17 23<\/strong>. Denunciation of the false prophetesses<\/p>\n Female prophets were not unknown in Israel whether in earlier or later times, as Deborah (Jdg 4:3<\/span>) and Huldah (2Ki 22:14<\/span>). The prophetesses referred to here were like the prophets, prophesying out of their own heart ( Eze 13:17<\/em><\/span>). Their prophesying was by some species of divination, which they used in order to obtain oracles. The methods of divination practised are somewhat obscure: they bound fillets upon the joints and threw cloths or veils over the heads of those who consulted them. By these means they “hunted” souls; they saved souls alive that should not live and slew souls that should not die ( Eze 13:19<\/em><\/span>), or as expressed otherwise, they made the heart of the righteous sad and strengthened the hands of the wicked ( Eze 13:22<\/em><\/span>). In other words like the false prophets they misled the people, promising life to the ungodly and prophesying disaster to those who were righteous.<\/p>\n 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.<\/P> Eze 13:18-21<\/span>. Render thus: Woe to the women that put charms on every finger-joint, that set veils upon heads of every height to ensnare souls. Will ye ensnare the souls of my people, and keep your own souls alive, and will ye profane my name among my people for handfuls of barley and pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to keep alive the souls that should not live, by lying to my people who listen to a lie? Wherefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold I will come upon your charms, where ye are ensnaring the souls like birds; and I will tear them from your arms and will let the souls go free, even the souls which ye are ensnaring like birds. Your veils also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be ensnared; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.<\/P> Most ancient interpreters and many modern interpreters have understood the pillows (or charms) and kerchiefs (or veils), as appliances to which the sorcerers had resort in order to attract notice. The veil was a conspicuous ornament in the east – women whatever their stature (or, height) putting them on – and it was worn by magicians in order to seem more mysterious and awful.<\/P> Eze 13:19<\/B><\/span><\/P> Pollute me – <\/B>Profane Me by your false words, which ye pretend to be from Me.<\/P> Handfuls of barley – <\/B>Such were the gifts with which men used to approach a seer (compare 1Sa 9:7-8<\/span>; 1Ki 14:3<\/span>).<\/P> Eze 13:20<\/B><\/span><\/P> To make them fly – <\/B>If the marginal reading into gardens be adopted, it must mean, Ye entice men to the gardens or groves, where magical arts are practiced. That groves were used for this purpose and for idolatrous rites is notorious.<\/P><\/p>\n Verse 17<\/span>. Set thy face against the daughters of thy people,<\/B><\/I> <\/B>which prophesy<\/B><\/I>] From this it appears that there were prophetesses<\/I> in the land of Israel, that were really inspired<\/I> by the Lord: for as a false religion<\/I> necessarily implies a true one<\/I>, of which it is the ape<\/I>; so false prophetesses<\/I> necessarily imply true ones<\/I>, whom they endeavoured to imitate.<\/P> <\/P> That there were true prophetesses<\/I> among the Jews is evident enough from such being mentioned in the sacred writings. Miriam<\/I>, the sister of Moses Ex 15:20<\/span>; Nu 12:2<\/span>; Deborah<\/I>, Jdg 4:4<\/span>; Huldah<\/I>, 2Kg 22:14<\/span>; Anna<\/I>, the daughter of Phanuel, Lu 2:36<\/span>; the four daughters<\/I> of Philip the deacon, Ac 21:9<\/span>.<\/P> <\/P> Calmet<\/I> observes that there was scarcely a heresy in the primitive Church that was not supported and fomented by seducing women.<\/P> <\/p>\n Now turn thyself and discourse against the prophetesses, fear them not: see the phrase, Eze 4:3<\/span>. Some would have the prophets words to be intended against the effeminate men, who were of no value, and by contempt called the daughters of his people; but I see no cause why the prophets words should not be directed against the women who pretended to be prophetesses. <\/P> Of thy people, that were with him in Babylon. Or rather, because they were Jews, they are called daughters of his people. Or might they not be daughters of priests, and so more nearly of kin to Ezekiel? <\/P> Which prophesy; there were women who had the gift of prophecy, Exo 15:20<\/span>; Jdg 4:4<\/span>; 2Ki 22:14<\/span>; Joe 2:28<\/span>, and brought messages from God, but these in the text pretend themselves to be prophetesses, and speak their own imaginations, and fasten their lies on the God of truth. <\/P> <\/p>\n 17. set thy face<\/B>put on a boldcountenance, fearlessly to denounce them (Eze 3:8<\/span>;Eze 3:9<\/span>; Isa 50:7<\/span>).