---
title: "Clarke"
description: "people, 17-23. NOTES ON CHAP. XIII Verse Ezekiel 13:2. That prophesy out of their own hearts — Who are neither inspired nor sent by ME. They are prophets"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ezekiel/13"
---

*people*, 17-23.
NOTES ON CHAP. XIII

Verse [Ezekiel 13:2](../../../kjv/ezekiel/13/2). ***That prophesy out of their own hearts*** — Who are *neither* *inspired* nor *sent* by ME. *They are prophets out of their own* *hearts*. They have their mission from their own *assumption*, and proceed in it from their own *presumption*. Such either go of *themselves*, or are sent by *man*. Such prophets, ministers, preachers, and clergy have been a curse to the Church and to the world for some thousands of years.

Verse [Ezekiel 13:4](../../../kjv/ezekiel/13/4). ***Thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.*** — The cunning of the *fox* in obtaining his prey has been long proverbial. These false prophets are represented as the foxes who, having got their prey by great subtlety, run to the desert to hide both themselves and it. So the false prophets, when the event did not answer to their prediction, *got out of the way*, that they might not be overwhelmed with the reproaches and indignation of the people.

Verse [Ezekiel 13:5](../../../kjv/ezekiel/13/5). ***Ye have not gone up into the gaps*** — Far from opposing sinners, who are bringing down the wrath of God upon the place, you prevent their repentance by your flattering promises and false predictions. Ye have neither by prayers, example, nor advice, contributed any thing for the preservation of the place, or the salvation of the people's souls.

Verse [Ezekiel 13:9](../../../kjv/ezekiel/13/9). ***They shall not be in the assembly of my people*** — They shall not be reputed members of my Church. They shall not be reckoned in the genealogy of true Israelites that return from captivity; and they shall never have a possession in the land; they shall be exhereditated and expatriated. They shall all perish in the siege, by the sword, the famine, and the pestilence.

Verse [Ezekiel 13:10](../../../kjv/ezekiel/13/10). ***One built up a wall*** — A true prophet is as *a wall of* *defense* to the people. These false prophets pretend to *be a wall* *of defense*; but their *wall* is bad, and their *mortar* is worse. One gives a *lying vision*, another pledges himself that it is *true*; and the people believe what *they* say, and trust not in God, nor turn from their sins. The city is about to be besieged; it needs stronger fortifications than what it possesses. The prophet should be as a *brazen wall* for its defence; and such my prophets would have been had the people received the word from my mouth. But ye have prevented this by your *lying vanities*; and when you have perverted the people, you pretend to raise up a rampart of specious prophecy, full of fine promises, for their *defence*. What one false prophet says, another confirms; and this is like daubing over a *bad wall* with *bad mortar*, which prevents its blemishes and weaknesses being discovered, though it has no tendency to strengthen the building.

Verse [Ezekiel 13:11](../../../kjv/ezekiel/13/11). ***There shall be an overflowing shower*** — That shall wash off this bad mortar; sweep away the ground on which the wall stands, and level it with the earth. In the eastern countries, where the walls are built with *unbaked bricks*, desolations of this kind are often occasioned by tempestuous rains. Of this sort of materials were the walls of ancient cities made, and hence the reason why no vestige of them remains. Witness Babylon, which was thus built. [Ezekiel 4:1](../../../kjv/ezekiel/4/1).

Verse [Ezekiel 13:17](../../../kjv/ezekiel/13/17). ***Set thy face against the daughters of thy people,**********which prophesy*** — From this it appears that there were *prophetesses* in the land of Israel, that were really *inspired* by the Lord: for as a *false religion* necessarily implies a *true one*, of which it is the *ape*; so *false prophetesses* necessarily imply *true ones*, whom they endeavoured to imitate.
That there were *true prophetesses* among the Jews is evident enough from such being mentioned in the sacred writings. *Miriam*, the sister of Moses [Exodus 15:20](../../../kjv/exodus/15/20); [Numbers 12:2](../../../kjv/numbers/12/2); *Deborah*, [Judges 4:4](../../../kjv/judges/4/4); *Huldah*, [2 Kings 22:14](../../../kjv/2-kings/22/14); *Anna*, the daughter of Phanuel, [Luke 2:36](../../../kjv/luke/2/36); the *four daughters* of Philip the deacon, [Acts 21:9](../../../kjv/acts/21/9).
*Calmet* observes that there was scarcely a heresy in the primitive Church that was not supported and fomented by seducing women.

Verse [Ezekiel 13:18](../../../kjv/ezekiel/13/18). ***That sew pillows to all arm holes*** — I believe this refers to those *cushions* which are so copiously provided in the eastern countries for the apartments of women; on which they sit, lean, rest their heads, and prop up their arms. I have several drawings of eastern ladies, who are represented on *sofas*; and often with their *arm thrown over a pillow*, which is thereby pressed close to their side, and against which they thus recline. The prophet's discourse seems to point out that state of softness and effeminacy to which the predictions of those false prophetesses allured the inhabitants of Jerusalem. A careless voluptuous life is that which is here particularly reprehended.
***And make kerchiefs*** — The word *kerchief* is French, *couvre chef*, that which *covers the head*; hence *handkerchief* and *neck* *handkerchief*, and *pocket handkerchief* are pitifully improper; because none of them is used to *cover the head*, from which *alone*, that article of dress has its name. But what are we to understand by *kerchiefs* here? Probably some kind of *ornamental dress* which rendered women more enticing, so that they could the more successfully hunt or inveigle souls (men) into the worship of their false gods. These they put on heads of every *stature-women* *of all ages*, *komah*, of every *woman* that *rose up* to inveigle men to idolatry.
The word מספחות *mispachoth*, translated here *kerchiefs*, and by the *Vulgate cervicalia, bolsters, Calmet* contends, means a sort of *nets* used in hunting, and in every place where it occurs it will bear this meaning; and hence the use to which it is here said to be applied, to *hunt souls*.

Verse [Ezekiel 13:20](../../../kjv/ezekiel/13/20). ***The souls that ye hunt to make*****them*****fly.*** — לפרחות *lephorechoth*, into the *flower gardens*, says *Parkhurst*. These false prophetesses decoyed men into these gardens, where probably some impure rites of worship were performed, as in that of אשרה *Asherah* or *Venus*. See *Parkhurst* under פרח.

Verse [Ezekiel 13:21](../../../kjv/ezekiel/13/21). ***Your kerchiefs*** — *Nets*, or *amulets*, as some think.

Verse [Ezekiel 13:22](../../../kjv/ezekiel/13/22). ***With lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad*** — Here is the *ministry* of these false prophetesses, and its effects. *They told lies*: they would *speak*, and they had no *truth* to tell; and therefore spoke *falsities*. They "saddened the souls of the righteous, and strengthened the hands of the wicked." They promised them life, and prevented them from repenting and turning from their sins.

Verse [Ezekiel 13:23](../../../kjv/ezekiel/13/23). ***Ye shall see no more vanity*** — They pretended *visions*; but they were *empty* of *reality*.
***Nor divine divinations*** — As God would not speak to them, they employed *demons*. Where God is not, because of the iniquity of the people, the *devil* is, to strengthen and support that iniquity. And if he cannot have his *priests*, he will have his *priestesses*; and these will have a Church like themselves, full of lying doctrines, and bad works.

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