Ezekiel 13:2 kjv
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;
Ezekiel 13:2 nkjv
"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, 'Hear the word of the LORD!' "
Ezekiel 13:2 niv
"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: 'Hear the word of the LORD!
Ezekiel 13:2 esv
"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: 'Hear the word of the LORD!'
Ezekiel 13:2 nlt
"Son of man, prophesy against the false prophets of Israel who are inventing their own prophecies. Say to them, 'Listen to the word of the LORD.
Ezekiel 13 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 13:1-5 | If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you... and says, "Let us go after other gods"... you shall not listen... for the Lord your God is testing you. | Warning against following false prophets. |
| Deut 18:20 | But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that same prophet shall die. | Divine penalty for unauthorized prophecy. |
| Isa 28:7 | The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink... they are confused... they err in vision... stumbled in judgment. | Spiritual blindness of religious leaders. |
| Jer 14:14 | The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them... they are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. | False prophecy from self-deception. |
| Jer 23:16 | Thus says the Lord of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you; they are leading you into futility. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. | Source of false prophecy: human imagination. |
| Jer 23:21 | I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. | Lack of divine commission. |
| Jer 27:9-10 | So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers... who are saying to you, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon.' For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. | Denouncing prophets giving false hope. |
| Jer 28:15 | Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. | Specific confrontation of a false prophet. |
| Ez 12:24 | For there shall be no more any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. | God promises to end false prophecy. |
| Ez 13:3 | Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! | Consequences of spiritual blindness. |
| Zech 13:2-4 | On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land... I will also remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness... If anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say... "You shall not live..." | Future cleansing from false prophecy. |
| Matt 7:15-16 | Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. | Discerning false teachers by their actions. |
| Matt 24:11 | And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. | Prophecy of widespread deception. |
| Acts 20:29-30 | I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock... speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. | Warning against internal doctrinal threats. |
| 2 Cor 11:13 | For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. | Impostors masking as true ministers. |
| 2 Tim 4:3-4 | For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears... will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth... | People preferring self-pleasing doctrines. |
| 2 Pet 2:1 | But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master... | The continued danger of false teachers. |
| 1 Jn 4:1 | Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. | Exhortation to test spiritual claims. |
| Rev 19:20 | And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those... | The ultimate fate of the false prophet. |
| Ez 22:28 | Her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken. | Deceit of false prophets. |
| 1 Kgs 22:23 | Now therefore, behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets. | God allowing lying spirits for judgment. |
| Mic 3:5 | Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry "Peace" when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths. | Prophets motivated by greed and self-interest. |
Ezekiel 13 verses
Ezekiel 13 2 Meaning
Ezekiel 13:2 conveys a divine command to Ezekiel, addressed as "son of man," to pronounce a prophecy of judgment against the false prophets within Israel. These individuals, despite claiming divine inspiration, were in fact speaking messages derived solely from their own minds and desires, rather than from the Lord. The verse sets the stage for a detailed denunciation of their deceptive practices and the destructive consequences for God's people.
Ezekiel 13 2 Context
Ezekiel's prophetic ministry unfolds during a critical period for Judah, specifically in the midst of the Babylonian exile (circa 593-571 BCE). Chapter 13 focuses entirely on the denunciation of false prophets and prophetesses who were prevalent among the exiles and those remaining in Judah. These individuals offered flattering predictions of peace, national restoration, and a speedy end to the exile, directly contradicting the dire warnings of genuine prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Their messages created a false sense of security, encouraging resistance against Babylon (which God had ordained) and preventing the people from genuinely repenting and embracing God's disciplinary plan. Ezekiel's stern message against them highlights the crucial distinction between divinely-inspired truth and human-generated deception, challenging the prevalent belief that "God would never abandon His temple or people." This context reveals a spiritual battleground where the word of the Lord was competing with comforting, yet ultimately destructive, lies.
Ezekiel 13 2 Word analysis
- Son of man (בֶּן-אָדָם, ben-adam): This recurring address throughout Ezekiel (over 90 times) is God's specific way of identifying the prophet. It emphasizes Ezekiel's human nature and vulnerability, reminding him he is merely a mortal spokesman. Yet, it simultaneously highlights the divine authority of the message he bears, establishing him as God's chosen messenger, not a self-proclaimed prophet. This title sets a strong contrast to the self-appointed prophets he is about to condemn, who speak from their own limited human perspective.
- Prophesy against (הִנָּבֵא אֶל, hinave ela): "Prophesy" (from נבא, nava') implies speaking under divine inspiration. Here, it is a divine imperative—a command to proclaim God's word. The preposition "against" (אֶל, ela) indicates confrontation and judgment, setting a clear tone of opposition to the false prophets. It signifies an adversarial stance from God's perspective.
- Prophets of Israel (נְבִיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, nevi'ei Yisra'el): These are individuals operating within Israel, claiming a prophetic calling and speaking to the people in God's name. The term "prophets" lends them a certain credibility among the populace, which makes their deception more dangerous. "Of Israel" signifies that they are internal to God's covenant people, not foreign prophets.
- who prophesy (הַנִּבְּאִים, hanniv'im): This emphasizes their current and ongoing activity, portraying them as active agents in disseminating their messages. It underscores their established role and the direct object of Ezekiel's counter-prophecy.
- Prophets of Israel who prophesy: This phrase group emphasizes the internal danger. These are not external enemies but members claiming a privileged spiritual role within the covenant community. Their actions corrupt from within.
- prophesy from their own heart (מִלִּבָּם, milivvam): This is the core accusation. In Hebrew thought, the "heart" (לֵב, lev) is not merely the seat of emotions, but the center of thought, will, intention, and decision-making—the whole inner being. To prophesy "from their own heart" means their messages originate entirely from their human mind, desires, or imagination, completely devoid of divine inspiration or command. This directly opposes God's true prophecy which originates from His mouth (cf. Deut 18:18). It's a statement of absolute lack of divine origin, making their claims fraudulent. This phrase functions as a direct polemic against their self-proclaimed authority and a clear differentiator from genuine prophecy.
Ezekiel 13 2 Bonus section
The concept of the "heart" (לֵב, lev) as the origin of their prophecies has deep theological implications. It signifies a profound contrast to what it means to be a true prophet—one whose heart is entirely surrendered to God, making him a vessel for God's divine revelation, not his own thoughts. These false prophets, driven by their own inner selves, fundamentally misrepresent God and endanger the spiritual well-being of the community. Their messages offered convenient lies rather than hard truths, preferring peace and comfort over the challenging path of repentance and submission to God's will. This kind of "heart-driven" prophecy is a stark reminder of humanity's tendency to create gods or messages in their own image, rather than submitting to the living God. Such prophets often cater to "itching ears" (2 Tim 4:3), delivering what people want to hear, rather than what they need to hear for spiritual formation and salvation.
Ezekiel 13 2 Commentary
Ezekiel 13:2 delivers a profound condemnation of those who misuse the sacred office of prophecy. The command to "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy" immediately establishes a divine imperative against a corrupt internal religious leadership. The crux of their transgression is clarified by the phrase "prophesy from their own heart." This signifies that their messages, far from being God's inspired word, were merely projections of their personal desires, interpretations, or imaginations, crafted to please their audience or further their own agendas. This practice was particularly dangerous because it lulled the people into a false sense of security, preventing genuine repentance and adherence to God's true warnings through prophets like Ezekiel and Jeremiah. The verse underscores the absolute necessity of discerning the source of spiritual messages—whether from God's explicit revelation or from human invention—and establishes a divine precedent for challenging self-appointed religious authorities who lack divine commission. It warns against a comfortable spirituality divorced from truth and obedience.