<\/P> daughters<\/B>the falseprophetesses; alluded to only here; elsewhere the guilt specified inthe women is the active share they took in maintaining idolatry (Eze8:14<\/span>). It was only in extraordinary emergencies that God bestowedprophecy on women, for example on Miriam, Deborah, Huldah (Exo 15:20<\/span>;Jdg 4:4<\/span>; 2Ki 22:14<\/span>);so in the last days to come (Joe2:28<\/span>). The rareness of such instances enhanced their guilt inpretending inspiration.<\/P><\/p>\n Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people<\/strong>,…. The false prophetesses; for as there were women in some ages, who had the true spirit of prophecy, as Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah, Ex 15:20<\/span>; so there were some that pretended to it, who had it not, as Noadiah in the times of Nehemiah, Ne 6:14<\/span>; and such there were in the times of Ezekiel; against whom he is bid to set his face, and look them out of countenance, and make them ashamed; who, contrary to the modesty of the sex, had impudently taken upon them to prophesy to the people; and such have been since in the times of the Gospel, as Jezebel, Re 2:20<\/span>; and Prisca, Maximilia, Quintilia, and others:<\/p>\n who prophesy out of their own heart<\/strong>; as the men did, Eze 13:2<\/span>; what their own hearts suggested to them; what came into their minds, and their own fancies and imaginations led them to; what was according to their carnal affections and desires, and agreeable to those that heard them:<\/p>\n and prophesy thou against them<\/strong>; declare their prophecies false; warn the people from giving heed to them; and foretell what shall befall them for deceiving the people.<\/p>\n Against the False Prophetesses<\/p>\n As the Lord had not endowed men only with the gifts of prophecy, but sometimes women also, e.g., Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah; so women also rose up along with the false prophets, and prophesied out of their own hearts without being impelled by the Spirit of God. Eze 13:17-19<\/span>. Their conduct. – Eze 13:17<\/span>. And thou, son of man, direct thy face towards the daughters of thy people, who prophesy out of their heart and prophesy against them, <\/em> Eze 13:18<\/span>. And say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Woe to those who sew coverings together over all the joints of my hands, and make caps for the head of every size, to catch souls! Ye catch the souls of my people, and keep your souls alive. <\/em> Eze 13:19<\/span>. And ye profane me with my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay souls which should not die, and to keep alive which should not live, by your lying to my people who hearken to lying.<\/em> – Like the prophets in Eze 13:2<\/span>, the prophetesses are here described as prophesying out of their own heart (Eze 13:17<\/span>); and in Eze 13:18<\/span> and Eze 13:19<\/span> their offences are more particularly described. The meaning of these verses is entirely dependent upon the view to be taken of , which the majority of expositors, following the lead of the lxx, the Syriac, and the Vulgate, have regarded as identical with or , and understood as referring to the hands of the women or prophetesses. But there is nothing to justify the assumption that is an unusual form for , which even Ewald takes it to be ( Lehrbuch<\/em>, 177 a<\/em>). Still less can it stand for the singular . And we have not sufficient ground for altering the text, as the expression in Eze 13:20<\/span> (I will tear the from your arms) does not require the assumption that the prophetesses had hidden their arms in ; and such a supposition is by no means obviously in harmony with the facts.<\/p>\n The word , from , with fem. treated as a radical letter (cf. Ewald, 186 e<\/em>), means a covering or concealment = . The meaning “cushion” or “pillow” (lxx , Vulg. pulvilli <\/em>) is merely an inference drawn from this passage, and is decidedly erroneous; for the word (to sew together) is inapplicable to cushions, as well as the phrase , inasmuch as cushions are not placed upon the joints of the hands, and still less are they sewed together upon them. The latter is also a decisive reason for rejecting the explanation given by Hvernick, namely, that the k e sathoth <\/em> were carpets, which were used as couches, and upon which these voluptuous women are represented as reclining. For cushions or couches are not placed upon, but under, the arm-joints (or elbows) and the shoulders, which Hvernick understands by . This also overthrows another explanation given of the words, namely, that they refer to carpets, which the prophetesses had sewed together for all their arm-joints, so as to form comfortable beds upon splendid carpets, that they may indulge in licentiousness thereon. The explanation given by Ephraem Syrus, and adopted by Hitzig, namely, that the k e sathoth <\/em> were amulets or straps, which they would round their arm-joints when they received or delivered their oracles, is equally untenable. For, as Kliefoth has observed, “it is