Ezekiel 13:3 kjv
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
Ezekiel 13:3 nkjv
Thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!
Ezekiel 13:3 niv
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!
Ezekiel 13:3 esv
Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
Ezekiel 13:3 nlt
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: What sorrow awaits the false prophets who are following their own imaginations and have seen nothing at all!'
Ezekiel 13 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eze 13:3 | "Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing;" | Prophetic woe against false prophets |
| Eze 13:6 | "They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made him to hope that his word might be confirmed." | False prophets claiming divine authority |
| Eze 13:8 | "For because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace, and there was no peace;" | Deceitful messages of false prophets |
| Eze 13:10 | "Because, because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace;" | Repetition emphasizes the gravity of their deception |
| Eze 13:17 | "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;" | Judgment extends to female prophets |
| Jer 14:14 | "Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake I unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart." | Parallel passage on false prophecy |
| Jer 23:16 | "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not according to the mouth of the LORD." | Warning against listening to false prophets |
| Jer 23:21 | "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied." | Uncommissioned and unauthorized prophecy |
| Jer 23:25 | "I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed." | False prophets relying on dreams without divine confirmation |
| Jer 23:26 | "How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;" | Persistent deceit in the hearts of false prophets |
| Zec 11:17 | "Woe unto the idle shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be Surely dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly blinded." | Judgment on shepherds who neglect their duty |
| 1 Tim 4:1 | "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" | Warning of false teachings and spirits in later times |
| 2 Tim 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 seeking teachers who affirm their desires |
| 1 John 4:1 | "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." | Discernment needed to identify true from false prophecy |
| Matt 7:15 | "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." | The deceptive nature of false prophets |
| Matt 7:22 | "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?" | False prophets can perform seemingly spiritual acts |
| 2 Cor 11:13 | "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ." | Deception through false claims of apostleship |
| Rev 19:20 | "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image." | The ultimate doom of the false prophet |
| Ps 106:33 | "Because they vexed his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips." | The consequence of grieving God's Spirit |
| Hos 9:7 | "Israel shall know that these are fools; the prophetic spirit hath deceived them;" | Identifying false prophets as fools |
Ezekiel 13 verses
Ezekiel 13 3 Meaning
The Lord declares His judgment against the false prophets in Israel who speak their own invented prophecies and follow the inclination of their own hearts, rather than the word given by God. These prophets are deceitful and do not stand in the council of the Lord, meaning they have not truly heard from Him.
Ezekiel 13 3 Context
Ezekiel chapter 13 addresses the dire spiritual state of Judah during the Babylonian exile. The nation is plagued by false prophets who offer superficial messages of peace and security, misleading the people into a false sense of well-being. These prophets have not been sent by God, nor have they received His word. Instead, they fabricate their prophecies, driven by their own imaginations and desires. Their words lack the divine authority and truth that comes from God's council. This verse serves as a stark pronouncement of God's condemnation upon these deceitful voices, highlighting their ultimate responsibility for the people's continued delusion and impending judgment. The historical context involves the ongoing exile and the desperate longing of many in Jerusalem and Babylon for a return that God had not yet promised to those who remained unrepentant.
Ezekiel 13 3 Word analysis
- "Woe": An interjection expressing grief, regret, or denunciation. It signifies a curse or divine judgment. It highlights the gravity of the action that follows.
- "unto": A preposition indicating direction or to whom something is directed.
- "the": The definite article, specifying particular prophets.
- "foolish": (Hebrew: tiyl'im - "simple ones," "fools," "empty-headed ones"). Implies a lack of wisdom and discernment, easily led astray. They are naive and lack the critical judgment necessary to discern divine truth from their own imaginations.
- "prophets": (Hebrew: nebiy'im - "prophets"). Individuals who claim to speak for God. This term is used ironically here as they are acting contrary to the true nature of a prophet.
- "that": A conjunction introducing a relative clause.
- "follow": (Hebrew: lek - "to go," "to walk," "to follow"). It signifies alignment and adherence.
- "their": Possessive pronoun indicating ownership by the prophets.
- "own": Emphasizes the self-originating nature of their prophecies, not divine origin.
- "spirit": (Hebrew: ruwach - "spirit," "wind," "breath"). Refers to their inner impulse, inclination, or the inspiration they perceive within themselves, not the Holy Spirit of God. It speaks of their personal feelings and intentions guiding their prophetic utterances.
- "and": Conjunction connecting two clauses.
- "have": Auxiliary verb.
- "seen": (Hebrew: ra'ah - "to see," "to perceive," "to behold"). Implies direct spiritual perception or vision. They claim to have divine visions, but these are not genuine divine revelations.
- "nothing": (Hebrew: dabar - "word," "thing," "matter," but here used in a negative construction suggesting "not a thing"). They have seen nothing of divine truth or authority; their visions are empty or illusory.
Words Group Analysis:
- "foolish prophets": This phrase encapsulates their spiritual destitution. They are called "fools" because they act independently of God's revealed will, mistaking their own carnal thoughts for divine inspiration.
- "follow their own spirit": This is the core of their apostasy. It contrasts directly with true prophecy, which originates from God's Spirit. They are driven by internal inclinations and emotions rather than external divine revelation. This speaks to self-will and autonomous thought disconnected from divine authority.
- "have seen nothing": This phrase confirms the falsity of their claimed visions. They possess no genuine divine insight. Whatever visions or messages they believe they receive are figments of their imagination or possibly from deceptive spiritual sources, but not from the LORD.
Ezekiel 13 3 Bonus Section
The phrase "follow their own spirit" (Hebrew: lek `al-ruwacham) emphasizes the internal, self-generated nature of their prophecies. It’s not about a passive reception of divine message, but an active propagation of their own thoughts and desires, attributed falsely to God. This self-deception often stems from a desire to please the audience or to fill a perceived need with a message that avoids confronting sin, thus gaining popularity and security for themselves. True prophets, conversely, often carried difficult and challenging messages because they had stood "in the council of the LORD" (Jeremiah 23:22), truly hearing His word and conveying it, even when it was unpopular. The pronouncement of "woe" is fitting because these false prophets are not only deluded themselves but also lead the flock astray, making them culpable for the spiritual ruin they cause.
Ezekiel 13 3 Commentary
Ezekiel 13:3 unequivocally condemns prophets who deviate from God's truth by speaking from their own understanding and emotional impulses rather than through genuine divine revelation. They are characterized as "foolish" because their reliance on "their own spirit" blinds them to divine reality. This highlights the critical importance of discerning the source of prophetic utterance; true prophecy is birthed in obedience to God and in alignment with His revealed word. Their claims of "seeing" are hollow because their inner "spirit" is not the Spirit of God, leading them to utter vanity and lies, effectively deceiving God's people with false promises of peace and security. This verse serves as a timeless warning against prioritizing personal feelings or popular opinion over the unadulterated word of God.