“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;”
My Notes
What Does Ezekiel 13:2 Mean?
"Prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD." God sends Ezekiel against the false prophets — with a devastating description: they prophesy out of their own hearts. Their messages originate in their own imagination, not in God's counsel.
The phrase "out of their own hearts" (min libbam) is the diagnostic key. The false prophets aren't receiving from God and distorting the message. They're generating the entire thing internally. There's no divine input at all. What they call prophecy is autobiography — the projection of their own desires, fears, and agendas onto God's name.
The ironic command — "Hear ye the word of the LORD" — is addressed to prophets. The people who are supposed to speak God's word are told to hear it. They've been talking but not listening. They've been speaking in God's name without hearing God's voice. The teacher needs to become the student.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How do you distinguish between something God is actually saying and something you want Him to be saying?
- 2.Have you ever projected your own desires onto God's name?
- 3.What does genuine 'hearing' look like before speaking for God?
- 4.Who in your life speaks for God from genuine encounter versus from their own heart?
Devotional
Prophets who prophesy out of their own hearts. Not from God — from themselves. They generate the message internally, stamp "thus saith the LORD" on it, and deliver their own imagination as divine revelation.
This is the anatomy of false prophecy stripped to its core: the source is self, not God. The content originates in the prophet's own heart — their own desires, their own fears, their own agenda. They call it prophecy because it sounds spiritual. But it's autobiography wearing a divine costume.
The irony of commanding prophets to "hear the word of the LORD" is devastating. These are professional speakers who don't listen. Professional declarers of God's word who never receive God's word. They're all output, no input. All broadcast, no reception. And God says: for once in your career, hear.
This pattern exists in every era. People who speak confidently about what God is saying without spending time listening to what God actually says. Leaders who project their own preferences onto divine authority. Influencers who call their opinions prophetic and their agendas God's will.
The test is the source. Where does the message originate? In extended time with God — in prayer, in Scripture, in genuine spiritual encounter? Or in your own heart — your preferences, your fears, your political commitments, your personal agenda? The difference between prophecy and projection is the difference between hearing and imagining.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Thus saith the Lord God, woe unto the foolish prophets,.... The false prophets, as the Targum; who are foolish, as all…
That prophesy out of their own hearts - Who are neither inspired nor sent by Me. They are prophets out of their own…
The false prophets, who are here prophesied against, were some of them at Jerusalem (Jer 23:14): I have seen in the…
prophets of Israel that prophesy There seems a kind of sarcasm on "prophets of Israel," those whom Israel accepts and…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture