Ezekiel 13:1
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
and the word of YHWH was to me, saying
Paraphrase: And YHWH, the Great King, spoke to me again. This is what He said,
Comments:
לֵאמֹר can be translated into English with a pair of quotation marks.
Ezekiel 13:2
בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הִנָּבֵ֛א אֶל־נְבִיאֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הַנִּבָּאִ֑ים וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ לִנְבִיאֵ֣י מִלִּבָּ֔ם שִׁמְע֖וּ דְּבַר־יְהוָֽה׃
“Son of man, prophesy to the prophets of Israel who are prophesying and say to those who prophesy from their own heart, “Hear the word of YHWH!
Paraphrase: Ezekieliel, you are a mere human and I am the Great King. Now here is the word you are to deliver to the Israelites. This word is specifically intended for those so-called “prophets” who are self-made and who deliver a word which they spun out of their own mind. It certainly did not come from Me.
Comments:
Note that הִנָּבֵא is nifal (see the nifal triangle). The passive idea of the nifal fits the function of a prophet since a prophet is under the divine influence. A prophet in these times was not an active person; he was to be passive in simply receiving the word of God and delivering it to the people. This was the problem with the false prophets; they were actively creating their own word out of their own mind and not simply being a channel through which the word of God flowed.
הַנִּבָּאִים an attributive participle.
Ezekiel 13:3
כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הֹ֖וי עַל־הַנְּבִיאִ֣ים הַנְּבָלִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֹלְכִ֛ים אַחַ֥ר רוּחָ֖ם וּלְבִלְתִּ֥י רָאֽוּ׃
Thus says Lord YHWH, “Woe to the foolish prophets who are going after their own spirit and do not see anything.
Paraphrase: Now this is what the Great King, YWHW says. Woe to you prophets who prophesy folly. You claim to be bringing a word from the Spirit of God; but actually, it is your own spirit you are hearing. You might think that the word you have came from God Himself. The truth is; it came from your own mind whether you know it or not. Whatever visions you claim to have seen, none of them were from Me. I have not shown Myself to you, and you have not seen anything from Me.
Comments:
It’s difficult to understand the use of בִלְתִּי here. It’s usually used with an infinitive, not a QTL verb as here.
Ezekiel 13:4
כְּשֻׁעָלִ֖ים בָּחֳרָבֹ֑ות נְבִיאֶ֥יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הָיֽוּ׃
as jackals among the ruins are your prophets, oh Israel.
Paraphrase: Your foolish prophets are like jackals who are rooting around in the ruins and who end up making matters worse for those who are trying to rebuild. They only end up adding to the destruction.
Comments:
Ezekiel 13:5
לֹ֤א עֲלִיתֶם֙ בַּהַפְּרָצֹ֔ות וַתִּגְדְּר֥וּ גָדֵ֖ר עַל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לַעֲמֹ֥ד בַּהַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה בְּיֹ֥ום יְהוָֽה׃
You have not gone up into the breaches or walled in the wall on the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of YHWH.
Paraphrase: You false prophets have done nothing to build up the defenses of Jerusalem. Your false prophecies have actually contributed to the breaking down of Jerusalem’s walls. Israel should have surrendered to Babylon, not fight them (Jer 38:17). Yet you are telling them that I want them to fight Babylon and to resist! Because of these lies, you have and will continue to bring down untold misery on the heads of the house of Israel. You have actually made Israel’s situation even worse. When the day of My reckoning arrives, how will Israel survive the day of battle when you are filling their minds with supposed “words from God” which are not from Me at all?
Comments:
וַתִּגְדְּרוּ גָדֵר and walled in the wall or probably rebuilt or repaired the wall. My sense here is that this is not referring to literal walls but probably to the defense of Israel as a nation. We know from Jeremiah that Israel’s way forward here is to surrender to Babylon, not fight them (Jeremiah 38:17).
Ezekiel 13:6
חָ֤זוּ שָׁוְא֙ וְקֶ֣סֶם כָּזָ֔ב הָאֹֽמְרִים֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וַֽיהוָ֖ה לֹ֣א שְׁלָחָ֑ם וְיִֽחֲל֖וּ לְקַיֵּ֥ם דָּבָֽר׃
They see vanity and divinations of lies who are saying, “This is an utterance of YHWH, but YHWH did not send them, and they wait to ratify the word.
Paraphrase: The visions seen by these prophets are deceits, and the prophets who deliver them are frauds. Imagine the abomination of a man saying, “This is a word from the Great King, YHWH!” when YHWH did not send him, nor did He speak to them. The brazen folly of such men is astounding. Their folly is so great that they have even deceived themselves. They actually sit around and wait for God to do the thing they prophesied! Do they not know who God is? Do they not even realize that He sees through their lies and deceit?
Comments:
חָזוּ is the word for seeing a vision.
The vav on a noun וַיהוָה signals a disjunctive meaning (see chapter 23j here).
שָׁוְא is the same word used in the third command.
Ezekiel 13:7
הֲלֹ֤וא מַֽחֲזֵה־שָׁוְא֙ חֲזִיתֶ֔ם וּמִקְסַ֥ם כָּזָ֖ב אֲמַרְתֶּ֑ם וְאֹֽמְרִים֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וַאֲנִ֖י לֹ֥א דִבַּֽרְתִּי׃ ס
is it not a vision of vanity you see? and a lying divination you speak? and saying, “It is an utterance of YHWH” but I did not speak?”
Paraphrase: Come, let’s sit down and think this through. The visions you claim to have seen, are they not perfectly empty? You didn’t really see any vision. And these words from Me which you claim to have received, why are you lying about this? You never received any word from Me. You proudly announce to the people of Israel, “Everyone stop and listen! I have a word from YHWH, the Great King!” when you know full well that I never spoke one word to you.
Comments:
Again a disjunctive signal from וַאֲנִי (see chapter 23j here).
Ezekiel 13:8
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה יַ֚עַן דַּבֶּרְכֶ֣ם שָׁ֔וְא וַחֲזִיתֶ֖ם כָּזָ֑ב לָכֵן֙ הִנְנִ֣י אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃
Ezekiel 13:9
וְהָיְתָ֣ה יָדִ֗י אֶֽל־הַנְּבִיאִ֞ים הַחֹזִ֣ים שָׁוְא֮ וְהַקֹּסְמִ֣ים כָּזָב֒ בְּסֹ֧וד עַמִּ֣י לֹֽא־יִהְי֗וּ וּבִכְתָ֤ב בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹ֣א יִכָּתֵ֔בוּ וְאֶל־אַדְמַ֥ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹ֣א יָבֹ֑אוּ וִידַעְתֶּ֕ם כִּ֥י אֲנִ֖י אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃
Ezekiel 13:10
יַ֣עַן וּבְיַ֜עַן הִטְע֧וּ אֶת־עַמִּ֛י לֵאמֹ֥ר שָׁלֹ֖ום וְאֵ֣ין שָׁלֹ֑ום וְהוּא֙ בֹּ֣נֶה חַ֔יִץ וְהִנָּ֛ם טָחִ֥ים אֹתֹ֖ו תָּפֵֽל׃
Ezekiel 13:11
אֱמֹ֛ר אֶל־טָחֵ֥י תָפֵ֖ל וְיִפֹּ֑ל הָיָ֣ה׀ גֶּ֣שֶׁם שֹׁוטֵ֗ף וְאַתֵּ֜נָה אַבְנֵ֤י אֶלְגָּבִישׁ֙ תִּפֹּ֔לְנָה וְר֥וּחַ סְעָרֹ֖ות תְּבַקֵּֽעַ׃
Ezekiel 13:12
וְהִנֵּ֖ה נָפַ֣ל הַקִּ֑יר הֲלֹוא֙ יֵאָמֵ֣ר אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם אַיֵּ֥ה הַטִּ֖יחַ אֲשֶׁ֥ר טַחְתֶּֽם׃ ס
Ezekiel 13:13
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה וּבִקַּעְתִּ֥י רֽוּחַ־סְעָרֹ֖ות בַּֽחֲמָתִ֑י וְגֶ֤שֶׁם שֹׁטֵף֙ בְּאַפִּ֣י יִֽהְיֶ֔ה וְאַבְנֵ֥י אֶלְגָּבִ֖ישׁ בְּחֵמָ֥ה לְכָלָֽה׃
