13:2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that
prophesy, and say thou to them that prophesy out of their
a own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;
(a) After their own fantasy and not as having the
revelation of the Lord, (Jer 23:16).
13:4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes b in the
deserts.
(b) Watching to destroy the vineyard.
13:5c Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the
hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the
day of the LORD.
(c) He speaks to the governor and true ministers that would
have resisted them.
13:7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a
lying divination, though d ye say, The LORD saith [it];
although I have not spoken?
(d) You promised peace to this people and now you see their
destruction, so that it is revealed that you are false
prophets.
13:9 And my hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and
that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my
people, neither shall they be written in the e writing of
the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land
of Israel; and ye shall know that I [am] the Lord GOD.
(e) That is in the book of life, in which the true
Israelites are written.
13:10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying,
f Peace; and [there was] no peace; and one built up a
g wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered
[mortar]:
(f) )Read Geneva "Jer 6:14")
(g) While the true prophets prophesied the destruction of
the city to bring the people to repentance, the false
prophets spoke the contrary, and flattered them in
their vanities, so that what one false prophet said
(which is here called the building of the wall)
another false prophet would affirm, though he had
neither opportunity nor good ground to hear him.
13:15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon
them that have daubed it with h untempered [mortar], and
will say to you, The wall [is] no [more], neither they
that daubed it;
(h) By which is meant whatever man of himself sets forth
under the authority of God's word.
13:18 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the [women] that
sew i [magic] charms upon all wrists, 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] to you?
(i) These superstitious women for money would prophecy and
tell every man his fortune giving them pillows to lean
on, and kerchiefs to cover their heads, to the intent
they might the more allure them and bewitch them.
13:19 And will ye profane me among my people for handfuls of k
barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that
should not die, and l to save the souls alive that
should not live, by your lying to my people that hear
[your] lies?
(k) Will you make my word serve your bellies?
(l) These sorcerers made the people believe that they
could preserve life or destroy it and that it would
come to everyone according as they prophesied.
13:20 Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against
your [magic] charms, with which ye there hunt the m
souls to make [them] fly, and I will tear them from your
arms, and will let the souls go, [even] the souls that ye
hunt to make [them] fly.
(m) That is, to cause them to perish, and that they should
depart from the body.
13:22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the n
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:
(n) By threatening them that were godly, and upholding the
wicked.
