Ezekiel 13:1

There is no kind of sin about which Scripture is silent and about which it does not teach its readers.

The Ishmaelites represent those who are a law unto themselves, who yield to their own capricious hearts and evil desires. Ezekiel expresses the same thought: "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets that prophesy their own thought and do whatever their spirit impels." We, however, must not follow our own inclinations and be labeled Ishmaelites, "obedient to themselves," but rather be called Ishmael, "obedient to God."

(Chapter 13, Verses 1, 2) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own heart: Hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God. This is what we have added: 'who prophesy,' and say to those who prophesy from their own heart, which the Septuagint omitted, and because it is not found in Hebrew, they added, 'and you shall prophesy' and say to them. This is a message against false prophets who deceived the people and, against God's commands, prophesied something else. And let it not bother anyone that they are called prophets, for Holy Scripture has this custom, that it names each one of its prophecies and speeches a prophet, just as the prophets are called Baal, and the prophets of idols, and the prophets of confusion. Hence the apostle Paul also calls a Greek poet a prophet: A certain one of their own prophets said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons (Titus 1). And in Hosea we read: Like a prophet driven mad, a man carrying the Spirit (Hosea 9:7). But whatever was said to the people of Israel at that time is now applied to the Church: so that the holy prophets may be the apostles and apostolic men. But the false and mad prophets are all heretics, whose leaders invent falsehoods from their own hearts; and those who are led astray by them believe in the lies of others.

The identity of phrases and ideas of this chapter with Jer. 23 leads to the conclusion that Ezekiel took up a well-known prophecy to enforce and apply it to his companions in exile. They probably had read Jeremiah’s words as referring to others than themselves.