Ezekiel 13:20
in Ezekiel 13Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: See, I am against the magic charms with which you ensnare souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms. So I will free the souls you have ensnared like birds.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Wherefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.
KJV
Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the 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.
⋯
This verse in Ezekiel 13
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe souls that ye hunt to make them fly - לפרחות lephorechoth, into the flower gardens, says Parkhurst. These false prophetesses decoyed men into these gardens, where probably some impure rites of worship were performed, as in that of אשרה Asherah or Venus. See Parkhurst under פרח.
This site's exposition
the magic charms with which you ensnare souls like birds
on Ezekiel 13:20-21
The Lord answers the hunting language with hunting language of his own, undoing the charm and freeing the souls that were taken. Henry reads the reversal as exact, the tools of the trade destroyed rather than merely forbidden, so the practice cannot simply resume with new materials.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(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 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.
Grow - You promise a flourishing, growing, state to all inquirers; and this is the net with which you hunt souls. Tear them - With violence, and suddenness.
Wherefore thus saith the Lord God, behold, I am against your pillows,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
I am against your pillows--that is, against your lying ceremonial tricks by which ye cheat the people. to make them fly--namely, into their snares, as fowlers disturb birds so as to be suddenly caught in the net spread for them.
The words behind it
28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָכֵ֞ן | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| כֹּה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֣ר׀ | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֣י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
| הִנְנִ֤י | hini | here I | H2005 → | 316 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | [am] against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כִּסְּתוֹתֵיכֶ֙נָה֙ | kisetoteikhenah | bands your | H3704 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אַ֠תֵּנָה | ʾatenah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| מְצֹדְד֨וֹת | metzodedot | [are] hunting | H6679 → | 18 times |
| שָׁ֤ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַנְּפָשׁוֹת֙ | hanefashot | the persons | H5315 → | 754 times |
| לְפֹ֣רְח֔וֹת | leforechot | for birds | H6524 → | 36 times |
| וְקָרַעְתִּ֣י | vekara'ti | and I will tear away | H7167 → | |
| אֹתָ֔ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֵעַ֖ל | meal | from on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| זְרוֹעֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם | zerooteikhem | arms your | H2220 → | 91 times |
| וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי֙ | veshilachti | and I will set free | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַנְּפָשׁ֔וֹת | hanefashot | the persons | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אַתֶּ֛ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| מְצֹדְד֥וֹת | metzodedot | [are] hunting | H6679 → | 18 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נְפָשִׁ֖ים | nefashim | persons | H5315 → | 754 times |
| לְפֹרְחֹֽת׃ | leforechot | for birds | H6524 → | 36 times |
לָכֵ֞ן<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
כֹּה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַ֣ר׀he says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֲדֹנָ֣י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
הִנְנִ֤יhere I
hiniH2005 →316 times
אֶל־[am] against
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
כִּסְּתוֹתֵיכֶ֙נָה֙bands your
kisetoteikhenahH3704 →
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אַ֠תֵּנָהyou
ʾatenahH859 →1094 times
מְצֹדְד֨וֹת[are] hunting
metzodedotH6679 →18 times
שָׁ֤םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַנְּפָשׁוֹת֙the persons
hanefashotH5315 →754 times
לְפֹ֣רְח֔וֹתfor birds
leforechotH6524 →36 times
וְקָרַעְתִּ֣יand I will tear away
vekara'tiH7167 →
אֹתָ֔ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
מֵעַ֖לfrom on
mealH5921 →5755 times
זְרוֹעֹֽתֵיכֶ֑םarms your
zerooteikhemH2220 →91 times
וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי֙and I will set free
veshilachtiH7971 →845 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַנְּפָשׁ֔וֹתthe persons
hanefashotH5315 →754 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אַתֶּ֛םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
מְצֹדְד֥וֹת[are] hunting
metzodedotH6679 →18 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
נְפָשִׁ֖יםpersons
nefashimH5315 →754 times
לְפֹרְחֹֽת׃for birds
leforechotH6524 →36 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Ezekiel 13:18and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their wrists and make veils for the heads of people of every height, in…
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:14
Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.
- Jeremiah 6:14
They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.
- 2 Timothy 4:3
For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.
- Ezekiel 22:25
The conspiracy of the princes in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing its prey. They devour the people, seize the treasures and precious things, and multiply the widows within her.
- Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.
- 2 Peter 2:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; 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.
