Ezekiel 13:19
in Ezekiel 13You have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to My people who would listen, you have killed those who should not have died and spared those who should not have lived.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And ye have profaned 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 hearken unto lies.
KJV
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 lies?
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This verse in Ezekiel 13
Commentary
9 notes on this verseIt often happens that a Pastor is moved by hatred or favor toward any neighbor; but those who follow their own hatreds or favor in the cases of their subjects cannot judge worthily concerning their subjects. Whence it is rightly said through the prophet: They were putting to death souls that do not die, and giving life to souls that do not live. For he puts to death one who is not dying who condemns the just. And he strives to give life to one who will not live who attempts to absolve the guilty from punishment.
This site's exposition
set your face against the daughters of your people
on Ezekiel 13:17-19
The second half turns to women who “sew magic charms on their wrists and make veils,” objects used “to ensnare their souls.” Their lies cut both ways, for they “have killed those who should not have died and spared those who should not have lived.”
This site's exposition
You have profaned Me
The women profaned the LORD among His people for handfuls of barley, a beggar's price in Henry's words. Their lies killed souls and spared the wicked. Gregory applied the verse to pastors who judge by favor.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
There were, it is likely, in the time of our forefathers also, some who "weakened the hands of the people," and brought into practice that which is mentioned by Ezekiel,—or rather who did the works of the false prophets, who "profaned God among His people for handfuls of barley"; a thing, by the way, done methinks by some even at this day. When, for example, we say that he who calleth his brother a fool shall depart into hell-fire, others say, "What? Is he that calls his brother a fool to depart into hell-fire? Impossible," say they. And again, when we say that "the covetous man is an idolater," in this too again they make abatements, and say the expression is hyperbolical. And in this manner they underrate and explain away all the commandments.
(Verse 17 and following) And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own heart, and prophesy against them, and say, 'Thus says the Lord God: Woe to those who sew cushions for all armholes and make veils for the heads of people of every height, to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive?
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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 or a handful of barley; and yet that was more than it was worth.
But it is observable that Israel was never imposed upon by pretenders to prophecy till after they had rejected and abused the true prophets; as, afterwards, they were never deluded by counterfeit messiahs till after they had refused the true Messiah and rejected him.
And will ye pollute me among my people,....
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
handfuls--expressing the paltry gain for which they bartered immortal souls (compare Mic 3:5, 11; They "polluted" God by making His name the cloak under which they uttered falsehoods. among my people--an aggravation of their sin, that they committed it "among the people" whom God had chosen as peculiarly His own, and among whom He had His temple.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתְּחַלֶּלְ֨נָה | vatechalelnah | and you have profaned | H2490 → | 143 times |
| אֹתִ֜י | ʾoti | <obj.> me | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עַמִּ֗י | ʾami | people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| בְּשַׁעֲלֵ֣י | beshaalei | for handfuls of | H8168 → | |
| שְׂעֹרִים֮ | seorim | barley<s> | H8184 → | 34 times |
| וּבִפְת֣וֹתֵי | uviftotei | and for fragments of | H6595 → | |
| לֶחֶם֒ | lechem | bread | H3899 → | 298 times |
| לְהָמִ֤ית | lehamit | by putting to death | H4191 → | 839 times |
| נְפָשׁוֹת֙ | nefashot | persons | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תְמוּתֶ֔נָה | temutenah | they will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| וּלְחַיּ֥וֹת | ulechaiyot | and by preserving alive | H2421 → | 282 times |
| נְפָשׁ֖וֹת | nefashot | persons | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִֽחְיֶ֑ינָה | tichyeinah | they will live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| בְּכַ֨זֶּבְכֶ֔ם | bekhazevkhem | when speak falsehood you | H3576 → | |
| לְעַמִּ֖י | leami | to people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| שֹׁמְעֵ֥י | shomeei | [who] listen to | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| כָזָֽב׃ ס | khazav | <of> falsehood | H3577 → | 31 times |
וַתְּחַלֶּלְ֨נָהand you have profaned
vatechalelnahH2490 →143 times
אֹתִ֜י<obj.> me
ʾotiH853 →10935 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
עַמִּ֗יpeople my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
בְּשַׁעֲלֵ֣יfor handfuls of
beshaaleiH8168 →
שְׂעֹרִים֮barley<s>
seorimH8184 →34 times
וּבִפְת֣וֹתֵיand for fragments of
uviftoteiH6595 →
לֶחֶם֒bread
lechemH3899 →298 times
לְהָמִ֤יתby putting to death
lehamitH4191 →839 times
נְפָשׁוֹת֙persons
nefashotH5315 →754 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תְמוּתֶ֔נָהthey will die
temutenahH4191 →839 times
וּלְחַיּ֥וֹתand by preserving alive
ulechaiyotH2421 →282 times
נְפָשׁ֖וֹתpersons
nefashotH5315 →754 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִֽחְיֶ֑ינָהthey will live
tichyeinahH2421 →282 times
בְּכַ֨זֶּבְכֶ֔םwhen speak falsehood you
bekhazevkhemH3576 →
לְעַמִּ֖יto people my
leamiH5971 →1873 times
שֹׁמְעֵ֥י[who] listen to
shomeeiH8085 →1159 times
כָזָֽב׃ ס<of> falsehood
khazavH3577 →31 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 23:17They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD says that you will have peace,’ and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, ‘No harm will come to you.’
it leads to
- Micah 3:11
Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster…
- Micah 3:11
Through
Ezekiel 22:26Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They…
it leads to
- Leviticus 10:10
You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean,
- Ezekiel 44:23
They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean.
- Ezekiel 22:8
You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths.
- Malachi 2:8
But you have departed from the way, and your instruction has caused many to stumble. You have violated the covenant of Levi,” says the LORD of Hosts.
- Leviticus 10:10
Through
Micah 3:5This is what the LORD says: “As for the prophets who lead My people astray, who proclaim peace while they chew with their teeth, but declare war against one who puts nothing in their…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 14:14–15
“The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied the LORD. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination,…
- Jeremiah 14:14–15
Through
Proverbs 28:21To show partiality is not good, yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
it leads to
- Proverbs 18:5
Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice.
- Proverbs 24:23
These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
- Proverbs 18:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 26; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON EPHESIANS 18; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.