New International Version
Ezekiel 13:18
18and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own?
Ezekiel 13:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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?
- English Standard Version (ESV)and say, Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive?
- New King James Version (NKJV)and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive?
- New Living Translation (NLT)This is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits you women who are ensnaring the souls of my people, young and old alike. You tie magic charms on their wrists and furnish them with magic veils. Do you think you can trap others without bringing destruction on yourselves?
Context of Ezekiel 13:18
16those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.” ’ 17“Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? 19You 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. 20“ ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds.
Read all of Ezekiel 13Ezekiel 13:18 word by word
וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הוֹי֩ לִֽמְתַפְּר֨וֹת כְּסָת֜וֹת עַ֣ל׀ כָּל־אַצִּילֵ֣י יָדַ֗י וְעֹשׂ֧וֹת הַמִּסְפָּח֛וֹת עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ כָּל־קוֹמָ֖ה לְצוֹדֵ֣ד נְפָשׁ֑וֹת הַנְּפָשׁוֹת֙ תְּצוֹדֵ֣דְנָה לְעַמִּ֔י וּנְפָשׁ֖וֹת לָכֶ֥נָה תְחַיֶּֽינָה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
- Woeהוֹיhôy · woe!H1945
- that sewתָּפַרtâphar · to sewH8609
- pillowsכֶּ֫סֶתkeseth · amuletH3704
- to all armholesיָדyâd · hand: themselvesH3027
- to all armholesאַצִּיל'atstsîyl · jointH679
- and makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- kerchiefsמִסְפָּחָהmispâchâh · veilH4555
- upon the headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- of every statureקוֹמָהqômâh · heightH6967
- to huntצוּדtsûd · to huntH6679
- soulsנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
- of my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- and will ye saveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
Cross-references for Ezekiel 13:18
- Ezekiel 13:3This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!
- Ezekiel 13:10“ ‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash,
- Jeremiah 4:10Then I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! How completely you have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’ when the sword is at our throats!”
- Jeremiah 6:14They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.
- 2 Timothy 4:3For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
- Ezekiel 22:25There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her.
- Ephesians 4:14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
- 2 Peter 2:14With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!
- Ezekiel 13:22Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives,
Commentaries on Ezekiel 13:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18That 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…Read the comment
- 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. 1818. sew pillows to ... armholes--rather, elbows and wrists, for which the false prophetesses made cushions to lean on, as a symbolical act, typifying the perfect tranquility which they foretold to those consulting them. Perhaps they made their dupes rest on these cushions in a fancied state of ecstasy after they had made them at first stand (whence the expression, "every stature," is used for "men of every age"). As the men are said to have built a wall…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 13:18
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
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