Ezekiel Chapter 13

Ezekiel 13

Against False and Foolish Prophets

Ezekiel 13 continues the LORD’s answer to the false confidence of Judah and Jerusalem. In Ezekiel 12, the people dismissed judgment by saying the warnings had been delayed too long or belonged to a distant future. In Ezekiel 13, the LORD exposes one of the main causes of that spiritual delusion, false prophets and false prophetesses who spoke out of their own hearts, promised peace when there was no peace, and strengthened the wicked instead of calling them to repentance. This chapter is a sober warning that false teaching is not harmless. When men and women claim to speak for God while speaking from their own imagination, they deceive souls, profane the name of the LORD, and place themselves under divine judgment. The uploaded notes emphasize that these false prophets were not sent by God, spoke nonsense and lies, built a weak wall of false security, and seduced God’s people with flattering promises of peace when judgment was already appointed.

A. God’s word against false prophets.

1. Ezekiel 13:1-2, The command to speak against the false prophets.

Ezekiel 13:1, And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Ezekiel 13:2, Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that-prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;

And the word of the LORD came unto me again establishes the source of Ezekiel’s message. Ezekiel is not giving his personal opinion about religious corruption. He speaks because the LORD gives him the word. This matters because the entire chapter deals with false prophets who claimed to speak for God while actually speaking from their own hearts.

Prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy shows that Ezekiel is commanded to confront men who were publicly recognized as prophets. They were not necessarily outsiders attacking Israel from pagan religion. They were among the covenant people and claimed religious authority. Their danger was greater because they used the language of God while contradicting the word of God.

These false prophets mostly gave an optimistic message. They told Judah and Jerusalem that deliverance would come, that Babylon would not prevail, and that the exiles would soon return. Their message sounded encouraging, but it was false. Encouragement becomes evil when it contradicts the revealed word of the LORD.

Say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts identifies the root of their false ministry. They were not speaking from divine revelation. They were speaking from their own desires, imagination, ambition, and need for acceptance. Their own heart became the source of their message. This is always dangerous because the human heart is not a safe guide apart from the word of God.

Jeremiah 17:9, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Hear ye the word of the LORD is the message the false prophets themselves needed. They were busy speaking, but they were not listening. They were claiming authority, but they were not submitting to the authority of God’s word. Before any man speaks for God, he must first hear from God. The preacher, prophet, teacher, or counselor who refuses to hear the word of the LORD has no right to speak in the name of the LORD.

2. Ezekiel 13:3-7, The prophets Yahweh did not send.

Ezekiel 13:3, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen-nothing!

Ezekiel 13:4, O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

Ezekiel 13:5, 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 13:6, 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 13:7, 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?

Woe unto the foolish prophets announces judgment upon them. These men were not merely mistaken. They were spiritually foolish. In Scripture, foolishness is not only lack of intelligence. It is moral and spiritual rebellion against God. A foolish prophet is a contradiction in terms because a true prophet should be governed by the wisdom and word of God.

That follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing means their ministry was self-generated. They followed their own inner impulse rather than the Spirit of God. They claimed vision, but God says they had seen nothing. Their confidence did not make their message true. Their religious language did not make them sent. Their passion did not make them prophets.

O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts compares them to destructive animals among ruins. They were not repairing the damage in Israel. They were exploiting it. They were crafty, destructive, and useless in the day of danger. Instead of strengthening the people with truth, they burrowed in the ruins and made the destruction worse.

This same kind of danger is warned about elsewhere in Scripture. False teachers often appear harmless or even spiritual, but inwardly they destroy.

Matthew 7:15, Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Acts 20:29, For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the-flock.

Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel shows their failure of courage and duty. A true prophet would stand in the breach. He would call the people to repentance, warn them of judgment, and strengthen them to stand before God. These false prophets did none of that. They avoided the hard place. They did not repair the spiritual wall. They did not prepare the people for the day of the LORD.

To stand in the battle in the day of the LORD refers in this context to the coming day of judgment against Jerusalem. The false prophets should have prepared the people for what God had decreed. Instead, they left them exposed. False prophecy does not merely fail to help. It actively weakens people before judgment.

They have seen vanity and lying divination means their visions were empty and their divinations were false. Their messages had no divine substance. They may have sounded impressive, mysterious, spiritual, or hopeful, but God calls them vanity and lies.

Saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them is the center of their guilt. They attached God’s name to words God never spoke. That is a serious sin. To say, The LORD saith, when the LORD has not spoken is to profane His name and deceive His people.

Deuteronomy 18:20, But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded-him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

And they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word shows the manipulative nature of false prophecy. They gave people hope that their message would come true. The people wanted deliverance without repentance, and the false prophets gave them that lie. They encouraged hope in a word that God had not spoken.

Whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken is God’s direct contradiction of them. They claimed divine authority, but God denied it. This is the line that matters. A message is not true because it is positive, popular, emotional, confident, or religious. It is true only if God has spoken.

3. Ezekiel 13:8-9, The nonsense spoken by false prophets.

Ezekiel 13:8, Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I-am against you, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 13:9, And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be-in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither-shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies summarizes their ministry. Their words were empty, and their visions were false. They may have sounded spiritual to the people, but the LORD calls their message vanity and lies. God strips away the impressive exterior and names the thing as it truly is.

Therefore, behold, I am against you is a terrifying statement. Prophets should be men through whom God works, but these false prophets had made themselves enemies of God by speaking falsely in His name. There is no safe position for the man who claims divine authority while contradicting divine truth.

Mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies means God’s judgment would personally come against them. The hand of the LORD can strengthen His servants, but it can also crush His enemies. These false prophets would not escape because they spoke religiously. Their religious office made them more accountable, not less.

They shall not be in the assembly of my people means they would be excluded from the true covenant assembly. They claimed to speak for Israel, but God would remove their place among His people. They would lose the authority, respect, and standing they had enjoyed.

Neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel means they would have no honorable record among the covenant people. Their names would not stand as faithful servants in Israel’s record. Their legacy would be one of shame.

Neither shall they enter into the land of Israel means they would be cut off from the blessing they falsely promised. They promised peace, return, and restoration, but they themselves would not enter into the land. This judgment strikes at the heart of Israelite identity, assembly, record, and land.

And ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD again gives the purpose of judgment. These false prophets claimed to know God and speak for God, but they would come to know Him as Judge. Their downfall would reveal that the LORD is not manipulated by religious claims.

B. The weak wall and the storm.

1. Ezekiel 13:10-12, The wall that falls in the storm.

Ezekiel 13:10, Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one-built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter:

Ezekiel 13:11, Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing-shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.

Ezekiel 13:12, Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye-have daubed it?

They have seduced my people shows the effect of false prophecy. It leads God’s people astray. False prophets do not merely hold private wrong opinions. They seduce, misdirect, and spiritually endanger those who listen to them. The repeated phrase my people throughout this chapter reminds the false prophets that they were deceiving people who belonged to the LORD.

Saying, Peace; and there was no peace exposes the main message of the false prophets. They promised peace when judgment was coming. They gave reassurance when repentance was needed. They told the people that all would be well, but God had not said that. Their message was attractive because people naturally prefer comfort over correction.

Jeremiah confronted the same false message. The prophets and priests treated the wound of the people lightly. They said peace when there was no peace.

Jeremiah 6:14, They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there-is no peace.

Jeremiah 8:11, For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there-is no peace.

And one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter gives the image of false security. Someone builds a weak wall, and others cover it with poor plaster or whitewash. The wall looks strong on the outside, but it has no real strength. This is what the false prophets did spiritually. They covered the danger with religious optimism.

The wall represents the illusion of safety. The people believed Jerusalem would stand. The false prophets reinforced that illusion. Their preaching did not strengthen the people with truth. It merely covered the cracks.

Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall declares the certainty of collapse. The LORD would not allow the weak wall of lies to stand. The false message would be tested by real judgment, and when the storm came, the wall would fall.

There shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it describes the coming judgment as a violent storm. The false prophets had built a false wall of peace, but God would send the storm of Babylonian judgment against it. The wall would not survive.

Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? means the failure of the false prophets would be exposed. When Jerusalem fell, their promises would look foolish and wicked. The people would see that the beautiful religious coating had no power to protect them.

This is still one of the clearest pictures of false teaching. False doctrine often looks appealing because it paints over cracks. It gives confidence without truth. It promises stability without repentance. But when the storm of God’s judgment comes, only what is built on truth will stand.

Matthew 7:24, Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise-man, which built his house upon a rock:

Matthew 7:25, And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;-and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Matthew 7:26, And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto-a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

Matthew 7:27, And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;-and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

2. Ezekiel 13:13-14, The coming storm.

Ezekiel 13:13, Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury;-and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it.

Ezekiel 13:14, So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down-to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed-in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury makes clear that the coming storm is not accidental. God Himself will send it. Babylon would be the historical instrument, but the LORD is the divine cause. The storm is His fury against rebellion and deception.

There shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it intensifies the image. The weak wall will not face mild weather. It will face the full force of divine judgment. The false prophets built a message that could only stand in calm conditions. It could not stand when God rose to judge.

So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter means God will destroy both the false security and the false message. The LORD is not only against the obvious wickedness of idolatry and violence. He is also against the religious lies that keep people comfortable in sin.

And bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered shows that judgment exposes foundations. The wall looked good because it was covered. When the storm came, the covering would be stripped away, and everyone would see that the foundation was worthless. False religion often survives until tested. Then its foundation is revealed.

And it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof means the collapse would destroy those who trusted and promoted the lie. The false prophets would not stand safely outside the ruin. They would be consumed in it. The lie they built would fall upon them.

And ye shall know that I am the LORD again emphasizes that judgment reveals God. The false prophets had claimed His name falsely. Now they would know Him truly, not as the author of their message, but as the Judge of their deceit.

3. Ezekiel 13:15-16, God’s purpose in the storm.

Ezekiel 13:15, Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered-morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it;

Ezekiel 13:16, To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her,-and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD.

Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it shows that God’s wrath is directed at both the false system and the false teachers who supported it. The wall and the whitewash will both be destroyed. God does not merely judge the lie in abstract form. He judges those who spread it.

The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it is the final verdict. The false confidence would vanish, and the false prophets would be exposed. When Jerusalem fell, their message of peace would die with the city’s collapse. Their false ministry would be publicly proven false.

The prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace identifies their core sin again. They prophesied peace for Jerusalem when God had declared judgment. They spoke what the people wanted to hear rather than what God had spoken.

The true prophets, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, told the people that judgment was coming and that they needed to submit to the chastening hand of God. The false prophets told them that peace was coming and that no such judgment would fall. The false message left the people unprepared, unrepentant, and exposed.

Jeremiah 27:12, I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks-under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

Jeremiah 27:13, Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence,-as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

Jeremiah 27:14, Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve-the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

Jeremiah 27:15, For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that-I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.

This section warns that false peace is not mercy. It is cruelty. To tell a sinner, a nation, or a church that all is well when God says otherwise is to build a wall that will collapse. True mercy tells the truth before the storm comes.

C. Against the false prophetesses.

1. Ezekiel 13:17-19, Against the female false prophets.

Ezekiel 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,

Ezekiel 13:18, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes,-and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people,-and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?

Ezekiel 13:19, And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to-slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying-to my people that hear your lies?

Set thy face against the daughters of thy people introduces a specific word against female false prophets. Ezekiel has already spoken against false prophets generally, and now the LORD singles out women who were practicing false prophecy and occult-like deception among the people. The issue is not that women could never be used by God in a prophetic role. Scripture gives examples of women who had recognized prophetic ministry. The issue here is that these women were speaking out of their own hearts and using deceptive practices.

Exodus 15:20, And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women-went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

Numbers 12:2, And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And-the LORD heard it.

Judges 4:4, And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

2 Kings 22:14, So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah-the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; now-she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college; and they communed with her.

Isaiah 8:3, And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to-me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.

Nehemiah 6:14, My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess-Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

Luke 2:36, And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was-of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;

Acts 21:9, And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

Which prophesy out of their own heart shows that their basic failure was the same as the male false prophets. Their message did not come from God. It came from self. They were guided by their own imagination, desire, and deception rather than the word of the LORD.

Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls describes strange objects associated with their false religious practice. The exact meaning of the pillows and kerchiefs is debated, but the point is clear. These women used ritual objects, charms, garments, or symbolic coverings as part of their deception. Their ministry was closer to sorcery than true prophecy.

The mention of occult-like practice fits the broader biblical condemnation of witchcraft, divination, and attempts to manipulate spiritual power apart from obedience to the LORD.

1 Samuel 28:7, Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go-to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath-a familiar spirit at Endor.

Deuteronomy 18:10, There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass-through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.

Deuteronomy 18:11, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

Deuteronomy 18:12, For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the-LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

To hunt souls means their activity was predatory. These women were not harmless religious eccentrics. They were trapping people. The word soul here refers to the person, the life, the self. They were hunting people spiritually, drawing them into lies, fear, dependence, and deception.

Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you? exposes their arrogance. They acted as though they had power over life and death, blessing and judgment. But only the LORD has that authority. They claimed spiritual control while profaning His name.

And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread shows their corruption and greed. Whether the barley and bread were payment for their services or part of their ritual practice, the point is that they degraded the name of the LORD for cheap gain. They made merchandise of spiritual deception.

To slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live shows the moral reversal produced by their lies. They condemned the innocent and encouraged the wicked. False prophecy always reverses righteousness. It burdens the faithful and comforts the rebellious.

By your lying to my people that hear your lies shows guilt on both sides. The false prophetesses lied, but the people listened. A lying teacher is guilty, but those who prefer lies over truth are also responsible. False ministries thrive where people want deception more than correction.

This agrees with the later warning that people will heap to themselves teachers who satisfy their own desires.