evident that there is not a word in the text about adultery, or amulets, or straps used in prayer.” And again, when we proceed to the next clause, the traditional rendering of , as signifying either pillows ( , Symm.; cervicalia <\/em>, Vulg.) or broad cloaks = (Hitzig, Hvernick, etc.), is neither supported by the usage of the language, nor in harmony with . Mispachoth <\/em>, from saphach <\/em>, to join, cannot have any other meaning in the present context than a cap fitting close to the head; and must denote the pattern which was followed, as in Psa 110:4<\/span>; Est 9:26<\/span>: they make the caps after (answering to) the head of every stature. The words of both clauses are figurative, and have been correctly explained by Kliefoth as follows: “A double charge is brought against the prophetesses. In the first place, they sew coverings together to wrap round all the joints of the hand of God, so that He cannot touch them; i.e., they cover up and conceal the word of God by their prophesying, more especially its rebuking and threatening force, so that the threatening and judicial arm of God, which ought above all to become both manifest and effective through His prophetic word, does not become either one or the other. In the second place, they make coverings upon the heads of men, and construct them in such a form that they exactly fit the stature or size or every individual, so that the men neither hear nor see; i.e., by means of their flattering lies, which adapt themselves to the subjective inclinations of their hearers at the time, they cover up the senses of the men, so that they retain neither ear nor eye for the truth.” They do both of these to catch souls. The inevitable consequence of their act is represented as having been intended by them; and this intention is then still further defined as being to catch the souls of the people of God; i.e., to allure them to destruction, and take care of their own souls. The clause is not to be taken as a question, “Will ye catch the souls?” implying a doubt whether they really thought that they could carry on such conduct as theirs with perfect impunity (Hvernick). It contains a simple statement of what really took place in their catching of souls, namely, “they catch the souls of the people of God, and preserve their own souls;” i.e., they rob the people of God of their lives, and take care of their own (Kliefoth). is used instead of the genitive ( stat. constr.<\/em>) to show that the accent rests upon . And in the same way we have instead of the suffix. The construction is the same as in 1Sa 14:16<\/span>. Eze 13:19<\/span> shows how great their sin had been. They profane God among His people; namely, by delivering the suggestions of their own heart to the people as divine revelations, for the purpose of getting their daily bread thereby (cf. Mic 3:5<\/span>); by hurling into destruction, through their lies, those who are only too glad to listen to lying; by slaying the souls of the people which ought to live, and by preserving those which ought not to live, i.e., their own souls (Deu 18:20<\/span>). The punishment for this will not fail to come.<\/p>\n The Guilt of the False Prophetesses.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/I><\/span><\/P> <\/TD> B. C.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> 593.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/P> <\/TD> <\/TR> <\/TABLE> 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, 18 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD<\/B>; Woe to the women<\/I> 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<\/I> unto you? 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<\/I> lies? 20 Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD<\/B>; Behold, I am<\/I> against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them<\/I> fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even<\/I> the souls that ye hunt to make them<\/I> fly. 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<\/I> the LORD<\/B>. 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: 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<\/I> the LORD<\/B>.<\/P> As God has promised that when he pours out his Spirit upon his people both their sons and their daughters shall prophesy,<\/I> so the devil, when he acts as a spirit of lies and falsehood, is so in the mouth not only of false prophets, but of false prophetesses too, and those are the deceivers whom the prophet is here directed to prophesy against; for they are not such despicable enemies to God’s truths as deserve not to be taken notice of, nor yet will either the weakness of their sex excuse their sin or the tenderness and respect that are owing to it exempt them from the reproaches and threatenings of the word of God. No: Son of man, set they face against the daughters of thy people,<\/I> v.<\/span> 17<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. God takes no pleasure in owning them for his people. They are thy people,<\/I> as Exod. xxxii. 