God’s Word Translation
Ezekiel 13:19
19You dishonor me in front of my people for a few handfuls of barley and a few pieces of bread. You kill people who shouldn’t die, and you spare the lives of people who shouldn’t live. You lie to my people who are willing to listen.
Ezekiel 13:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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?
- New International Version (NIV)You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live.
- English Standard Version (ESV)You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And will you profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?”
Context of Ezekiel 13:19
17“Son of man, look at the women among your people who make up prophecies, and prophesy against them. 18“Tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: How horrible it will be for women who sew magic charms for people’s wrists and make magic veils of every size for people’s heads. You want to trap people. You want to control the lives of my people for your own profit. You dishonor me in front of my people for a few handfuls of barley and a few pieces of bread. You kill people who shouldn’t die, and you spare the lives of people who shouldn’t live. You lie to my people who are willing to listen. 20“ ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: I’m against the magic charms that you use to trap people like birds. I will tear them from your arms and free the people that you have trapped. 21I will tear off your magic veils and rescue my people from your power so that they will no longer be under your control. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
Read all of Ezekiel 13Ezekiel 13:19 word by word
וַתְּחַלֶּלְ֨נָה אֹתִ֜י אֶל־עַמִּ֗י בְּשַׁעֲלֵ֣י שְׂעֹרִים֮ וּבִפְת֣וֹתֵי לֶחֶם֒ לְהָמִ֤ית נְפָשׁוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־תְמוּתֶ֔נָה וּלְחַיּ֥וֹת נְפָשׁ֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־תִֽחְיֶ֑ינָה בְּכַ֨זֶּבְכֶ֔ם לְעַמִּ֖י שֹׁמְעֵ֥י כָזָֽב׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And will ye polluteחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: profaneH2490
- me among my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- for handfulsשֹׁ֫עַלshô‛al · handfulH8168
- of barleyשְׂעֹרָהώe‛ôrâh ώe‛ôrâh ώe‛ôr ώe‛ôr · barleyH8184
- and for piecesפָּתוֹתpath · morselH6595
- of breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- to slayמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- the soulsנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
- and to saveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
- by your lyingכָּזַבkâzab · to lieH3576
- that hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- liesכָּזָבkâzâb · lieH3577
Cross-references for Ezekiel 13:19
- Ezekiel 20:39“ ‘Nation of Israel, this is what the Almighty Lord says: Serve your disgusting idols. But afterwards, you will listen to me. You will no longer dishonor my holy name with your gifts and your disgusting idols.
- Ezekiel 22:26Your priests violate my teachings and dishonor my holy things. They don’t distinguish between what is holy and what is unholy. They don’t teach the difference between what is clean and what is unclean. They ignore the days to worship me. So I am dishonored among the people.
- 1 Samuel 2:16If the man said to the servant, “First let the fat be burned, then take as much as you want,” the servant would say to him, “Give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.”
- Proverbs 28:21Showing partiality is not good, because some people will turn on you even for a piece of bread.
- Micah 3:5This is what the Lord says about the prophets who mislead my people: When they have something to eat, they say, “All is well!” But they declare a holy war against those who don’t feed them.
- Malachi 1:10“I wish one of you would shut the doors ⌞to my house⌟ so that you could not light fires on my altar for no reason. I’m not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Armies, “and I won’t accept your offerings.
- Romans 16:18People like these are not serving Christ our Lord. They are serving their own desires. By their smooth talk and flattering words they deceive unsuspecting people.
- 1 Peter 5:2Be shepherds over the flock God has entrusted to you. Watch over it as God does: Don’t do this because you have to, but because you want to. Don’t do it out of greed, but out of a desire to serve.
- 2 Peter 2:2Many people will follow them in their sexual freedom and will cause others to dishonor the way of truth.
- Ezekiel 13:22You have discouraged righteous people with your lies, even though I hadn’t brought them any grief. You encouraged wicked people not to turn from their wicked ways to save their lives.
- Proverbs 19:27If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
- Romans 14:15So if what you eat hurts another Christian, you are no longer living by love. Don’t destroy anyone by what you eat. Christ died for that person.
- 1 Corinthians 8:11In that case, your knowledge is ruining a believer whose faith is weak, a believer for whom Christ died.
- Jeremiah 23:14“⌞Say this⌟ about the prophets of Jerusalem: I see something horrible. The prophets of Jerusalem commit adultery and live a lie. They support those who do evil so that no one turns back from his wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me, and those who live in Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”
Commentaries on Ezekiel 13:19
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17-23Verses 17-23 A rebuke to the false prophetesses, and a declaration that God will confound them, and deliver their victims from their snares. Women were sometimes inspired by the true God, as were Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, and Huldah; but an order of prophetesses was unknown among the people of God, and the existence of such a class in the last days of the kings of Judah was a fresh instance of declension into pagan usages. Ezekiel 13:18-21. Render thus…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-23Verses 17-23 It is ill with those who had rather hear pleasing lies than unpleasing truths. The false prophetesses tried to make people secure, signified by laying them at ease, and to make them proud, signified by the finery laid on their heads. They shall be confounded in their attempts, and God's people shall be delivered out of their hands. It behoves Christians to keep close to the word of God, and in every thing to seek the teaching of the Holy…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-19Similar to the false male prophets (Ezekiel 13:1–16), some women prophets spoke words from their own imaginations. The false male prophets used traditional prophecy methods, but the women used magical techniques with charms and veils. Seeking personal gain, such as a few handfuls of barley or a piece of bread, they promised life and death (compare Ezekiel 3:17–21; 33:1–9) to the wrong people.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. handfuls--expressing the paltry gain for which they bartered immortal souls (compare Mi 3:5, 11; He 12:16). They "polluted" God by making His name the cloak under which they uttered falsehoods. among my people--an aggravation of their sin, that they committed it "among the people" whom God had chosen as peculiarly His own, and among whom He had His temple. It would have been a sin to have done so even among the Gentiles, who knew not God; much more so…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 13:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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