2 Timothy 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;

2 Timothy 4:4, And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

The uploaded notes also connect this section with Old Testament passages that confront sinful classes of women in times of national corruption. These passages show that when a nation decays spiritually, corruption often appears in both public leadership and social life.

Isaiah 3:16, Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks-and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

Isaiah 3:17, Therefore the LORD will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion,-and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

Isaiah 3:18, In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their-cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

Isaiah 3:19, The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,

Isaiah 3:20, The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,

Isaiah 3:21, The rings, and nose jewels,

Isaiah 3:22, The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,

Isaiah 3:23, The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.

Isaiah 3:24, And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a-girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth;-and burning instead of beauty.

Isaiah 3:25, Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.

Isaiah 3:26, And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

Isaiah 4:1, And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread,-and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Isaiah 32:9, Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my-speech.

Isaiah 32:10, Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering-shall not come.

Isaiah 32:11, Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare,-and gird sackcloth upon your loins.

Isaiah 32:12, They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

Isaiah 32:13, Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of-joy in the joyous city:

Amos 4:1, Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the-poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.

Amos 4:2, The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that-he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.

Amos 4:3, And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye-shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD.

2. Ezekiel 13:20-21, Against the magic charms of the female false prophets.

Ezekiel 13:20, Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls-to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the-souls that ye hunt to make them fly.

Ezekiel 13:21, Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no-more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Behold, I am against your pillows shows that God directly opposes their tools of deception. Whatever these objects were, they had become instruments of false spiritual power. God is not neutral toward religious fraud. He is against it.

Wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly again shows that their work was predatory. They were hunting people like birds. Their rituals, charms, and lies created fear and bondage. They preyed on those who were spiritually vulnerable.

I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go is a promise of deliverance. God would strip away their deceptive tools and release the people from their power. The false prophetesses hunted souls, but the LORD would rescue His people.

Your kerchiefs also will I tear means God would publicly expose and destroy the external symbols of their deception. The very things that made them look powerful, mysterious, or spiritually impressive would be torn away. The LORD would unmask them.

And deliver my people out of your hand shows the mercy of God toward those who had been trapped. Even though the people were guilty for listening to lies, the LORD still calls them my people and promises deliverance from spiritual predators. God’s judgment on false teachers is also mercy toward those they deceive.

And they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted means the LORD will end their control. False spiritual power is temporary. It can manipulate for a season, but it cannot stand against the intervention of God.

And ye shall know that I am the LORD again reveals the purpose. The defeat of false prophetesses and the deliverance of their victims will show that Yahweh alone is God. He cannot be manipulated by charms, rituals, divination, or religious fraud.

3. Ezekiel 13:22-23, The terrible effect of the lies of the false prophets.

Ezekiel 13:22, Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad;-and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:

Ezekiel 13:23, Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of-your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad gives one of the terrible effects of false ministry. It discourages the righteous. Those who were trying to walk faithfully before God were burdened, confused, or condemned by lies that did not come from the LORD. False prophecy does not only comfort the wicked. It often wounds the faithful.

And strengthened the hands of the wicked gives the second terrible effect. The wicked were encouraged to continue in sin. Instead of calling them to repentance, the false prophets made them feel safe. That is one of the clearest marks of false religion. It strengthens men in rebellion instead of calling them out of it.

That he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life shows how deadly the lie was. The wicked needed to turn from his wicked way in order to live, but the false prophets promised him life without repentance. This directly opposed the message God gave Ezekiel as a watchman.

Ezekiel 3:18, When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest-to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his-iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Ezekiel 3:19, Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way,-he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Ezekiel 18:21, But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my-statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Ezekiel 18:22, All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he-hath done he shall live.

Ezekiel 18:23, Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that-he should return from his ways, and live?

Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations means God would bring their false ministry to an end. Their empty visions and occult practices would not continue forever. The LORD would silence the deception.

For I will deliver my people out of your hand repeats the promise of rescue. The false prophets and prophetesses had used lies to control, confuse, discourage, and embolden people in sin. God would deliver His people from that hand.

And ye shall know that I am the LORD closes the chapter with the repeated theological purpose. The false prophets claimed to speak for the LORD, but they did not know Him truly. Through judgment, exposure, and deliverance, they would know that He is the LORD.

Ezekiel 13 is a hard chapter, but it is necessary. It shows that false prophecy is not merely a difference in tone or emphasis. It is rebellion against God when it speaks from the human heart instead of the word of the LORD. It gives peace where God has not given peace. It whitewashes unstable walls. It hunts souls. It saddens the righteous and strengthens the wicked. The LORD’s answer is direct, I am against you. True ministry must therefore be governed by the word of God, not by popularity, optimism, personal imagination, or the desire to make people feel safe while they remain in sin.