Ezekiel 14:10 meaning, Cross Ref, ai commentary KJV NIV ESV NLT

Ezekiel 14:10 kjv

And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him;

Ezekiel 14:10 nkjv

And they shall bear their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired,

Ezekiel 14:10 niv

They will bear their guilt?the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him.

Ezekiel 14:10 esv

And they shall bear their punishment ? the punishment of the prophet and the punishment of the inquirer shall be alike ?

Ezekiel 14:10 nlt

False prophets and those who seek their guidance will all be punished for their sins.

Ezekiel 14 10 Cross References

Verse	Text	Reference
Deut 18:20	But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks...	False prophets face death.
Jer 5:31	The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so...	People accept and love false prophecy.
Jer 14:14-16	...The prophets are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own mind...	Shared judgment on prophets and their followers.
Jer 23:30-32	Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who steal my words from one another...	God opposes false prophets.
Isa 9:16	For those who guide this people have led them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.	Leaders and led share a destiny.
Mic 3:5-7	Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry 'Peace' when they have something...	Prophets mislead for gain.
Zech 13:2-3	And on that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land...	False prophecy will cease.
Matt 15:14	Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.	Blind guides and their followers perish.
2 Pet 2:1-3	But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you...	Warning against false teachers and their followers.
1 Tim 4:1	Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to...	Falling away from faith to deceptive spirits.
Rev 19:20	And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he...	False prophet cast into eternal punishment.
Deut 13:6-11	If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your...	Incitement to idolatry merits severe punishment.
1 Sam 28:7-25	Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire..."	Seeking forbidden counsel has dire outcomes.
1 Kgs 22:21-23	Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, 'I will entice him.' And the Lord said to him...	God allows deception to judge hearts.
Ps 115:8	Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.	Worshippers become like their idols.
Jer 2:13	for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed...	Forsaking God for futile alternatives.
Ezek 20:30-31	...Thus says the Lord God: Is it in the manner of your fathers that you are defiling yourselves and going astray...?	Consulting idols is an act of defilement.
Acts 13:6-12	When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain magician, a Jewish false...	Judgment on those who practice deception.
Prov 1:31	So they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and have their fill of their own devices.	Consequences match one's choices.
Gal 6:7	Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.	Principle of sowing and reaping applies to all.
Rom 2:6	He will render to each one according to his works.	God's justice in rewarding actions.
2 Thes 2:10-12	...because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong...	God allows delusion for those who reject truth.

Ezekiel 14 verses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Ezekiel 14 10 Meaning

Ezekiel 14:10 declares God's righteous judgment on both false prophets and those who eagerly seek their counsel. It states that the individual who consults such a prophet will bear the same punishment for their iniquity as the prophet themselves. This reveals God's unyielding standard of accountability, where active participation in spiritual deception and idolatry, stemming from a rebellious heart, warrants identical divine retribution for all involved parties.

Ezekiel 14 10 Context

Ezekiel 14:10 is embedded within a profound declaration of God's unbending judgment against idolatry and spiritual deception. The chapter begins with the elders of Israel coming to Ezekiel, ostensibly to inquire of the Lord. However, their hearts are "set up their idols" and have "put in the stumbling block of their iniquity" before their faces (vv. 3-4). God declares that He will personally answer them according to their idolatry, rather than through a prophet who confirms their sin. He makes it clear that He will set His face against anyone who consults idols, both the enquirer and the prophet who entertains such falsehood. Verse 10 solidifies this principle, emphasizing equal culpability for both the false prophet and the one who deliberately seeks out their misleading guidance, as their shared iniquity stems from a turning away from the one true God. The historical context is one of a nation steeped in idolatry, even amidst warnings and impending exile, demonstrating a deep-seated spiritual rebellion that God will no longer tolerate.

Ezekiel 14 10 Word analysis

And they shall bear (וְנָשְׂא֛וּ w'nasa'u): Literally, "and they will carry" or "take up." This signifies an inescapable burden, the direct enduring of consequences for one's actions. The grammatical construction emphasizes the personal and unavoidable nature of this responsibility.
the punishment (עֲוֹנָֽם 'avonam): This is connected to avon, meaning iniquity, guilt, perversity, or the consequence of sin. It's not just a transgression, but the inherent moral twistedness that brings judgment. Here, it refers to the spiritual adultery and seeking false counsel that characterizes the people's heart.
of their iniquity (עֲוֹנָֽם 'avonam): Explicitly states the source of the punishment: their own personal, culpable actions and sinful condition.
the punishment (וְנָשָׂ֧א w'nasa'): Same root as the first "bear," reinforcing the identical nature of the judgment. The singular form here for "the prophet" focuses on individual accountability.
of the prophet (הַנָּבִ֛יא ha-navi): Navi usually refers to a divinely appointed messenger. In this context, given verse 9 (where God says, "if the prophet is misled"), it specifically denotes a false prophet who has allowed himself to be deceived or speaks out of his own heart, not from God.
shall be even as (כַּֽעֲוֹן ka'avon): Ka is the comparative prefix, "as" or "like." This is a crucial comparative, asserting that the judgment meted out to the prophet will be precisely equivalent to that of the inquirer, emphasizing absolute parity in divine retribution.
the punishment of him that seeketh unto him (הַדּוֹרֵ֥שׁ ha-doresh): Doressh, from the verb darash, means to diligently seek, inquire, or consult. This implies an active, intentional, and often fervent seeking of guidance, not merely passive reception. The phrase here underscores the deliberate choice made by the inquirer to turn to the false prophet, making them fully accountable.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity": This initial phrase assigns undeniable personal responsibility to the spiritual inquirer. It underscores that their judgment isn't merely for being deceived, but for their own fundamental avon – the underlying spiritual disloyalty and active pursuit of falsehood that necessitated God's direct intervention.
- "the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him": This constitutes the central declaration of equal culpability. God views the deception of the false prophet and the deliberate spiritual unfaithfulness of the one consulting him as morally equivalent, both deserving the same measure of divine avon (consequences for iniquity). This removes any claim of passive victimhood from the inquirer, asserting their active role in their own spiritual demise.

Ezekiel 14 10 Bonus section

This verse profoundly highlights God's omniscience, discerning the true intent and condition of the human heart, even when outwardly approaching a prophet for guidance. The inquiry itself, when motivated by an unrepentant, idolatrous heart, becomes an act of iniquity deserving judgment.
The judgment also serves as a polemic against the idea that one can simply shift blame. Neither the prophet nor the seeker can escape by pointing fingers; both stand accountable for their active role in spiritual compromise.
It functions as a severe warning against both the perpetuation of false teaching and the cultivation of an environment where such falsehood thrives because people desire it. God judges both supplier and consumer of spiritual untruths with equal weight.

Ezekiel 14 10 Commentary

Ezekiel 14:10 is a stark pronouncement of divine justice, revealing that spiritual corruption is not compartmentalized but judged holistically. God equates the guilt of the false prophet with that of the one who seeks their guidance, affirming that spiritual responsibility extends beyond mere proclamation to reception and active seeking. This is because the inquirer's act of "seeking" (darash) such a prophet implies a heart already estranged from God's truth, longing for a message that caters to their idolatrous inclinations rather than demanding repentance. God, in His perfect judgment, pierces through any pretense of innocence, exposing the shared culpability rooted in a mutual departure from divine command. The severity underscores the profound seriousness of rejecting the true God for any form of spiritual counterfeit.