Ezekiel 13:21 kjv
Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 13:21 nkjv
I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 13:21 niv
I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 13:21 esv
Your veils also I will tear off and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey, and you shall know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 13:21 nlt
I will tear off the magic veils and save my people from your grasp. They will no longer be your victims. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 13 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 13:18 | "Say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to those who sew magical charms on all kinds of wrists and make veiled head-coverings for people of every size to catch lives! Will you catch the lives of my people but preserve your own?" | Consequence of false prophets' actions |
| Jeremiah 14:14 | "The Lord’s answer to me was: “The prophets prophesy lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They prophesy to you false visions, worthless divinations, and the deceit of their own minds." | Prophetic lies in God's name |
| Micah 3:5 | "This is what the Lord says: “As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim peace to those who feed them, but they declare war on those who do not. " | Prophets who mislead and profit |
| Lamentations 5:16 | "The garland of our heads has fallen; woe to us, for we have sinned!" | Confession of sin leading to suffering |
| Isaiah 5:20 | "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." | Reversal of values by false teachers |
| Matthew 23:15 | "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel over sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." | Woe to false religious leaders |
| 2 Timothy 4:3 | "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;" | People choosing teachers who suit them |
| Acts 20:29-30 | "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock, and from among yourselves men will arise speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after themselves." | False teachers arising from within |
| Romans 16:17 | "Now I urge you, brethren, keep an eye on those who cause divisions and stumbling blocks contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and turn away from them." | Warning against troublemakers |
| 2 Peter 2:1-3 | "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and as a result the way of truth will be maligned. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been delayed." | Characteristics and condemnation of false teachers |
| 1 John 4:1 | "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God; because many false prophets has gone out into the world." | Discernment from false prophets |
| Revelation 13:11-14 | "Then I saw another beast rising up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast which was wounded by the sword and lived." | Deception through signs by a false prophet |
| Jeremiah 5:31 | "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?" | People loving falsehood from leaders |
| Isaiah 30:10 | "Who say to the seers, ‘Do not see visions,’ and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy truth; but tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions;" | Rejection of truth by those in power |
| Ezekiel 14:3-5 | "Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put the things that cause them to stumble into their hearts. Should I allow them to inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Anyone in Israel who sets up idols in his heart and puts into his heart the things that cause him to stumble and then goes to a prophet will be answered by me, the Lord, according to the multitude of his idols." | Inquiry of God through corrupt hearts |
| Galatians 1:6-7 | "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ." | Deviation from the true gospel |
| Zechariah 11:15-17 | "Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who will not care for the perishing, or seek the lost, or heal the injured, or nurse the weakened, but will eat the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hooves. Woe to the worthless shepherd who deserts the flock! A sword will strike his arm and his right eye! His arm will certainly be withered, and his right eye will be made blind." | Judgment on the worthless shepherd |
| Proverbs 29:18 | "Where there is no vision, the people are destroyed; but blessed is he who keeps the law." | Destruction without divine guidance |
Ezekiel 13 verses
Ezekiel 13 21 Meaning
This verse highlights the sorrow and distress experienced by the people because the prophets who should have guided them have failed. They cry out in despair, reflecting the pain of those who relied on false prophecies and were led astray. The verse signifies the lamentation that arises when spiritual leadership errs, causing hardship for the community. It emphasizes the consequences of deception in religious leadership.
Ezekiel 13 21 Context
Ezekiel chapter 13 addresses the false prophets and prophetesses who were deceiving the people of Israel, particularly in Jerusalem, during the Babylonian exile. They were giving false assurances of peace and rebuilding, ignoring the impending judgment and the need for repentance. Verse 21 specifically describes the profound lamentation of the people. Their outcry stems from the realization that their trusted spiritual guides have led them into disaster through their deceptive prophecies and harmful practices. The people are experiencing deep sorrow and despair because their hope, based on false pronouncements, has been shattered, leading them into further distress and potentially a more severe judgment. The historical context is one of national crisis, where spiritual deception exacerbated the suffering.
Ezekiel 13 21 Word analysis
- And (וְ, və): A common conjunction, linking clauses and indicating sequence or connection.
- they (הֵמָּה, hēmmah): Third-person masculine plural pronoun, referring back to the women who were sewing charms.
- cry (צֹעֲקָה, tso‘aqah): Noun meaning a cry, a loud shout, a outcry. It signifies a sound of distress, pain, or alarm. This word implies a desperate call for help or expression of deep suffering.
- out (מִן, min): Preposition indicating separation or origin, suggesting their cry arises from their present state. In this context, it intensifies the action of crying, as in crying out of something (their situation).
- for (עַל, ‘al): Preposition indicating "upon," "against," or "because of." Here it signifies the reason for their cry – they are crying out because of or for their souls, for their very life or well-being.
- your (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh): Literally "soul" or "life." It refers to the inner self, the animating principle of life. The phrase "for your soul" indicates their desperate plight and the serious threat to their existence or spiritual state.
- souls (נַפְשׁוֹת, naphshot): Plural of nefesh, meaning "souls" or "lives."
- Prophets (נְבִיאִים, nevi’im): Plural of navi, meaning "prophets."
- with (בְּ, be): Preposition often translated as "in," "with," "by," or "at." Here, it connects the cry with the cause of their cry.
- nets (מַשְׂרִית, masrit): Singular of masrokot. The term refers to "snares," "nets," or "traps," specifically employed by these prophetesses to capture or ensnare lives. This imagery suggests their prophecies were deceitful devices meant to ensnare unsuspecting individuals.
Word Groups
- cry out for your souls: This phrase signifies a cry stemming from the core of one's being, a deep anguish over the peril to their very existence or spiritual vitality. It speaks of desperation and the gravity of their situation caused by the false prophecies.
- prophets with nets: This juxtaposes the prophetic office with the action of ensnaring. It emphasizes the betrayal of their divine calling, using their prophetic platform to entrap people rather than guide them towards truth and salvation.
Ezekiel 13 21 Bonus Section
The concept of "nets" used by prophetesses suggests an insidious and trapping form of false prophecy. It's not just about wrong predictions but about actively drawing people into a state of spiritual peril and dependency on these deceptive pronouncements. This act of ensnaring contrasts sharply with the shepherdly care expected from spiritual leaders. The emotional weight of the "cry out" underscores the human suffering that accompanies religious apostasy and deception.
Ezekiel 13 21 Commentary
The verse encapsulates the bitter harvest reaped from the sowing of deceit. The "cry out" is not one of repentance, but of desperation, reflecting the realization that their hope, built on falsehoods, has crumbled. The prophetesses, meant to be conduits of divine truth, instead acted as ensnarers, trapping people's lives with their deceptive prophecies. Their actions directly endangered the "souls," the very essence of the people's well-being and their covenant relationship with God. This serves as a severe warning against spiritual manipulation and the dire consequences for both the deceivers and the deceived when divine truth is corrupted.