Ezekiel 13:5 kjv
Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.
Ezekiel 13:5 nkjv
You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the LORD.
Ezekiel 13:5 niv
You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the LORD.
Ezekiel 13:5 esv
You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the LORD.
Ezekiel 13:5 nlt
They have done nothing to repair the breaks in the walls around the nation. They have not helped it to stand firm in battle on the day of the LORD.
Ezekiel 13 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 27:16-17 | "Let the Lord... appoint a man over the congregation... that the congregation... be not as sheep which have no shepherd." | Leaders' duty to guide & protect. |
| Psa 106:23 | "Therefore He said He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach..." | Moses interceded where others failed. |
| Isa 1:6 | "From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it... no binding up, nor soothing with oil." | Israel's spiritual decay unaddressed. |
| Isa 56:10-12 | "His watchmen are blind... dumb dogs... they are all ignorant... love to slumber." | Condemnation of negligent spiritual guards. |
| Jer 6:13-15 | "For from the least to the greatest... everyone is greedy for gain... saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace." | False comfort offered instead of truth. |
| Jer 8:10-12 | "They have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace." | False assurances from prophets and priests. |
| Jer 14:13-14 | "The prophets are prophesying lies... not I who sent them or commanded them or spoke to them." | God disowns the false prophets. |
| Jer 23:1-2 | "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!" | Leaders' failure leads to scattering of people. |
| Jer 23:21-22 | "I did not send these prophets, yet they ran... if they had stood in My council... they would have turned My people." | Failure to intercede and turn people from sin. |
| Lam 2:7-8 | "The Lord has rejected His altar... broken down her walls." | God allowing Jerusalem's defenses to fall. |
| Eze 3:17-19 | "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel... give them warning from Me." | Ezekiel's duty as a true watchman. |
| Eze 22:30 | "So I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the breach before Me..." | God sought intercessors, finding none. |
| Zep 1:7-8 | "Be silent before the Lord God, for the day of the Lord is near... He will punish the officials..." | The immediacy and target of the Day of the Lord. |
| Joel 2:1-2 | "The day of the Lord is coming... a day of darkness and gloom." | Description of the Day of the Lord. |
| Hos 8:7 | "They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads." | Futility of their unfaithful actions. |
| Mal 4:1 | "For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace." | Further imagery of the fiery Day of the Lord. |
| Matt 7:15-20 | "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." | Warning against deceptive spiritual leaders. |
| Luke 19:41-44 | "If you had known... the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." | Jesus' lament over Jerusalem's unheeded warnings. |
| 1 Thes 5:2-3 | "For you yourselves know... the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." | Warning about the suddenness of God's judgment. |
| 2 Pet 3:10 | "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away..." | New Testament description of the ultimate Day. |
| Jude 1:12-13 | "These are hidden reefs... shepherds who feed themselves without fear." | Condemnation of self-serving spiritual guides. |
| Heb 11:34 | "...became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight." | Contrasts with those who do stand in battle. |
Ezekiel 13 verses
Ezekiel 13 5 Meaning
Ezekiel 13:5 condemns the false prophets of Israel for their dereliction of duty. They failed to actively address the nation's spiritual and moral decay, depicted as "breaches" or gaps in a defensive wall. Rather than fortifying the "house of Israel" against the impending judgment—symbolized by "the battle on the day of the Lord"—these prophets left the people exposed and vulnerable. It signifies a profound failure in spiritual leadership to warn, intercede, and prepare God's people for His coming reckoning.
Ezekiel 13 5 Context
Ezekiel chapter 13 focuses on the judgment against false prophets and prophetesses who proliferated in Israel, especially during the period leading up to the Babylonian exile. These individuals, driven by self-interest and deceit, prophesied peace and safety to a nation deeply steeped in sin. This provided false comfort, undermined the true messages of repentance and impending judgment delivered by genuine prophets like Ezekiel and Jeremiah. Verse 5 specifically illustrates their spiritual negligence: they neither warned the people about their vulnerable state nor fortified them with spiritual truth or intercession, thereby leaving the nation unprepared for the catastrophic "day of the Lord"—the imminent destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, which God orchestrated as His judgment. Historically, this period was marked by political instability and spiritual apostasy, with many seeking easy answers rather than confront the hard truth of divine discipline.
Ezekiel 13 5 Word analysis
- You (אַתֶּם - 'attem): Masculine plural pronoun. Directly addresses the false prophets, establishing their personal culpability for the national predicament.
