjv
Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,
Ezekiel 13:17 nkjv
"Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them,
Ezekiel 13:17 niv
"Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them
Ezekiel 13:17 esv
"And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own hearts. Prophesy against them
Ezekiel 13:17 nlt
"Now, son of man, speak out against the women who prophesy from their own imaginations.
Ezekiel 13 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 13:5 | ...the prophet...who counsels rebellion against the Lord your God... | False prophet advocating other gods/deception. |
| Deut 18:20 | ...the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded... | Speaking in God's name without His authority. |
| Jer 14:14 | The prophets are prophesying lies to you in my name... They are prophesying to you false visions... | False prophecy stemming from personal imagination. |
| Jer 23:16 | ...Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you... They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. | Origin of false prophecy: their own hearts/minds. |
| Jer 23:26 | How long will this continue in the hearts of these prophets who prophesy lies... delusions of their own minds? | Further condemnation of heart-generated prophecy. |
| Jer 23:32 | "Indeed, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams," declares the Lord. | Condemnation of deceitful dream interpretation. |
| Zech 13:2-3 | ...I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity... | Eradicating false prophets and their influence. |
| Matt 7:15 | "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheepâs clothing..." | Warning against disguised deceivers. |
| 2 Pet 2:1 | But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. | Warning about internal false teachers in the church. |
| 1 John 4:1 | ...do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God... | Imperative to test all spiritual claims. |
| Rev 2:20 | Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess... | Tolerating a female false prophetess. |
| Ezek 2:1-3 | He said to me, "Son of man, stand up... and I will speak to you." | Ezekiel's call and identity as 'son of man'. |
| Ezek 3:8-9 | "I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint..." | Ezekiel's courage for confrontation. |
| Ezek 3:10-11 | "...receive into your heart all the words I speak to you..." | Requirement for a true prophet: speak God's exact word. |
| Num 12:6-8 | "...If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make myself known to him in a vision..." | God's method of revealing Himself to true prophets. |
| Isa 8:20 | To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. | Standard for discerning true prophecy: God's word. |
| 1 Kgs 22:28 | Then Micaiah said, "If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me." | Validation of true prophecy by fulfillment. |
| Jer 28:8-9 | ...the prophet who prophesies peaceâwhen the word of that prophet comes true... | Prophecy of peace needs future confirmation. |
| Acts 17:11 | Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message... examining the Scriptures... | Discernment by checking messages against Scripture. |
| 2 Cor 11:13-15 | For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. | Exposing deceitful workers in the ministry. |
| Gal 1:8 | But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you... | Cursing those who preach a different gospel. |
| Tit 1:10-11 | For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception... They must be silenced... | Rebuke those who mislead and corrupt others. |
| Exod 15:20 | Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand... | Example of a legitimate female prophet. |
| Judg 4:4 | Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. | Example of a legitimate female prophet/judge. |
| Luke 2:36 | There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. | Example of a legitimate female prophet in the New Testament. |
Ezekiel 13 verses
Ezekiel 13 17 Meaning
Ezekiel 13:17 delivers a divine command to the prophet Ezekiel to vehemently oppose and expose the female false prophets among his people. These women are condemned because their prophecies do not originate from God's revelation but from their own human desires, imaginations, and subjective thoughts, leading the people astray with self-generated messages of peace when judgment is due.
Ezekiel 13 17 Context
Ezekiel chapter 13 serves as a stark condemnation of false prophets in Israel. Throughout the chapter, God pronounces judgment upon both male and female prophets who deceive the people by speaking their own imaginations rather than divine truth. They offered misleading assurances of peace and prosperity, papering over the nation's severe sins and imminent judgment from Babylon. Verse 17 specifically zeroes in on the female practitioners of false prophecy, known as prophetesses, highlighting a particular group within Israel contributing to the spiritual decay and deception. Historically, this occurred during the lead-up to and experience of the Babylonian exile (6th century BC), when many Israelites longed for comforting messages, making them susceptible to those who spoke pleasant but false words.
