Ezekiel 14:1-11

Idolatrous Elders Condemned

1 Then certain of the 1elders of Israel came to me 2and sat before me.
2 And the word of the LORD came to me:
3 3"Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set 4the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. 5Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?
4 Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, 6I the LORD will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols,
5 7that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, 8who are all estranged from me through their idols.
6 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: 9Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
7 For any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, 10who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to a prophet to consult me through him, 11I the LORD will answer him myself.
8 And 12I will set my face against that man; I 13will make him a sign and a byword 14and cut him off from the midst of my people, 15and you shall know that I am the LORD.
9 And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, 16I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
10 And they shall bear their punishment[a]--the punishment of the prophet and the punishment of the inquirer shall be alike--
11 that the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, nor 17defile themselves anymore with all their transgressions, 18but that they may be my people and I may be their God, declares the Lord GOD."

Ezekiel 14:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 14

In this chapter are contained the displeasure of God at hypocritical idolaters that sought unto him, and at the false prophets; the judgments that should come upon them, and which should not be averted by the intercession of the best of men; and yet a promise that a remnant should be saved. The elders of Israel are said to sit before the prophet, Eze 14:1; to whom the Lord gives an account of them, Eze 14:2,3; and orders the prophet what he should say to them, that the Lord would answer them himself, Eze 14:4,5; and that he should bid the house of Israel repent and turn from their idols, or else the Lord would set his face against them, and cut them off, both them and the false prophets they sought unto; and this is threatened in order to reform them, and continue them his covenant people, Eze 14:6-11; and then the judgment of famine is particularly threatened; to avert which, the prayers of the best of men would be of no effect, Eze 14:12-14; and next the judgment of noisome beasts, with the same intimation, Eze 14:15,16; likewise the sword, Eze 14:17,18; and also the pestilence, Eze 14:19,20; and much less when they should be all sent together, Eze 14:21; and the chapter is concluded with a promise that a remnant should be saved; which would be a comfort to the captives of Babylon, and accounts for what the Lord had done, or would do, in Jerusalem, Eze 14:22,23.

Cross References 18

  • 1. See Ezekiel 8:1
  • 2. See Ezekiel 8:1
  • 3. See Ezekiel 2:1
  • 4. Ezekiel 7:19; Ezekiel 44:12
  • 5. Ezekiel 20:3, 31; 2 Kings 3:13; [Ezekiel 36:37]
  • 6. [ver. 7]
  • 7. [2 Thessalonians 2:11, 12]
  • 8. Isaiah 1:4
  • 9. [Ezekiel 18:30, 32]
  • 10. [See ver. 5 above]
  • 11. [ver. 4]
  • 12. Ezekiel 15:7; Leviticus 17:10; Jeremiah 44:11
  • 13. Ezekiel 5:15; Deuteronomy 28:37
  • 14. Ezekiel 15:7; Leviticus 17:10; Jeremiah 44:11
  • 15. See Ezekiel 6:7
  • 16. [1 Kings 22:23]
  • 17. Ezekiel 37:23
  • 18. See Ezekiel 11:20

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or iniquity; three times in this verse
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.