Ezekiel 13:7 kjv
Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken?
Ezekiel 13:7 nkjv
Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, 'The LORD says,' but I have not spoken."
Ezekiel 13:7 niv
Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, "The LORD declares," though I have not spoken?
Ezekiel 13:7 esv
Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, 'Declares the LORD,' although I have not spoken?"
Ezekiel 13:7 nlt
Can your visions be anything but false if you claim, 'This message is from the LORD,' when I have not even spoken to you?
Ezekiel 13 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 13:7 | "Your visions are false and your divinations are lies." | Ez. 13:8 |
| Jeremiah 23:16 | "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you..." | Jer. 23:16 |
| Micah 3:5 | "As for the prophets who mislead my people..." | Mic. 3:5 |
| 2 Peter 2:1 | "...false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you..." | 2 Pet. 2:1 |
| Acts 13:6 | "They went through the whole island until they came to Paphos." | Acts 13:6 (parallel pattern) |
| 1 John 4:1 | "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits..." | 1 Jn. 4:1 |
| Matthew 7:15 | "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing..." | Mt. 7:15 |
| Jeremiah 14:14 | "Then the LORD said to me, 'The prophets are prophesying lies in my name.'" | Jer. 14:14 |
| Ezekiel 22:28 | "Her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them..." | Ez. 22:28 |
| Isaiah 30:10 | "who say to the seers, 'Do not see visions,' and to the prophets, 'Do not prophesy to us what is right...'" | Is. 30:10 |
| Ezekiel 13:3 | "Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!'" | Ez. 13:3 |
| Numbers 15:31 | "anyone who does anything with a high hand... insults the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from his people." | Num. 15:31 (principle of defiance) |
| 2 Chronicles 18:22 | "And the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets." | 2 Chr. 18:22 |
| Titus 1:13 | "...rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith," | Titus 1:13 (rebuttal of falsehood) |
| Romans 16:17 | "I urge you, brothers, to keep an eye on those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine..." | Rom. 16:17 |
| 2 Corinthians 11:13 | "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ." | 2 Cor. 11:13 |
| Zechariah 13:4 | "And if anyone prophesies, his father and his mother who bore him will say to him, 'You shall not live...'" | Zech. 13:4 |
| Hosea 4:12 | "My people consult their wooden idol, and its diviner's staff informs them. For a spirit of sexual immorality has led them astray..." | Hos. 4:12 |
| Jude 1:4 | "For certain people have secretly slipped in among you who were long ago marked out for this condemnation..." | Jude 1:4 |
| Deuteronomy 18:21 | "And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?'" | Deut. 18:21 |
Ezekiel 13 verses
Ezekiel 13 7 Meaning
Ezekiel 13:7 declares that the false prophets in Israel, like the deceitful prophets of old, were proclaiming false visions and lying divinations. Their prophecies were empty, built on falsehoods, and not spoken by the LORD.
Ezekiel 13 7 Context
This verse is situated within Ezekiel's prophetic ministry to the exiled community in Babylon. The immediate context of chapter 13 addresses the dire warnings against the false prophets and prophetesses in Israel. These individuals were leading the people astray with deceptive prophecies, offering false hope and reassurance that God would not punish them. They were "patching up" the cracks in society with false promises instead of calling for genuine repentance. The historical context is one of national judgment for disobedience. The false prophets exacerbated the situation by misrepresenting God's will.
Ezekiel 13 7 Word Analysis
For: Indicates a causal relationship or the basis for the following statement.
your: Possessive pronoun referring to the false prophets being addressed.
visions:
- Hebrew: chazon (חָזוֹן) - Can mean a sight, vision, or even a prophecy received through divine revelation. In this context, it's used to denote what the false prophets claimed to see.
- Significance: The prophets claimed divine sight, but their visions were not from God.
are: Linking verb.
false:
- Hebrew: sheqer (שֶׁקֶר) - Means falsehood, lie, deceit, emptiness, vainly.
- Significance: Their proclaimed visions were inherently untrue and deceptive.
and: Connective conjunction.
your: Possessive pronoun.
divinations:
- Hebrew: qesem (קֶסֶם) - Refers to the practice of soothsaying, augury, or divination, often through magical or illicit means.
- Significance: This highlights their reliance on methods or sources other than divine communication.
are: Linking verb.
lies:
- Hebrew: kazab (כָּזָב) - Means a lie, falsehood, deceit. Similar in meaning to sheqer but emphasizes the active act of telling a lie.
- Significance: Their prognostications were deliberate deceptions.
Group Analysis: "your visions are false and your divinations are lies" collectively points to a total disconnect from divine truth. Their pronouncements were not genuine prophetic utterances but rather fabrications or misleading pronouncements masquerading as divine will.
Ezekiel 13 7 Bonus Section
The practice of divination and seeking after visions from unauthorized sources is condemned throughout Scripture, as it diverts trust and reliance away from God's clear Word and His Spirit's guidance. This verse serves as a timeless warning against any who might claim spiritual authority or insight but fail to substantiate it by adherence to biblical truth. The "lying spirit" that possessed these prophets is a concept that reappears in other passages (2 Chr. 18:22), indicating that God, in His justice, can allow deceitful spirits to operate when His people reject His truth.
Ezekiel 13 7 Commentary
The false prophets were declared to be purveyors of emptiness. Their claimed "visions" were not divine revelations but figments of their imagination or deceitful inventions (sheqer). Their "divinations," attempts to foretell the future through illicit or humanistic means, were likewise lies (kazab). This verse is a strong condemnation of prophets who speak from their own agenda or unreliable sources rather than through direct communication from the LORD. It underscores the critical difference between true prophecy, which aligns with God's revealed will and character, and false prophecy, which serves deceitful purposes. The consequence for such deception, as outlined in subsequent verses, is divine judgment.