Verse 2

Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou to them that prophesy out of their a own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;

(a) After their own fantasy and not as having the revelation of the Lord, (Jeremiah 23:16).

Verse 4

O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes b in the deserts.

(b) Watching to destroy the vineyard.

Verse 5

c Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.

(c) He speaks to the governor and true ministers that would have resisted them.

Verse 7

Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, though d ye say, The LORD saith [it]; although I have not spoken?

(d) You promised peace to this people and now you see their destruction, so that it is revealed that you are false prophets.

Verse 9

And my hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the e writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I [am] the Lord GOD.

(e) That is in the book of life, in which the true Israelites are written.

Verse 10

Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, f Peace; and [there was] no peace; and one built up a g wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered [mortar]:

(f) {See (Jeremiah 6:14) }

(g) While the true prophets prophesied the destruction of the city to bring the people to repentance, the false prophets spoke the contrary, and flattered them in their vanities, so that what one false prophet said (which is here called the building of the wall) another false prophet would affirm, though he had neither opportunity nor good ground to hear him.

Verse 15

Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with h untempered [mortar], and will say to you, The wall [is] no [more], neither they that daubed it;

(h) By which is meant whatever man of himself sets forth under the authority of God's word.

Verse 18

And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the [women] that sew i [magic] charms upon all wrists, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive [that come] to you?

(i) These superstitious women for money would prophecy and tell every man his fortune giving them pillows to lean on, and kerchiefs to cover their heads, to the intent they might the more allure them and bewitch them.

Verse 19

And will ye profane me among my people for handfuls of k barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and l to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear [your] lies?

(k) Will you make my word serve your bellies?

(l) These sorcerers made the people believe that they could preserve life or destroy it and that it would come to everyone according as they prophesied.

Verse 20

Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against your [magic] charms, with which ye there hunt the m 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.

(m) That is, to cause them to perish, and that they should depart from the body.

Verse 22

Because with lies ye have made the heart of the n righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:

(n) By threatening them that were godly, and upholding the wicked.