Ezekiel 13:6

(6) They have made others to hope.—Omit the word “others,” which is not in the original, and translate, “The Lord hath not sent them that they should hope”—i.e., they have no ground to expect that their prophecies will prove true, because they have no warrant for uttering them.

EXCURSUS D: ON CHAPTER 13:6, 7, AND 17.

In these verses a broad and crucial distinction is made between the self-imagined vision and that which is sent from the Lord. It may be that in this case the prophets and prophetesses were untrue to their own convictions, and wilfully declared what they knew to be false; or it may be that they simply uttered as God’s message that which they had persuaded themselves would be the issue. This point is not entirely clear from the passage, and is of secondary importance. What deserves to be carefully noted is the difference here made between subjective views of truth—that which conies “out of their own heart”—and those objective communications which God gave to His true prophets. This distinction has a most important bearing upon the whole subject of revelation, and establishes clearly the fact that the Scriptures look upon it as something expressly communicated to their writers, and not as a thing which could be the result of their own thought and reflection. He, therefore, who puts “Thus saith the Lord” before that which God has not in some objective way made known to him, must fall under the condemnation pronounced here and elsewhere upon “the prophet which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak” (Deu_18:20).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eze 13:6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made [others] to hope that they would confirm the word.

Ver. 6. They have seen vanity.] This is soon seen. {Eze 13:3}

Saying, The Lord saith.] By a lying pretence, familiar with falsaries, to father their fancies upon God.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eze 13:6-9. They have seen vanity and lying divinations — They have uttered false prophecies concerning peace and prosperity, pretending to have seen that which they did not see, and producing that as a divine truth which they knew to be a detestable lie. They have made others — Who were so simple as to believe them; to hope that they would confirm the word — Or rather, that the word would be confirmed. Their speaking with so much assurance made others confidently expect that the event would answer their predictions, and that the judgments which the true prophets had threatened in the name of God would never come, whereby they hardened those in sin whom they ought to have endeavoured to bring to repentance. Therefore, because ye have spoken vanity — Have uttered mere fictions and lies, with a view to your own advantage. Behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God — And who can be for you when I am against you? And my hand shall be upon the prophets — My power striking them so, that it shall be evident they fall under my displeasure; as Pelatiah, Eze 11:13, and Hananiah, Jer 28:15. They shall not be in the assembly of my people — Of those who shall hereafter worship me in Jerusalem; or, in the secret council of those who shall consult on public affairs. They shall not be members of my church here, nor partake of the communion of saints hereafter. The Hebrew word סוד, here rendered assembly, properly signifies a secret assembly, or privy council; such as are acquainted with the secret intents and purposes of their prince. Hence it is applied to God’s chosen people, those that are acquainted with the whole counsel of God, and whom he instructs and directs by his Holy Spirit: see notes on Psa 25:14; Jer 23:18. The prophet, therefore, here tells these men who pretended to know so much of the secrets of the Almighty that they should never be of the number of those favourites of heaven to whom God would reveal himself and his counsels. Neither shall they be written, &c. — The sense of this clause is nearly the same with that of the preceding; the words containing an allusion to the registers usually kept of the members of cities or corporations, to the privileges of which societies none are admitted but they whose names are entered into such registers. The false prophets, it seems, promised a speedy return to the exiles; God, therefore, tells them that they should never live to see it, nor should their names be entered into the register of those that should return home. Neither shall they enter into the land of Israel —

They shall never see their own country again, nor shall they have a share in the blessings peculiar to true Israelites: see Lowth.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13:6-7 Although the false prophets knew that their words were lies and false predictions, they confidently expected God to fulfill their prophecies. These false hopes gave God’s people a false sense of security that would prove empty and destructive on the coming day of judgment (cp. Jer 6:14).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

made others to hope, &c.--rather, "they hoped" to confirm (that is, 'make good') their word, by the event corresponding to their prophecy. The Hebrew requires this [HAVERNICK]. Also the parallel clause, "they have seen vanity," implies that they believed their own lie (Th2 2:11). Subjective revelation is false unless it rests on the objective.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Here again he pronounces generally that those false prophets were vain, and this assertion depends upon the principle that they had spoken from their own heart or spirit, for nothing false or vain can proceed from God. It follows, therefore, that they are here condemned of vanity and lying, because they dared falsely to use the name of God when they uttered nothing but their own dreams. He now confirms what we saw in the last verse, when he says, they hoped to establish their word. Hence they puffed up the people with vain hope, when they said that God would not be so severe as to exact continual punishment of the holy and elect nation. True prophets also often recall sinners to the mercy of God, and magnify it so, that those who wrestle with despair may not doubt God’s long-suffering, since he is said to be slow to anger, and inclined to reconciliation; and his pity endures for a life, while his anger passes away in a moment. (Numbers 14:18; Psalm 103:8, and Psalm 30:5.) True prophets indeed act thus; but they join two members which must not be separated, otherwise God himself would be, as it were, dissipated. Hence, when true prophets exhort sinners to hope and predict God’s freeness to pardon, they likewise discourse about penitence; they do not indulge sinners, but rouse them, nay, wound them sharply with a sense of God’s anger, so as in some way to stir them up, since God’s mercy is set before us for that end, that by it we may seek life. Hence we must be dead in ourselves; but false prophets sever between the two, and divide God, as it were, in half, since they speak only of his freeness to forgive, and declare his clemency to be set before all, while they are profoundly silent about repentance. Now, therefore, we see why the Prophet here reproves these traitors who abused the name of God, since they made the people to hope. Without hope, indeed, the sinner could not be animated to seek God: but they promised peace, as he will say directly, when there was no peace. Therefore let us proceed with the exposition.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