7<\/span>. The women pretend to a spirit of prophecy, and are in the same song with the men, as Ahab’s prophets were: Go on, and prosper.<\/I> They prophesy out of their own heart<\/I> too; they say what comes uppermost and what they know nothing of. Therefore prophesy against them<\/I> from God’s own mouth. The prophet must set his face against them,<\/I> and try if they can look him in the face and stand to what they say. Note, When sinners grow very impudent it is time for reprovers to be very bold. Now observe,<\/P> I. How the sin of these false prophetesses is described, and what are the particulars of it. 1. They told deliberate lies to those who consulted them, and came to them to be advised, and to be told their fortune: “You do mischief by your lying to my people that hear your lies<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 19<\/span>); they come to be told the truth, but you tell them lies; and, because you humour them in their sins, they are willing to hear you.” Note, It is ill with those people who can better hear pleasing lies than unpleasing truths; and it is a temptation to those who lie in wait to deceive to tell lies when they find people willing to hear them and to excuse themselves with this, Si populus vult decipi, decipiatur–If the people will be deceived, let them.<\/I> 2. They profaned the name of God by pretending to have received those lies from him (v.<\/I><\/span> 19<\/span>): “You pollute my name among my people,<\/I> and make use of that for the patronising of your lies and the gaining of credit to them.” Note, Those greatly pollute God’s holy name that make use of it to give countenance to falsehood and wickedness. Yet this they did for handfuls of barley and pieces of bread.<\/I> They did it for gain; they cared not what dishonour they did to God’s name by their lying, so they could but make a hand of it for themselves. There is nothing so sacred which men of mercenary spirits, in whom the love of this world reigns, will not profane and prostitute, if they can but get money by the bargain. But they did it for poor gain; if they could get no more for it, rather than break they would sell you a false prophecy that should please you to a nicety for the beggar’s dole, a piece of bread<\/I> or a handful of barley;<\/I> and yet that was more than it was worth. Had they asked it as an alms, for God’s sake, surely they might have had it, and God would have been honoured; but, taking it as a fee for a false prophecy, God’s name if polluted, and the smallness of the reward heightens the offence. For a piece of bread that man will transgress,<\/I> Prov. xxviii. 21<\/I><\/span>. Had their poverty been their temptation to steal, and so to take the name of the Lord in vain,<\/I> it would not have been nearly so bad as when it tempted them to prophesy lies in his name<\/I> and so to profane it. 3. They kept people in awe, and terrified them with their pretensions: “You hunt the souls of my people<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 18<\/span>), hunt them to make them flee<\/I> (v.<\/I><\/span> 20<\/span>), hunt them into gardens<\/I> (so the margin reads it); you use all the arts you have to court or compel them into those places where you deliver your pretended predictions, or you have got such an influence upon them that you make them do just as you would have them to do, and tyrannise over them.” It was indeed the people’s fault that they did regard them, but it was their fault by lies and falsehoods to command that regard; they pretended to save the souls alive that came to them,<\/I> v.<\/span> 18<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. If they would but be hearers of them, and contributors to them, they might be sure of salvation; thus they beguiled unstable souls that had a concern about salvation as their end but did not rightly understand the way, and therefore hearkened to those who were most confident in promising it to them. “But will you pretend to save souls, or secure salvation to your party?” Those are justly suspected that make such pretensions. 4. They discouraged those that were honest and good, and encouraged those that were wicked and profane: You slay the souls that should not die, and save those alive that should not live,<\/I> v.<\/span> 19<\/span><\/U><\/I><\/span>. This is explained (v.