- have not gone up (לֹא עֲלִיתֶם - lo' 'alitem): Negation of "you went up." Indicates a failure to ascend, to take active steps. In military context, it refers to ascending a breach or ascending to battle. In spiritual terms, it means failing to intercede or confronting the danger.
- into the breaches (בַּפְּרָצ֨וֹת - ba-p'ratsot): From פֶּרֶץ (peretz), meaning "a breach," "a gap," or "a break." Refers to openings in a city wall, making it vulnerable. Metaphorically, these were spiritual, moral, and social weaknesses in the nation, sins that created openings for God's judgment.
- nor built up (וְלֹא גָדַרְתֶּם - v'lo' gadartem): Negation of "you built up" (from גָדַר - gadar). Signifies a failure to repair or reinforce. This suggests the false prophets neglected their duty to strengthen Israel's spiritual defenses.
- a wall (גָּדֵר - gader): Refers to a defensive hedge, fence, or wall. Represents protection, stability, and defense against enemies. Their failure meant leaving Israel exposed.
- for the house of Israel (לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל - l'vet Yisra'el): The entire covenant community. The prophets' responsibility was for the spiritual well-being and protection of God's chosen people.
- to stand (לַעֲמֹ֕ד - la-'amod): To stand firm, endure, resist, or hold one's ground. It implies having the strength and stability to face an adversary.
- in the battle (בַּמִּלְחָמָה - ba-milchamah): From מִלְחָמָה (milchamah), meaning "war" or "battle." Here, it primarily refers to the devastating conflict leading to Jerusalem's fall, understood as God's judgment upon His people.
- on the day of the Lord (בְּיוֹם יְהוָה - b'yom YHVH): A pivotal theological phrase referring to a specific time when God decisively intervenes in human history to execute judgment and/or salvation. In Ezekiel, it foreshadows the Babylonian conquest as divine wrath.
- You have not gone up into the breaches, nor built up a wall: This phrase highlights a twofold failure: First, a lack of proactive engagement (not "going up" to assess/address the danger or intercede). Second, a failure in constructive effort (not "building up" or fortifying defenses). The imagery is starkly military, picturing a city under siege with its walls broken down, yet the watchmen or leaders do nothing to repair or defend. This illustrates the false prophets' spiritual laziness and irresponsibility in safeguarding the nation.
- for the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the Lord: This clarifies the purpose of the failed actions: to enable Israel to withstand divine judgment. The "house of Israel" needed robust spiritual fortification to face "the battle" and "the day of the Lord." The false prophets, instead of preparing them for a real spiritual and physical conflict, lulled them into complacency, guaranteeing their downfall. The 'Day of the Lord' signifies not just an historical event, but the active hand of God in judgment.
Ezekiel 13 5 Bonus section
The concept of "standing in the breach" is deeply rooted in ancient Near Eastern thought, often referring to a warrior's brave action to fill a gap in a defensive line to prevent the enemy's breakthrough. Spiritually, it highlights the role of an intercessor, like Moses (Psa 106:23), who places themselves between God's wrath and His people. The false prophets neglected this essential intercessory and pastoral duty, preferring personal gain and popularity over divine truth. Their failure contrasts sharply with God's longing for "a man who would build up the wall and stand in the breach before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it" (Eze 22:30), a void that went tragically unfilled. This also resonates with the prophetic task of the "watchman" (Eze 3, Eze 33), whose duty it was to warn the people. These prophets, far from being watchmen, were either sleeping or deliberately misleading, allowing the walls of Israel's spiritual integrity to crumble.
Ezekiel 13 5 Commentary
Ezekiel 13:5 serves as a scathing indictment of false spiritual leadership, portraying them as negligent watchmen. They failed to acknowledge or address the pervasive sin and moral corruption within Israel (the "breaches" in the wall). Instead of urging repentance and warning of impending judgment, which would have fortified the people against divine wrath, these prophets offered only deceptive comfort. Their inaction was a grave sin of omission, leaving God's people vulnerable and defenseless against "the day of the Lord," God's specific time of reckoning. This verse underscores the critical responsibility of true spiritual leaders to speak uncomfortable truths, to intercede for the people, and to prepare them for both current and future spiritual battles, ensuring they can stand firm in times of testing. It illustrates how empty pronouncements do more harm than good by fostering a false sense of security.