Ezekiel 13:4 — Word Study
WLCכְּשֻׁעָלִ֖ים בָּחֳרָב֑וֹת נְבִיאֶ֥יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הָיֽוּ׃
BSAYour prophetsnâbîyʼ [false spokesmen, proclaiming lies] O IsraelYisrâʼêl [God's chosen people] arehâyâh■ like foxesshûwʻâl [jackals, burrowers] among the ruinschorbâh [deserts, waste places, desolation]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כְּשֻׁעָלִ֖ים | like foxes | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| בָּחֳרָב֑וֹת | among ruins | Preposition, noun common feminine plural absolute |
| נְבִיאֶ֥יךָ | prophets your | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | O Israel | Noun proper |
| הָיֽוּ׃ | they have been | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Your prophets, O Israel, are like foxes among the ruins. |
| KJV | O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. |
| ASV | O Israel, thy prophets have been like foxes in the waste places. |
| YLT | As foxes in the wastes, Thy prophets, O Israel, have been. |
| WEB | Israel, your prophets have been like foxes in the waste places. |
| BBE | O Israel, your prophets have been like jackals in the waste places. |
All translations agree on the imagery of the prophets being like foxes among the ruins.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by a prepositional phrase that describes the location of the subject.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbיִשְׂרָאֵל
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ezekiel 13:4
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Condemnation of False Prophetsgenerated
Ezekiel 13:4 warns Israel about the false prophets who mislead the people. In the preceding verses, God expresses His disdain for these prophets who do not truly speak for Him, emphasizing the consequences of their actions on the community. This imagery of foxes among the ruins serves to illustrate their cunning nature and the desolation they bring.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Song of Solomon 2:15 | |
| 2 | Micah 2:11 | If a man of wind were to come and say falsely, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be just the preacher for this people! |
| 3 | Micah 3:5 | This is what the LORD says: “As for the prophets who lead My people astray, who proclaim peace while they chew with their teeth, but declare war against one who puts nothing in their mouths: |
| 4 | Matthew 7:15 | Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. |
| 5 | Romans 16:18 | For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — כְּשֻׁעָלִ֖ים, ke.shu.'a.Limgenerated
The word שׁוּעָל (shuw'al) translates as fox and may also refer to a jackal. It is derived from a root meaning to burrow, which highlights its association with digging or burrowing animals. In this context, it emphasizes the deceptive nature of the prophets, who act slyly and without genuine insight.
The passive implication of the word suggests that these prophets, like foxes, are not only cunning but also operate in a desolate environment, reflecting their lack of true guidance for the people.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, we read the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which translates it as 'Your prophets, O Israel, are like foxes among the ruins.' The KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE all agree with this rendering, emphasizing the comparison to foxes.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb in this verse is הָיֽוּ, they have been, which governs the entire sentence. The structure presents a comparison, with the subject 'your prophets' followed by the prepositional phrase describing their state.
The phrase 'like foxes among the ruins' serves as a simile, enhancing the meaning of the prophets' actions and their environment, emphasizing their cunning nature.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates כְּשֻׁעָלִ֖ים as ἀλώπεκες (alōpekes), which also means foxes. This choice retains the original imagery of cunning and deceit, aligning with the overall message of the verse.
The use of ἀλώπεκες reflects the translators' understanding of the fox as a symbol of treachery, consistent with the context of false prophets.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezekiel 13:4 compares the prophets of Israel to foxes among ruins, indicating their deceptive nature and lack of true guidance. This verse is part of a larger warning against false prophets who mislead the people.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This comparison highlights their cunning and deceitful nature, suggesting they are not providing true guidance.
The ruins symbolize desolation and the consequences of sin, reflecting the state of Israel under false leadership.
It underscores the importance of true prophets who speak for God, contrasting them with those who mislead.
It serves as a reminder to discern true guidance and to be wary of those who do not speak the truth.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I discern between true and false teachings in my life?
- What are some characteristics of a true prophet or spokesperson for God?
- In what ways can I ensure that I am not misled by deceitful voices?
- What steps can I take to seek out true guidance in my spiritual journey?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers commented on this verse to illustrate the nature of false prophets and their impact on the people.