<\/I><\/span> 22<\/span>): You have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad;<\/I> because they would not, they durst not, countenance your pretensions, you thundered out the judgments of God against them, to their great grief and trouble; you put them under invidious characters, to make them either despicable or odious to the people, and pretended to do it in God’s name, which made them go many a time with a sad heart; whereas it was the will of God that they should be comforted, and by having respect put upon them should have encouragement given them. But on the other side, and which is still worse, you have strengthened the hands of the wicked<\/I> and emboldened them to go on in their wicked ways<\/I> and not to return from them, which was the thing the true prophets with earnestness called them to. “You have promised sinners life in their sinful ways, have told them that they shall have peace though they go on, by which their hands have been strengthened<\/I> and their hearts hardened.” Some think this refers to the severe censures they passed upon those who had already gone into captivity (who were humbled under their affliction, by which their hearts were made sad<\/I>), and the commendations they gave to those who rebelled against the king of Babylon, who were hardened in their impieties, by which their hands were strengthened;<\/I> or by their polluting the name of God they saddened the hearts of good people who have a value and veneration for the word of God, and confirmed atheists and infidels in their contempt of divine revelation and furnished them with arguments against it. Note, Those have a great deal to answer for who grieve the spirits, and weaken the hands, of good people, and who gratify the lusts of sinners, and animate them in their opposition to God and religion. Nor can any thing strengthen the hands of sinners more than to tell them that they may be saved in their sins without repentance, or that there may be repentance though they do not return from their wicked ways. 5. They mimicked the true prophets, by giving signs for the illustrating of their false predictions (as Hananiah did, Jer. xxviii. 10<\/span>), and they were signs agreeable to their sex; they sewed little pillows to the people’s arm-holes,<\/I> to signify that they might be easy and repose themselves, and needed not be disquieted with the apprehensions of trouble approaching. And they made kerchiefs upon the head of every stature,<\/I> of persons of every age, young and old, distinguishable by their stature, v.<\/I><\/span> 18<\/span>. These kerchiefs were badges of liberty or triumph, intimating that they should not only be delivered from the Chaldeans, but be victorious over them. Some think these were some superstitious rites which they used with those to whom they delivered their divinations, preparing them for the reception of them by putting enchanted pillows under their arms and handkerchiefs on their heads, to raise their fancies and their expectations of something great. Or perhaps the expressions are figurative: they did all they could to make people secure, which is signified by laying them easy, and to make people proud, which is signified by dressing them fine with handkerchiefs, perhaps laid or embroidered on their heads.<\/P> II. How the wrath of God against them is expressed. Here is a woe to them (v.<\/I><\/span> 18<\/span>), and God declares himself against the methods they took to delude and deceive, v.<\/I><\/span> 20<\/span>. But what course will God take with them? 1. They shall be confounded in their attempts, and shall proceed no further; for (v.<\/I><\/span> 23<\/span>) you shall see no more vanity nor divine revelations;<\/I> not that they shall themselves lay down their pretensions in a way of repentance, but when the event gives them the lie they shall be silent for shame; or their fancies and imaginations shall not be disposed to receive impressions which assist them in their divinations as they have been; or they themselves shall be cut off. 2. God’s people shall be delivered out of their hands. When they see themselves deluded by them into a false peace and a fool’s paradise, and that though they would not leave their sin their sin has left them, and they see no more vanity nor divine divinations,<\/I> they shall turn their back upon them, shall slight their predictions. The righteous shall be no more saddened by them, no, nor the wicked strengthened: The pillows shall be torn from their arms,<\/I> and the kerchiefs from their heads;<\/I> the fallacies shall be discovered, their frauds detected, and the people of God shall no more be in their hand, to be hunted as they had been. Note, It is a great mercy to be delivered from a servile regard to, and fear of, those who, under colour of a divine authority, impose upon and tyrannise over the consciences of men, and say to their souls, Bow down, that we may go over.<\/I> But it is a sore grief to those who delight in such usurpations to have their power broken and the prey delivered; such was the reformation to the church of Rome. And, when God does this, he makes it to appear that he is the Lord, that it is his prerogative to give law to souls.