Ezekiel 13:14
וְהָ֨רַסְתִּ֜י אֶת־הַקִּ֨יר אֲשֶׁר־טַחְתֶּ֥ם תָּפֵ֛ל וְהִגַּעְתִּ֥יהוּ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְנִגְלָ֣ה יְסֹדֹ֑ו וְנָֽפְלָה֙ וּכְלִיתֶ֣ם בְּתֹוכָ֔הּ וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ם כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
Ezekiel 13:15
וְכִלֵּיתִ֤י אֶת־חֲמָתִי֙ בַּהַקִּ֔יר וּבַהַטָּחִ֥ים אֹתֹ֖ו תָּפֵ֑ל וְאֹמַ֤ר לָכֶם֙ אֵ֣ין הַקִּ֔יר וְאֵ֖ין הַטָּחִ֥ים אֹתֹֽו׃
Ezekiel 13:16
נְבִיאֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הַֽנִבְּאִים֙ אֶל־יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְהַחֹזִ֥ים לָ֖הּ חֲזֹ֣ון שָׁלֹ֑ם וְאֵ֣ין שָׁלֹ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהֹוִֽה׃ פ
Ezekiel 13:17
וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֗ם שִׂ֤ים פָּנֶ֙יךָ֙ אֶל־בְּנֹ֣ות עַמְּךָ֔ הַמִּֽתְנַבְּאֹ֖ות מִֽלִּבְּהֶ֑ן וְהִנָּבֵ֖א עֲלֵיהֶֽן׃
Ezekiel 13:18
וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הֹוי֩ לִֽמְתַפְּרֹ֨ות כְּסָתֹ֜ות עַ֣ל׀ כָּל־אַצִּילֵ֣י יָדַ֗י וְעֹשֹׂ֧ות הַמִּסְפָּחֹ֛ות עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ כָּל־קֹומָ֖ה לְצֹודֵ֣ד נְפָשֹׁ֑ות הַנְּפָשֹׁות֙ תְּצֹודֵ֣דְנָה לְעַמִּ֔י וּנְפָשֹׁ֖ות לָכֶ֥נָה תְחַיֶּֽינָה׃
Ezekiel 13:19
וַתְּחַלֶּלְ֨נָה אֹתִ֜י אֶל־עַמִּ֗י בְּשַׁעֲלֵ֣י שְׂעֹרִים֮ וּבִפְתֹ֣ותֵי לֶחֶם֒ לְהָמִ֤ית נְפָשֹׁות֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־תְמוּתֶ֔נָה וּלְחַיֹּ֥ות נְפָשֹׁ֖ות אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־תִֽחְיֶ֑ינָה בְּכַ֨זֶּבְכֶ֔ם לְעַמִּ֖י שֹׁמְעֵ֥י כָזָֽב׃ ס
Ezekiel 13:20
לָכֵ֞ן כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הִנְנִ֤י אֶל־כִּסְּתֹותֵיכֶ֙נָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַ֠תֵּנָה מְצֹדְדֹ֨ות שָׁ֤ם אֶת־הַנְּפָשֹׁות֙ לְפֹ֣רְחֹ֔ות וְקָרַעְתִּ֣י אֹתָ֔ם מֵעַ֖ל זְרֹועֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי֙ אֶת־הַנְּפָשֹׁ֔ות אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֛ם מְצֹדְדֹ֥ות אֶת־נְפָשִׁ֖ים לְפֹרְחֹֽת׃
Ezekiel 13:21
וְקָרַעְתִּ֞י אֶת־מִסְפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם וְהִצַּלְתִּ֤י אֶת־עַמִּי֙ מִיֶּדְכֶ֔ן וְלֹֽא־יִהְי֥וּ עֹ֛וד בְּיֶדְכֶ֖ן לִמְצוּדָ֑ה וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ן כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
Ezekiel 13:22
יַ֣עַן הַכְאֹ֤ות לֵב־צַדִּיק֙ שֶׁ֔קֶר וַאֲנִ֖י לֹ֣א הִכְאַבְתִּ֑יו וּלְחַזֵּק֙ יְדֵ֣י רָשָׁ֔ע לְבִלְתִּי־שׁ֛וּב מִדַּרְכֹּ֥ו הָרָ֖ע לְהַחֲיֹתֹֽו׃
Ezekiel 13:23
לָכֵ֗ן שָׁ֚וְא לֹ֣א תֶחֱזֶ֔ינָה וְקֶ֖סֶם לֹא־תִקְסַ֣מְנָה עֹ֑וד וְהִצַּלְתִּ֤י אֶת־עַמִּי֙ מִיֶּדְכֶ֔ן וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ן כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