The fox is an animal good for nothing, sly, wild, ferocious.Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 13 →
At another time, because of his deceit toward his brother, he makes himself like the villainous fox. Truly, there is in him excessive folly and a bestial lack of reason, because, made according to the image of the Creator,Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 13 →
Your prophets, Israel, will be like foxes in the desert. You did not go up to face the enemy or build a wall for the house of Israel to stand firm in battle on the day of the Lord.Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 13 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 13:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleO Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes of the deserts. The false prophets, as the Targum; these are called Israel's prophets, because received, embraced, and encouraged by them; not the Lord's,
Read John Gill on Ezekiel 13 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryO Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes - which cunningly "spoil the vines" (Son 2:15), Israel being the vineyard (Psalms 80:8-15; Isaiah
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 13 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleO Israel; a pathetical exclamation to awake Israel, both the dwellers at Jerusalem and those at Babylon. Thy prophets, not mine, as . Like the foxes; hungry and ravening, crafty and guileful, and living by their wits, but not one whit helpful to those they deceive. Such are false prophets. In the deserts, where want of prey makes them more eager of their prey, and where other devouring beasts endanger travellers, but no defence to them from foxes; these flee into their holes betimes, and leave the endangered ones. Or thus, O Israel, thou art like the desert, spoiled and robbed, and thy false prophets, like foxes hungry and hunting for some prey, live upon what they can catch, but will be no…
Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 13 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEzekiel 13:4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.Ver. 4. O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes.] Cowardly, crafty, cruel, greedy: venatores eludunt, et cum mortuae videntur, reviviscunt. Heretics are such, and false prophets; Arius, for instance.
Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 13 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(4) Like the foxes in the deserts.—The comparison is sufficiently close if it is considered as extending only to these mischievous men living unconcerned among the ruins of their state and country, as the foxes find their home in desolated cities (Lamentations 5:18); but many extend the simile to the undermining of the ground by the foxes, as these prophets accelerated the ruin of their people.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezekiel 13 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 4. Thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.] The cunning of the fox in obtaining his prey has been long proverbial. These false prophets are represented as the foxes who, having got their prey by great subtlety, run to the desert to hide both themselves and it. So the false prophets, when the event did not answer to their prediction, got out of the way, that they might not be overwhelmed with the reproaches and indignation of the people.
Read AdamClarke on Ezekiel 13 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges4. foxes in the deserts] in the waste places, i.e. ruins. The prophets are like foxes; ruins are congenial to them; a condition of decay is their proper sphere; there they can burrow as their instincts prompt them. The main idea, however, is that their operations only increase the devastation and undermine and bring down anything that may yet be standing. In a declining and disastrous time the minds of men are excited and feed on the wildest schemes, and feeling themselves helpless they readily turn to those who pretend to speak to them in God’s name. And it only adds to their ruin when those to whom they turn have no higher wisdom than themselves.
Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 13 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleIn the deserts - Foxes find a home among ruins etc. Lamentations 5:18. So the prophets find their profit in the ruin of their country.
Read Albert Barnes on Ezekiel 13 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Your prophets, O Israel, are like foxes among the ruins.
Israel, your prophets have been like foxes in the waste places.
Your prophets, O Israel, are like foxes among the ruins.
Your prophets have become like jackals among the ruins, O Israel.
Tyndale line
O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.
O Israel, thy prophets have been like foxes in the waste places.
O Israel, thy prophets have been like foxes in the waste places.
O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.
O Israel, thy Prophets are like the foxes in the waste places.
Strictly literal
O Israel, thy prophets have been like foxes in desert places.
As foxes in the wastes, Thy prophets, O Israel, have been.
Your prophets have been || As foxes in the wasteland, O Israel.
Like foxes among the ruins have been thy prophets, O Israel!
Israel, your prophets have been like jackals in the wastelands.
From the Latin
Thy prophets, O Israel, were like foxes in the deserts.
Simplified
Israel, your prophets are like foxes that live in the ruins.
