Ezekiel 13 20

Ezekiel 13:20 kjv

Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.

Ezekiel 13:20 nkjv

'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls there like birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds.

Ezekiel 13:20 niv

"?'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds.

Ezekiel 13:20 esv

"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the souls like birds.

Ezekiel 13:20 nlt

"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against all your magic charms, which you use to ensnare my people like birds. I will tear them from your arms, setting my people free like birds set free from a cage.

Ezekiel 13 verses

Ezekiel 13 20 Meaning

Ezekiel 13:20 proclaims God's decisive judgment against false prophetesses who employed "magic bands" to spiritually ensnare people through deceptive practices and false prophecies for their personal gain. The verse underscores God's commitment to justice by declaring He will forcefully dismantle these instruments of deception, thereby liberating the "souls" who were trapped and manipulated, comparing their vulnerability to that of birds caught in a fowler's snare. This is a promise of divine intervention to rescue His people from spiritual bondage.

Ezekiel 13 20 Context

Ezekiel 13 serves as a divine indictment against the false prophets and prophetesses within Israel who were misleading the people with fabricated visions and flattering prophecies, rather than God's truth. The prophet Ezekiel, ministering to the exiles in Babylon, exposed their deceit, particularly among the false prophetesses (verses 17-23). These women were exploiting the anxieties and hopes of a desperate nation, in exile and suffering, by offering false assurances and employing pagan magical practices for personal gain. Verse 20 specifically denounces their "magic bands," which symbolize their tools of divination and spiritual manipulation. God's response is a forceful promise to intervene, dismantle their power, and liberate the people they had ensnared, contrasting their false comfort with His true, liberating justice amidst the national crisis.

Ezekiel 13 20 Word analysis

• Therefore (כֵּן - kēn): Connects God's upcoming pronouncement to the preceding denunciation of the false prophetesses' deceitful actions.
• thus says (כֹּה אָמַר - kōh ʾāmar): A solemn prophetic declaration, asserting that the message directly originates from and carries the full authority of God.
• the Lord GOD (אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה - ʾăḏōnāy YHWH): The highest designation for God, combining Adonai (Sovereign Lord) with YHWH (the covenant Name), emphasizing His supreme authority and faithfulness to His people, even in judgment.
• Behold (הִנְנִי - hinnēnî): An emphatic exclamation used to draw intense attention to an immediate and significant divine action.
• I am against (אֶל - ʾel): Expresses God's direct, personal, and active opposition to the specific practices being condemned.
• your magic bands (כִּסּוֹתֵיכֶם - kissōṯêḵem): From כָּסָה (kāsāh), "to cover." These were coverings, armbands, or amulets worn or used by the prophetesses as instruments for their divinatory and deceptive magical practices, symbolizing their false spiritual authority.
• with which (אֲשֶׁר - ʾăšer): Indicates the specific function and purpose of the magic bands.
• you hunt (אַתֶּם צָדוֹת - ʾattem ṣāḏōṯ): From צוד (ṣûḏ), "to hunt, ensnare." This metaphor vividly describes the deceptive, predatory nature of the prophetesses, actively trapping people's lives through manipulation.
• the souls (הַנְּפָשׁוֹת - han'nəp̄āšōṯ): Plural of נֶפֶשׁ (nep̄eš), encompassing the entire living being, person, or life. Here, it signifies the individuals who were spiritually deceived, exploited, and brought into bondage.
• and I will tear them (וְקָרַעְתִּי אֹתָם - wəqāraʿtî ʾōṯām): From קָרַע (qāraʿ), "to tear, rip apart." Signifies a violent, decisive, and irreversible act by God to utterly destroy the efficacy and symbolic power of these objects.
• from your arms (מֵעַל זְרֹעוֹתֵיכֶם - mêʿal zərōʿōṯêḵem): The "arms" (זְרוֹעַ - zərôaʿ) are where these bands were fastened, symbolizing the physical connection and the seat of their perceived magical power. God's tearing them off disarms the prophetesses completely.
• and let the souls go (וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי אֶת-הַנְּפָשׁוֹת - wəšillaḥtî ʾeṯ-han'nəp̄āšōṯ): From שָׁלַח (šālaḥ), "to send away, release." This highlights God's ultimate compassionate purpose: to free His people from the spiritual captivity imposed by the false prophetesses.
• the souls that (אֲשֶׁר - ʾăšer): Connects the freed souls back to the victims of the deception.
• you hunt (אַתֶּם צָדוֹת - ʾattem ṣāḏōṯ): Repeats the condemnation of their manipulative actions.
• as birds (לְפֹרְחֹת - ləp̄ōrḥōṯ): "Flying things" or "birds." A simile emphasizing the innocence, helplessness, and vulnerability of the people, easily caught and exploited by the spiritual fowlers.

