Ezekiel 13:17

Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people,.... The false prophetesses; for as there were women in some ages, who had the true spirit of prophecy, as Miriam, Deborah,

Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them, Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the

Now turn thyself and discourse against the prophetesses, fear them not: see the phrase, . Some would have the prophet’ s words to be intended against the effeminate men, who were of no value, and by contempt called the daughters of his people; but I see no cause why the prophet’ s words should not be directed against the women who pretended to be prophetesses. Of thy people, that were with him in Babylon. Or rather, because they were Jews, they are called daughters of his people. Or might they not be daughters of priests, and so more nearly of kin to Ezekiel? Which prophesy; there were women who had the gift of prophecy, , and brought messages from God, but these in the text pretend themselves to be prophetesses, and speak their own imaginations, and fasten their lies on the God of truth.

Ezekiel 13:17 Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,Ver. 17. Likewise, thou son of man.] A prophet’ s work is never done. Agricolis redit labor actus in orbem. Set thy face against the daughters.] The prophet had rather have contended with men than women, and more honour it had been for him; but he must do as bidden. Mulieres genus fragile sunt; Women are delecate; yet the prophet must set his face against them as stout agents for the devil, who hath ever made great use of them. Such were Noadiah; that apocalyptical Jezebel, Bridget Matild; those two Jezebels of New England, Mrs Hutchinson and Mrs Dyer, our recent most impudent preacheresses in London and elsewhere. Mr Weld’ s "Sectar. of New England." Matildis Comitissa, vulgo dicta filia S. Petri.

(6) They have made others to hope.—Omit the word “others,” which is not in the original, and translate, “The Lord hath not sent them that they should hope”—i.e., they have no ground to expect that their prophecies will prove true, because they have no warrant for uttering them. D: ON CHAPTER 13:6, 7, AND 17. In these verses a broad and crucial distinction is made between the self-imagined vision and that which is sent from the Lord. It may be that in this case the prophets and prophetesses were untrue to their own convictions, and wilfully declared what they knew to be false; or it may be that they simply uttered as God’s message that which they had persuaded themselves would be the issue. This point is not entirely clear from the passage, and is of secondary importance. What deserves to be carefully noted is the difference here made between subjective views of truth—that which conies “out of their own heart”—and those objective communications which God gave to His true prophets. This distinction has a most important bearing upon the whole subject of revelation, and establishes clearly the fact that the Scriptures look upon it as something expressly communicated to their writers, and not as a thing which could be the result of their own thought and reflection. He, therefore, who puts “Thus saith the Lord” before that which God has not in some objective way made known to him, must fall under the condemnation pronounced here and elsewhere upon “the prophet which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak” (Deuteronomy 18:20).

Verse 17. Set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy] From this it appears that there were prophetesses in the land of Israel, that were really inspired by the Lord: for as a false religion necessarily implies a true one, of which it is the ape; so false prophetesses necessarily imply true ones, whom they endeavoured to imitate. That there were true prophetesses among the Jews is evident enough from such being mentioned in the sacred writings. Miriam, the sister of Moses Exodus 15:20; Numbers 12:2; Deborah, Judges 4:4; Huldah, 2Kg 22:14; Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, Lu 2:36; the four daughters of Philip the deacon, Acts 21:9. Calmet observes that there was scarcely a heresy in the primitive Church that was not supported and fomented by seducing women.

17–23. Denunciation of the false prophetesses Female prophets were not unknown in Israel whether in earlier or later times, as Deborah (Judges 4:3) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14). The prophetesses referred to here were like the prophets, prophesying out of their own heart (Ezekiel 13:17). Their prophesying was by some species of divination, which they used in order to obtain oracles. The methods of divination practised are somewhat obscure: they bound fillets upon the joints and threw cloths or veils over the heads of those who consulted them. By these means they “hunted” souls; they saved souls alive that should not live and slew souls that should not die (Ezekiel 13:19), or as expressed otherwise, they made the heart of the righteous sad and strengthened the hands of the wicked (Ezekiel 13:22). In other words like the false prophets they misled the people, promising life to the ungodly and prophesying disaster to those who were righteous.

A rebuke to the false prophetesses, and a declaration that God will confound them, and deliver their victims from their snares.

17. Set thy face against the daughters of thy people — For good or for evil the influence of woman was powerful in Hebrew history.