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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 13:17-23

As God has promised that when he pours out his Spirit upon his people both their sons and their daughters shall prophesy, so the devil, when he acts as a spirit of lies and falsehood, is so in the mouth not only of false prophets, but of false prophetesses too, and those are the deceivers whom the prophet is here directed to prophesy against; for they are not such despicable enemies to God's truths as deserve not to be taken notice of, nor yet will either the weakness of their sex excuse their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 13:18

And say, thus saith the Lord God, woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes ,.... Or, "put pillows to all elbows" F12 למתפרות "applicantibus, sive accommodantibus", Gataker; "conjungentibus, vel adunantibus", Gussetius, Ebr. Comment. p. 947. כסתות על כל אצילי "pulvillos super omnes cubitos manus", Calvin; "pro omnibus cubitis manuum", Piscator. ; thereby signifying that they might be at ease, and rest secure, and look upon themselves as in the utmost safety, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 13:19

And will ye pollute me among my people ,.... Defile the name of the Lord, by abusing it, to cover their wicked designs and practices, pretending they were seat by him, when they were not; that what they said came from him, though he spoke not by them; and that it was his will they declared, when it was their own, and what came out of their own hearts and heads: so the Targum, "will ye pollute my will among my people"; to profane his name among the Gentiles was a great sin, but to pollute it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 13:20

Wherefore thus saith the Lord God, behold, I am against your pillows ,.... Not only had an abhorrence of them, but was determined to destroy them, detect their fallacies, and expose the folly of such actions, and them to shame and contempt: wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly ; to the places where they prophesied; into the toils and nets they spread for them, in order to catch them with their divinations and prophecies, and make a gain of them: or, "into the gardens",... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 13:21

Your kerchiefs also will one tear ,.... From their heads; discover their tricks, and expose them to the contempt of the people, and destroy both them and their works: and deliver my people out of your hand ; from being hunted, ensnared, and deceived by them: and they shall be no more in your land to be hunted ; but should either flee into Egypt, and other countries, for shelter, or be carried captive into Babylon: and ye shall know that I am the Lord ; see Ezekiel 13:9 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 13:18

That sew pillows to all arm holes - I believe this refers to those cushions which are so copiously provided in the eastern countries for the apartments of women; on which they sit, lean, rest their heads, and prop up their arms. I have several drawings of eastern ladies, who are represented on sofas; and often with their arm thrown over a pillow, which is thereby pressed close to their side, and against which they thus recline. The prophet's discourse seems to point out that state of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 13:20

The 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 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 13:21

Your kerchiefs - Nets, or amulets, as some think. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 13:18

Verse 18 It is said, then, woe to those who sew pillows or cushions; it is the same thing — to all armholes, and to those who make covers for the head of every stature. There is no doubt that by these tricks they deluded the minds and eyes of the simple. It is evident from the law that some ceremonies are useful, since God commands nothing superfluous; but Satan by his cunning turns everything useful to man’s destruction. Meanwhile we must remark that false prophets were always immoderately... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 13:19

Verse 19 Here God accuses these women of a double crime; one crime was that which I have mentioned, cruelly to destroy the souls which were sacred to God, and hence were destined to be saved; but he added a more atrocious crime — that of sacrilege, because they had abused the name of God to deceive. Nothing is less tolerable than when God’s truth is turned into a lie, because this is like reducing him to nothing. God is truth; if, therefore, that is abolished, what else will remain behind? God... read more

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