Ezekiel 13 · Verse 20

Ezekiel 13:20

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.
Ezekiel 13:20, King James Version

Ezekiel 13:20 in other translations

BSBTherefore 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.
WEB“Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am against your magic bands, with which you hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms. I will let the souls fly free, even the souls whom you ensnare like birds.
ASVWherefore 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.
YLTTherefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am against your pillows, With which ye are hunting there the souls of the flourishing, And I have rent them from off your arms, And have sent away the souls that ye are hunting, The souls of the flourishing.
DARBYWherefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against your pillows, that the souls which ye catch by their means may fly away; and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, the souls that ye catch, that they may fly away.
BBEFor this cause the Lord has said: See, I am against your bands with which you go after souls, and I will violently take them off their arms; and I will let loose the souls, even the souls whom you go after freely.
WebsterWherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, with which 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.

What does Ezekiel 13:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
20. 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. "Fly" is peculiarly appropriate as to those lofty spiritual flights to which they pretended to raise their dupes when they veiled their heads with kerchiefs and made them rest on luxurious arm-cushions (Eze 13:18). let ... souls go--"Ye make them fly" in order to destroy them; "I will let them go" in order to save them (Psa 91:3; Pr 6:5; Ho 9:8).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 13:17-23

It is ill with those who had rather hear pleasing lies than unpleasing truths. The false prophetesses tried to make people secure, signified by laying them at ease, and to make them proud, signified by the finery laid on their heads. They shall be confounded in their attempts, and God's people shall be delivered out of their hands. It behoves Christians to keep close to the word of God, and in every thing to seek…

Read the full comment on Ezekiel 13:17-23 →

Ezekiel 13:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לָכֵ֞ןla.Khen<to> thereforeH3651
כֹּה\־koh-thusH3541
אָמַ֣ר\׀'a.Marhe saysH559
אֲדֹנָ֣י'a.do.Nai[the] LordH136
יְהוִ֗הYah.wehYahwehH3069
הִנְנִ֤יhi.Nihere IH2005
אֶל\־'el-[am] againstH413
כִּסְּתוֹתֵיכֶ֙נָה֙ki.se.to.tei.Khe.nahbands yourH3704
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834
אַ֠תֵּנָה'A.te.nahyouH859
מְצֹדְד֨וֹתme.tzo.de.Dot[are] huntingH6679
שָׁ֤םshamthereH8033
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַנְּפָשׁוֹת֙ha.ne.fa.shOtthe personsH5315
לְפֹ֣רְח֔וֹתle.Fo.re.Chotfor birdsH6524
וְקָרַעְתִּ֣יve.ka.ra'.Tiand I will tear awayH7167
אֹתָ֔ם'o.Tam<obj.> themH853
מֵעַ֖לme.'Alfrom onH5921
זְרוֹעֹֽתֵיכֶ֑םze.ro.'o.tei.Khemarms yourH2220
וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי֙ve.shi.lach.Tiand I will set freeH7971
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַנְּפָשׁ֔וֹתha.ne.fa.Shotthe personsH5315
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhomH834
אַתֶּ֛ם'a.TemyouH859
מְצֹדְד֥וֹתme.tzo.de.Dot[are] huntingH6679
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
נְפָשִׁ֖יםne.fa.ShimpersonsH5315
לְפֹרְחֹֽת\׃le.fo.re.Chotfor birdsH6524

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ezekiel 13:20

  • Ezekiel 13:18

    And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, 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 unto you?

  • 2 Timothy 3:8-9

    Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

  • Ezekiel 13:15-16

    Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord God.

  • Ezekiel 13:8-9

    Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God. And mine 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 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I am.
8,9,15,16
to make them fly. or, into gardens. and will.
2Ti 3:8,9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ezekiel 13:19

    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?

  • Ezekiel 13:20

    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.

  • Ezekiel 13:21

    Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

Read all of Ezekiel 13

Ezekiel 13:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Por tanto, así ha dicho el Señor Jehová: He aquí yo contra vuestras almohadillas, con que cazáis ahí las almas volando; yo las arrancaré de vuestros brazos, y dejaré las almas, las almas que cazáis volando.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		C’est pourquoi, ainsi dit le Seigneur, l’ Éternel: Voici, j’en veux à vos coussinets pour que les âmes, que par eux vous prenez au piège, s’envolent; et je les arracherai de dessus vos bras, et je ferai échapper les âmes que vous prenez au piège, les âmes,… afin qu’elles s’envolent;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Darum spricht der Herr, Jehova, also: Siehe, ich will an eure Binden, mit welchen ihr fanget, will die Seelen wegfliegen lassen und sie von euren Armen wegreißen; und ich will die Seelen freilassen, die ihr fanget, die Seelen, daß sie wegfliegen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Propter hoc hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Ecce ego ad pulvillos vestros, quibus vos capitis animas volantes: et dirumpam eos de brachiis vestris, et dimittam animas quas vos capitis, animas ad volandum.