• "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against your magic bands": This phrase combines legal judgment, divine authority, and a direct declaration of opposition against the specific instruments of the false prophetesses' sorcery. It establishes a confrontation between God and their deceptive practices.
• "with which you hunt the souls": This phrase illuminates the malicious intent and consequence of using the "magic bands." The prophetesses were not merely performing rituals but actively engaging in spiritual predation, aiming to capture and control people's spiritual lives for their own benefit.
• "and I will tear them from your arms and let the souls go": This segment depicts God's powerful and violent intervention. "Tear" indicates a decisive destruction of their power base, directly resulting in the "letting go" or liberation of the enslaved people. It demonstrates God as the ultimate deliverer, dismantling evil to free the oppressed.
• "the souls that you hunt as birds": This poignant analogy profoundly highlights the vulnerability and defenselessness of the deceived individuals. Like innocent birds trapped by a fowler, these people were unsuspecting and easily exploited, deepening the condemnation of the prophetesses' ruthless tactics and underscoring God's compassion for their victims.

Ezekiel 13 20 Bonus section

The "magic bands" (כִּסּוֹת - kissōṯ) of Ezekiel 13:20 likely represent amulets or charms associated with sympathetic magic common in the ancient Near East. These items were not just symbolic but believed to convey actual power, possibly related to binding and loosening in magical rituals. The term kissōṯ suggests objects for covering, which could include bindings around wrists or arms, thought to enhance divinatory abilities or to cast a spiritual net over individuals. God's action to "tear" them off implies not merely their removal, but a complete annulment of their supposed power, directly countering the false prophetesses' claims to authority and emphasizing that all true power resides with YHWH alone. This passage serves as a foundational warning against all forms of divination and manipulative spirituality that attempt to usurp God's rightful place and deceive His people.

Ezekiel 13 20 Commentary

Ezekiel 13:20 encapsulates God's furious opposition to false prophecy rooted in sorcery and spiritual exploitation. The "magic bands" symbolize the tangible means by which these prophetesses exerted their deceptive power, "hunting souls" by preying on the people's fear, despair, and spiritual longing during a vulnerable time like the exile. This hunting was not physical but involved ensnaring individuals through false promises and manipulation, treating them like helpless "birds" in a snare. God's declaration, "I will tear them from your arms," signifies His direct, forceful, and non-negotiable intervention to dismantle these instruments of deception and utterly destroy their power. His primary motivation is the liberation of His people from spiritual bondage, thereby reaffirming His sovereignty over all dark arts and His protective love for those misled.

• Practical usage:
  • Beware of spiritual leaders who demand dependence on special rituals, objects, or revelations outside of sound biblical doctrine, especially if personal gain or control seems to be a motivator.
  • Recognize that genuine spiritual liberation comes from God's power and truth, not through human-orchestrated spells or false comforts.
  • Pray for discernment for yourself and others to distinguish true divine guidance from manipulative spiritual counterfeits, and for the release of those caught in such snares.