Ezekiel 13:6 kjv
They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.
Ezekiel 13:6 nkjv
They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, 'Thus says the LORD!' But the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed.
Ezekiel 13:6 niv
Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the LORD has not sent them, they say, "The LORD declares," and expect him to fulfill their words.
Ezekiel 13:6 esv
They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, 'Declares the LORD,' when the LORD has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word.
Ezekiel 13:6 nlt
Instead, they have told lies and made false predictions. They say, 'This message is from the LORD,' even though the LORD never sent them. And yet they expect him to fulfill their prophecies!
Ezekiel 13 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 13:6 | Thus says the Lord GOD: they are speaking a false vision and divination of lies. | Direct fulfillment of the prophecy |
| Jeremiah 14:14 | Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesying falsely in my name. I have not sent them, nor commanded them, nor spoken to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. | Condemnation of false prophets |
| Jeremiah 23:16 | “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hope. They speak a vision out of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. | Warnings against false prophets |
| Matthew 7:15 | “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. | Warning against false prophets in NT |
| 2 Peter 2:3 | They are driven by greed and will make a trade out of you with invented stories. Their condemnation from ancient times is not in doubt, and their destruction has not been sleeping. | False prophets and greed |
| 1 John 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. | Testing spirits for genuineness |
| Deuteronomy 18:22 | When the prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or the oracle prove true, that is the word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. | How to discern false prophecy |
| Romans 1:25 | They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. | Exchanging truth for lies |
| 2 Timothy 4:3 | For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own liking, | Enduring false teaching |
| 1 Kings 22:22 | And he said, “I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” And the LORD said, “You are to entice him, and you will succeed; go out and do this.” | God allowing lying spirits |
| Psalm 36:2 | For it puffs up in his eyes the truth as if discovering his iniquity and hating it. | Self-deception about sin |
| Proverbs 12:19 | The tongue that lies is an abomination to the LORD, but he delights in those who speak truth. | Delight in truth |
| Isaiah 44:25 | Who frustrates the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolishness, | God's power over false prophecy |
| Acts 5:3 | But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? | Lying to the Holy Spirit |
| Mark 13:22 | For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. | Signs and wonders by false prophets |
| Galatians 1:8 | But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we have preached to you, let him be accursed. | Gospeld changed |
| Titus 1:11 | They must be silenced, because they are subverting whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what they ought not to teach. | Subverting families |
| 2 Corinthians 11:13 | For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. | False apostles |
| 1 Thessalonians 5:21 | but test everything; hold fast to what is good. | Testing all things |
| Ephesians 4:14 | so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the Yamaguchi of men, by their cunning, and their craftiness in deceitful schemes. | Wandering doctrines |
| Revelation 22:15 | Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. | Those practicing falsehood |
Ezekiel 13 verses
Ezekiel 13 6 Meaning
This verse directly confronts false prophets who fabricate prophecies, speaking a vision of their own mind and falsely claiming it originates from the Lord. It highlights the deceit and spiritual emptiness of their pronouncements.
Ezekiel 13 6 Context
In Ezekiel chapter 13, the prophet is tasked with denouncing the false prophets and prophetesses in Jerusalem, particularly those who prophesied to the people of Israel during their exile. These individuals offered messages of false peace and security, flattering the people and the leadership by proclaiming that disaster was far off and that Jerusalem would stand, even when God's judgment was imminent. This chapter highlights a crucial period of divine pronouncement where Ezekiel's true prophecy contrasts sharply with the comforting but deceitful words of others.
Ezekiel 13 6 Word Analysis
- Thus (Hebrew: כֹּה - koh): "so," "thus," indicating the following declaration is from an authoritative source.
- says (Hebrew: אָמַר - amar): "said," "spoke," "declared," referring to God's authoritative pronouncement.
- the Lord (Hebrew: יְהוָה - Yahweh): The personal covenantal name of God.
- GOD (Hebrew: אֱלֹהִים - Elohim): A general term for God, emphasizing divine power and sovereignty. The combination signifies God's absolute authority.
- they (Hebrew: הֵם - hem): Refers to the false prophets previously mentioned.
- are speaking (Hebrew: נָבִיא - navi implies the act of prophesying, but here it's connected to speaking in a general sense, indicating their active engagement in pronouncement). The action is present tense, ongoing.
- a false (Hebrew: שָׁוְא - shav): "emptiness," "vanity," "lie," "falsehood." Implies something unsubstantial, deceptive, and not from reality.
- vision (Hebrew: חָזוֹן - chazon): "vision," "prophetic sight," "revelation." Here, it's used ironically, as it's not a true divine vision.
- of (Hebrew: מִן - min): A preposition indicating origin or source.
- lies (Hebrew: שֶׁקֶר - sheqer): "lie," "falsehood," "deception," "untruth." Emphasizes the fraudulent nature of their pronouncements.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "they are speaking a false vision": This phrase directly accuses the prophets of uttering prophecies that are empty and devoid of divine truth. The "vision" they claim to see is manufactured by their own minds.
- "of lies": This prepositional phrase reinforces the "false vision" by specifying its character as built upon falsehood. Their entire prophetic output is characterized by deception.
Ezekiel 13 6 Bonus Section
The terminology used, "false vision" (חָזוֹן שָׁוְא - chazon shav) and "divination of lies" (מִנּוּעַ לֶשֶׁר - minu'a lesher), emphasizes the unreliability and deceptive nature of their pronouncements. The false prophets' messages are described as originating "of lies," underlining that their foundation is in untruth, not divine truth. This contrasts with true prophecy which is explicitly stated to come "from the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 18:18). The deception here isn't just a matter of inaccurate predictions, but a spiritual misrepresentation of God's message, designed to mislead and harm the people. This kind of false prophecy is often motivated by a desire to please people rather than God, a theme recurrent throughout the Old Testament prophetic books.
Ezekiel 13 6 Commentary
This verse serves as a stark indictment of those who misuse the prophetic office. The Lord GOD declares unequivocally that the messages emanating from these false prophets are not divine revelation but are rather fabrications ("false vision") and are fundamentally built on untruth ("lies"). They deceive the people by presenting their own imaginations as if they were from God, offering false reassurance and preventing repentance by negating the reality of impending judgment. This stands in direct opposition to the nature of true prophecy, which, while sometimes conveying judgment, ultimately reflects God's truth and call to His people. The contrast highlights the serious spiritual offense of manipulating divine messages for personal gain or to pacify listeners with comforting falsehoods.