Ezekiel 13 17 Word analysis
- And you, son of man,: (Hebrew: wÉ'attÄh ážen-'ÄážÄm). "Son of man" is God's frequent address to Ezekiel (Ezek 2:1), emphasizing his human vulnerability yet divine appointment as a messenger. It positions Ezekiel as God's representative receiving a direct, personal mandate for a difficult task.
- set your face against: (Hebrew: sÄ«m pÄnĂźáž”Ä 'el). This idiom denotes a resolute, unyielding opposition and determined confrontation (e.g., Ezek 6:2; Jer 21:10). It is a powerful command for Ezekiel to turn his full attention and unwavering resolve toward the identified targets.
- the daughters of your people: (Hebrew: bÉ-nĆáčŻ âam-me-áž”Ä). This specifically designates female Israelites who claim prophetic authority. Its mention emphasizes that the problem of false prophecy was not confined to men but was prevalent and problematic among women within the community as well.
- who prophesy out of their own heart: (Hebrew: hannĆvĂź'ĆwáčŻ mil·lib·bÄ·nÄh). This is the crucial identifying characteristic of false prophecy. Their messages are self-generated, arising from their internal desires, imagination, emotions, or human wisdom, rather than from divine inspiration or a clear word from God (Jer 14:14, 23:16). This distinguishes their messages from true divine revelation.
- and prophesy against them: (Hebrew: wÉhin·nÄbĂȘ âÄlĂȘ·hen). This is the explicit instruction for Ezekiel to act. It requires him to speak forth God's judgment and expose the deceit of these false prophetesses publicly and directly. It's a call to an uncomfortable but necessary prophetic denunciation.
Words-group analysis:
- "set your face against... and prophesy against them": This paired command outlines Ezekiel's specific mission: unwavering personal determination ("set your face") followed by direct, vocal pronouncement of God's judgment ("prophesy against them"). It underscores both the prophet's resolve and the explicit nature of the required confrontation.
- "the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own heart": This phrase succinctly defines the group to be confronted (female Israelites acting as prophets) and, most importantly, identifies their fatal flaw: their self-originated message ("out of their own heart"). It highlights that their authority is baseless and their guidance deceptive because it lacks divine origin.
Ezekiel 13 17 Bonus section
- While this verse specifically targets female false prophets, the condemnation extends to all false prophets, regardless of gender, who speak from their own heart (Ezek 13:2-3). The gender specificity in verse 17 merely highlights the pervasive nature of false prophecy within the society, affecting various groups.
- Chapters 13-14 of Ezekiel offer a comprehensive theological examination of discernment, truth, and spiritual authority, revealing the consequences of embracing delusion over divine reality. The pronouncements in Ezekiel 13 were particularly poignant because these false prophets were providing comforting, albeit deceptive, narratives that contradicted God's message of impending judgment, thus preventing true spiritual preparation.
- The broader context (Ezek 13:18-23) reveals the specific manipulative and possibly magical practices these women engaged in, such as making "magic armbands" and "veils," to capture souls and profit from people's anxieties. Their "prophecy" was thus intertwined with sorcery and self-gain.
Ezekiel 13 17 Commentary
Ezekiel 13:17 delivers a potent warning and divine directive against a specific, yet tragically common, form of spiritual deception: false prophecy originating from human will rather than divine revelation. The verse singles out "daughters of your people," indicating that within the community of Israel, certain women had assumed the role of prophetesses but were speaking lies derived from their own desires, emotions, or carnal understanding, not from God's Holy Spirit. This error is grave because it confuses human thoughts with divine truth, offering false hope or misleading guidance and preventing true repentance or reliance on God's genuine word. Ezekiel is commanded to "set his face against" themâa call to stern, unwavering confrontationâand to "prophesy against them," meaning he was to publicly expose their deceit with the authoritative word of the Lord. This divine instruction underscores the absolute necessity of distinguishing between God-breathed truth and human fabrications in spiritual matters, highlighting God's profound concern for the purity of His message and the spiritual well-being of His people. This passage compels us to always test every spiritual utterance against the revealed Word of God (1 John 4:1) and recognize that a message's source (human heart vs. divine Spirit) is paramount.