<\/P><\/p>\n EFFEMINATE RELIGION AND MISPLACED SORROW<\/strong><\/p>\n Verses 17-23:<\/strong><\/p>\n Verse 17 directs <\/strong>Ezekiel as “son of man,” or representative of the Son of man, set his face, or harden his jaw and prophesy against the daughters of his people, who “prophesied out of their own heart,” or of their own carnal will and inventions. They were the false prophetesses who shared in maintaining idolatry in the land, Exo 15:10<\/span>; Eze 3:18<\/span>; Eze 3:9<\/span>; Isa 1:7<\/span>; Isa 3:16<\/span>; Isa 4:4<\/span>; Eze 8:14<\/span>. It was only in extraordinary circumstances that God bestowed prophecy upon women, as Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah, Exo 15:20<\/span>; Jdg 4:4<\/span>; 2Ki 22:14<\/span>; Act 21:8-9<\/span>.<\/p>\n Verse 18 directs <\/strong>Ezekiel to pronounce a woe upon the false prophetesses, (women) who sewed pillows or cushions to all armholes to lean on, suggesting perfect tranquillity or peace to those who came to consult them, rather than call them to repentance. They also made kerchiefs or veils to place upon the head of every statute, or person of every height. These religious women of Israel were hunters of “souls”, to dupe and seduce for whatever pay they could get from them, Eze 22:25<\/span>; Eph 4:14<\/span>. Having announced the woe that was to befall them for their part in idolatry and prostitution, Ezekiel then rhetorically asked whether or not they would save or deliver the souls or lives of the Lord’s people, keep them alive, free them who came to them from coming Divine judgment. The answer implied was you will not, will you? Pro 6:26<\/span>; 2Pe 2:14<\/span>.<\/p>\n Verse 19 continues <\/strong>the Lord’s question of whether or not these lying prophetesses, women who resorted to prostitution for handfuls of barley and pieces of bread, to seduce and slay (by law) the souls of His people, to pollute their souls, while promising them peace of mind and soul, could cause them to live their lies. Again the question seems to suggest that they surely could not, Pro 28:21<\/span>; Mic 3:5<\/span>. Even those who did not seduce to illicit sex in their seductive cushion flare sleeves and veils received barley and bread for their lying prophecies of peace, though judgment from the Lord had been announced and determined, 1Sa 9:7-8<\/span>; 1Ki 14:3<\/span>.<\/p>\n Verse 20 announces <\/strong>that because of their lying and polluting the Lord among His people of the land He was against their pillows, or cushions of false comfort and false ease. He declared that He would make their pillows with which they had hunted, trapped, or ensnared souls. They would be torn from their arms, to leave them bare, without deceiving strength, and cause both them as false prophetesses and the souls they victimized to fly, or go away into captivity, to save them, Psa 91:3<\/span>; Pro 6:5<\/span>; Hos 9:8<\/span>.<\/p>\n Verse 21 declares <\/strong>that the Lord would also tear the kerchiefs or veils from their hand and deliver His people out of the hand or obsession of these seductive pretenders and lying prophetesses who had hunted them and used them as personal prey. It would continue until they were made to recognize that He was the Lord God, by the judgments of shame they should suffer, Rom 1:18<\/span>; Gal 6:7-8<\/span>.<\/p>\n Verse 22 states that <\/strong>this Divine judgment should come because these base, seductive women had caused the hearts of even His righteous people to be sad. And they had encouraged or aided the hand of the wicked in doing wickedness, so that they would not repent, because they had with lying words and polluting deeds offered them false comfort and peace, in exchange for an handful of barley and bread, v. 19; Jer 23:14<\/span>.<\/p>\n Verse 23 concludes <\/strong>that the Lord would therefore deliver His people, a righteous remnant, but these seductive, lying, deceiving false prophetesses with their vanities and divine divinations should see His face, or His mercy no more. And they would then with doom, know that He was the one true Lord whom they had resisted, v. 6, Exo 20:1-5<\/span>; Eze 12:24<\/span>; Mic 3:6<\/span>.<\/p>\n WE may gather from this passage that Satan’s lies were not spread among the people so much by men as by women. We know that the gift of prophecy is sometimes though rarely allowed to women, and there is no doubt that female prophets existed whenever God wished to brand men with a mark of ignominy as strongly as possible. I say as much as possible, because the sister of Moses enjoyed the prophetic gift, and this never ceased to the reproach of her brother. (Exo 15:20<\/span>.) But when Deborah and Huldah discharged the prophetic office, (Jud 4:4<\/span>, and 2Kg 22:14<\/span>,) God doubtless wished to raise them on high to shame the men, and obliquely to show them their slothfulness. Whatever may be the reason, women have sometimes enjoyed the prophetic gift. And this is the meaning of Joel’s second chapter, (Joe 2:28<\/span>,)Your sons shall see visions and your daughters shall prophesy. There is no doubt that the Spirit transfers to the kingdom of Christ what had been customary among the ancient people. For we