Ezekiel 13:17-23

13:17 “As for you, son of man, turn toward ¹  the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their imagination. ²  Prophesy against them 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? 13:19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. You have put to death people ⁷  who should not die and kept alive those who should not live by your lies to my people, who listen to lies!

13:20 “‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Take note ⁸  that I am against your wristbands with which you entrap people’s lives ⁹  like birds. I will tear them from your arms and will release the people’s lives, which you hunt like birds. 13:21 I will tear off your headbands and rescue my people from your power; ¹⁰  they will no longer be prey in your hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 13:22 This is because you have disheartened the righteous person with lies (although I have not grieved him), and because you have encouraged the wicked person not to turn from his evil conduct and preserve his life. 13:23 Therefore you will no longer see false visions and practice divination. I will rescue my people from your power, and you ¹¹  will know that I am the Lord.’”

[13:17]  ¹ tn Heb “set your face against.”

[13:17]  ² tn Heb “from their heart.”

[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).

[13:19]  ⁷ tn Heb “human lives” or “souls.”

[13:20]  ⁸ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[13:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “human lives” or “souls.”

[13:21]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “from your hand(s).” This refers to their power over the people.

[13:23]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew verb is feminine plural, indicating that it is the false prophetesses who are addressed here.