Ezekiel 13:10

13:10 “‘This is because they have led my people astray saying, “All is well,” ¹  when things are not well. When anyone builds a wall without mortar, ²  they coat it with whitewash.

Ezekiel 13:18

13:18 and say ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to those who sew bands ³  on all their wrists ⁴  and make headbands ⁵  for heads of every size to entrap people’s lives! ⁶  Will you entrap my people’s lives, yet preserve your own lives?

[13:10]  ¹ tn Or “peace.”

[13:10]  ² tn The Hebrew word only occurs here in the Bible. According to L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 1:202-3) it is also used in the Mishnah of a wall of rough stones without mortar. This fits the context here comparing the false prophetic messages to a nice coat of whitewash on a structurally unstable wall.

[13:18]  ³ sn The wristbands mentioned here probably represented magic bands or charms. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:413.

[13:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “joints of the hands.” This may include the elbow and shoulder joints.

[13:18]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew term occurs in the Bible only here and in v. 21. It has also been understood as a veil or type of head covering. D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:414) suggests that given the context of magical devices, the expected parallel to the magical arm bands, and the meaning of this Hebrew root (סָפַח [safakh, “to attach” or “join”]), it may refer to headbands or necklaces on which magical amulets were worn.

[13:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “human lives” or “souls” (three times in v. 18 and twice in v. 19).