know that Christ’s kingdom is described, or rather depicted, under the image of that government which God formerly held under the law. Since, then, certain women were gifted with the prophetic spirit, Satan, according to his custom, abused this under a false pretense. We know that he always emulates God and transforms himself into an angel of light, because if he were to show himself openly, all would instantly flee from him: hence he uses God’s name deceptively, to ingratiate himself among the simple and incautious. And he not only sends forth false prophets to scatter abroad their lies and impostures, but he turns even females to the same injurious use. <\/p>\n Here we see how anxiously we ought to guard against any corruption which may creep in to contaminate the pure gifts of God. But this contest seems not to have been sufficiently honorable to the servant of God; for it was almost a matter of shame when they engaged with women. We know that those who desire praise for their bravery do not willingly engage with unequal antagonists who have no strength to resist; since there is no praise in a victory when it is too easy: so also Ezekiel could put away from him this undertaking, since it was unworthy of the prophetic office. Hence it appears, that God’s servants cannot faithfully discharge the duties assigned to them, unless they strive to remove all impediments. This then is the condition of all those to whom God assigns the office of teaching, that they may oppose all false doctrines and errors, and never consider or wish for great praise from their victory: it should suffice them to assert God’s truth against all Satan’s devices. Thus we see Paul strove with a workman (Demetrius), (Act 19:24<\/span>,) and that was all but ridiculous: and truly he might seem not sufficiently to regard his dignity; for from the time when he saw secret things which it was not lawful for him to utter, and was carried up to the third heaven, (2Co 12:4<\/span>,) when he engages in a contest with a craftsman, he seems to forget that dignity to which God had raised him. But we must remember the reason which I have mentioned, that as the duty of teaching is assigned to God’s servants, so they are appointed as his avengers and defenders of the doctrine of which they are heralds. Hence if, so to speak, fleas were to come out of the earth and rail at sound doctrine, none who are influenced by a desire of edification will hesitate to contend even with those fleas. Thus the Prophet’s modesty is conspicuous, because by God’s command he turns to these weak women to refute even them. <\/p>\n CONDEMNATION OF THE PROPHETESSES (Eze. 13:17-23<\/span>)<\/p>\n EXEGETICAL NOTES.A disposition to prophecy was in the air; so women as well as men, in Jerusalem and among the exiles, were influenced by it. Naturally it assumed different forms in the one from what it did in the other. Men daub walls, women sew, make veils, &c. Both are deceiving, and shall certainly be set at nought. There seems no weight to be accorded to the suggestion that the existence of these prophetesses was proof of a fresh instance of declension into heathen usages. The gift of true prophecy came to holy women in the earlier history of Israel before Christ and also in the later, and might be pretended to.<\/p>\n Eze. 13:18<\/span>. Ignorance of the practices alluded to here stands in the way of clearing up the meaning of this verse. We can decide only by probabilities. Woe unto the women who sew coverings on every joint of the hands.<\/strong> Whether these coverings were cushions or amulets or other objects, their use seems to have been to make an appearance which would impress the people. So with the following, And who make veils on the head of every stature<\/strong>; under the envelopment of clothing on the head adapted to their varying sizefigure, age, conditionthey fitted themselves to act upon their hearers, to hunt [as bird-catcher<\/strong>s] souls,<\/strong> and thus ensnare to their ruin. The verse condemns sensational methods of divination resorted to by the prophetesses, whether the method was by gesture or dress or word. Hence the question of surprise at the infatuation which would use such means. The souls of my people will ye hunt and the souls of yourselves will ye keep alive?<\/strong> Persuading themselves of their own security, they entered on practices intended to persuade the Israelites to the same confidence, while destruction only would result to them.<\/p>\n Eze. 13:19<\/span>. And will ye profane me among my people,<\/strong> by prophesying in my name, for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread<\/strong>, offerings such as were brought when consulting a seer (1Sa. 9:7-8<\/span>; 1Ki. 14:3<\/span>; cf. Mic. 3:5<\/span>); and by declaring that ye speak the words of the Lord when they are not, the result of such profaning the Lord being Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n