6, 7. Their prophecies are false: they are self-deceived

6. have made others to hope] Rather: they have hoped for the confirmation of the word. The usual sense of the verb is to “hope;” only in a single passage (Psa_119:49) does it appear to mean to “cause to hope.” The false prophets looked for the confirmation (in fulfilment) of their prophecies and visions—they were self-deceived, not consciously false. Prophecy being an inward thing, a speaking by the spirit in the mind and to the mind, there was no external criterion, and while the true prophet had the witness in himself that he was true, the false prophet might not be aware that he was false (Jer_23:21; Jer_23:31). It is an interesting question what kind of mental experience the true prophet had, which verified to him his own genuineness.

Eze_13:8-9. Chastisement from Jehovah upon these prophets.

Because these prophets speak falsely Jehovah is against them, for he is the living and the true (Eze_13:8); but that which God is against must speedily feel the effects of his opposition—his hand will be upon them (Eze_13:9). There is no inert, inoperative opposition on God’s part. The sweep of his operation is so vast that its movement may be unperceived, as the earth appears to stand still, though moving with inconceivable rapidity, but its effect will become apparent.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God,.... This is what he says, and it may be depended on will come to pass; though the other he said not, they said he did, but was a lying divination:

because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies; which will in the issue prove so, lying and deceitful; what never came from God, but from themselves and the father of lies, and would never be accomplished:

therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God; or, "I unto you"; which may be supplied thus, "I come", or "will come, unto you" (f); in a way of providence, and chastise and punish you; see Rev 2:16; or I will be your adversary; and a sad thing it is for any to have God to be against them; there is no contending with him; none ever hardened themselves against him, and prospered; men are but with him as stubble, or as thorns and briers to a consuming fire.

(f) "ecce ego ad vos", V. L. "sub. venio", Grotius; "veniam", Piscator, Starckius; "venturus sum cum ira mea", Vatablus.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And they have made others ... - Rather, “and they hope for the confirmation of their word.” They come to believe their own lies.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

They have seen; they pretend to have seen, but still they see nothing, as Eze 13:2. The prophet speaks as if indeed they had seen, but the very censure of the things they said they saw clears it, that all was but pretence.

Vanity and lying divination; things that have no ground or foundation, and which will never be, and are therefore called vanity and lying divinations.

The Lord saith; foretelleth and promiseth.

Hath not sent them; never revealed any such thing to them, or bade them tell the Jews any such thing.

They have made others; by their pretences and arguments they have wheedled some into a belief of their word, and into a hope of that they promise; and so the credulous Jew is undone by his prophet, who tells him all is well, and needs no alteration, and all will be well, and they need fear no desolation.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. Have made others to hope — Rather, they hoped for the word to be confirmed. They have seen vanity (literally, nothingness, falsehood), and yet they have deceived themselves with the hope that the lies which they have prophesied will come true. There is no suggestion here that these false prophets really believed themselves to have received a message from God (vs. Davidson), though in other places it is made plain that a prophet who willfully persists in prophesying lies may at last be unable to discriminate between the true and the false.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Lord saith. The verb is that specially used for the utterance of prophets, and the deceivers used it without the authority of a true mission. For they have made others (or, men) to hope, etc., as in the Authorized Version and Revised Version, read, with the margin of Revised Version, they hope to confirm their word, taking the verb as in Psa_119:43, Psa_119:49; Job_6:11, et al. . So the Vulgate, persereraverunt confirmare. Through deceiving others, they came to deceive themselves, and were really expecting a fulfilment.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vanity - Things that have no foundation.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

They prophesied Heb. חָזוּ, a term for prophecy.

and expect their words to be fulfilled Heb. וְיִחֲלוּ. “Now how do they expect that their words will be fulfilled?” [The word is] an expression of hope (תּוֹחֶלֶת). Some say that it is ecuydiyant in Old French, and they hoped. [Other editions read: et croiront, and they believed.] Another explanation: An expression of waiting.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.