O Israel, your prophets have been like jackals in the waste places.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads: כְּשֻׁעָלִ֖ים בָּחֳרָב֑וֹת נְבִיאֶ֥יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הָיֽוּ׃. The Septuagint matches four of the five words, maintaining the core message while presenting it in a different word order.
כְּשֻׁעָלִ֖ים בָּחֳרָב֑וֹת נְבִיאֶ֥יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הָיֽוּ׃
4 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ezekiel 13:4
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שׁוּעָל (shuw'al) refers to a fox, and may also denote a jackal. The word is derived from a root meaning to burrow, highlighting its association with digging or burrowing animals. The entries consistently emphasize its primary meaning as a fox, with some suggesting a possible connection to jackals.
שׁוּעָל n.m. fox, perhaps also jackal
base
H7776 שׁוּעָל
7776 shuw`al shoo-awl'
or shunal {shoo-awl'}; from the same as 8168; a jackal (as a
burrower):--fox.
see HEBREW for 08168
שׁוּעָל (shu.al) — fox.
1) fox, a burrower
1a) fox
1b) perhaps also jackal
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHR/Ncmpa
The Hebrew word חָרְבָּה (chorbah) refers to waste, desolation, or ruin. It is derived from the root meaning drought and implies a place that has been laid waste or destroyed. The entries consistently emphasize its association with desolation and ruin.
חָרְבָּה n.f. waste, desolation, ruin
base
H2723 חָרְבָּה waste, desolation, ruin
2723 chorbah khor-baw'
feminine of 2721; properly, drought, i.e. (by implication) a
desolation:--decayed place, desolate (place, -tion),
destruction, (laid) waste (place).
see HEBREW for 02721
חׇרְבָּה (chor.bah) — desolation.
a place laid waste, ruin, waste, desolation
Prep | N-fp — Preposition · noun common feminine plural absoluteHR/Ncfpa
נָבִיא (nabiy') refers to a prophet or an inspired speaker, covering genuine, false, and heathen prophets. It is derived from the root meaning to bubble forth, indicating a connection to prophecy. The term appears in various contexts in the Old Testament, highlighting its significance in both true and false prophetic roles.
נָבִיא 306 n.m. spokesman, speaker, prophet
genuine prophet of י׳
false prophets
heathen prophets
base
H5030 נָבִיא spokesman, speaker, prophet
5030 nabiy' naw-bee'
from 5012; a prophet or (generally) inspired man:--prophecy,
that prophesy, prophet.
see HEBREW for 05012
נָבִיא (na.vi) — prophet.
1) spokesman, speaker, prophet
1a) prophet
1b) false prophet
1c) heathen prophet
Aramaic equivalent: ne.vi (נְבִיא "prophet" H5029)
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp2ms
יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.
יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)
n.pr.m. second name of Jacob
n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation
base
H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob
. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation
3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'
from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical
name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:
--Israel.
see HEBREW for 08280
see HEBREW for 0410
יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;
son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);
brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);
father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently
§ Israel = "God prevails"
1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel
2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob
2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
iz'-ra-el.
See JACOB.
Israel
The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).
This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;
(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…
Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.
The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
Fall out, happen
occur, take place, come about, come to pass
esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
Come into being, become
abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
sq. prep.
become
sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
sq. pred. adj.
become like
sq. pred. לְ pers.
sq. לְ pred.
oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
with עַל and לְ
sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
exist, be in existence
abide, remain, continue
with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
as copula, joining subj. & pred.
H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen
. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
. sq. prep.
. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
. sq. pred. adj.
. become like
. sq. pred. + לְ pers.
. sq. לְ pred.
. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.
. with עַל and לְ
. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence
. abide, remain, continue
1961 hayah haw-yaw
a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or
auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,
committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,
fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit
(one-)self, require, X use.
see HEBREW for 01933
הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.
1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) ---
1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass
1a1b) to come about, come to pass
1a2) to come into being, become
1a2a) to arise, appear, come
1a2b) to become
1a2b1) to become
1a2b2) to become like
1a2b3) to be instituted, be established
1a3) to be
1a3a) to exist, be in existence
1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)
1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)
1a3d) to accompany, be with
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about
1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp