Discovery BoxEzekiel 13:16-19 
Context13:16 those prophets of Israel who would prophesy about Jerusalem 1 and would see visions of peace for it, when there was no peace,” declares the sovereign Lord.’
13:17 “As for you, son of man, turn toward 2 the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their imagination. 3 Prophesy against them 13:18 and say ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to those who sew bands 4 on all their wrists 5 and make headbands 6 for heads of every size to entrap people’s lives! 7 Will you entrap my people’s lives, yet preserve your own lives? 13:19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. You have put to death people 8 who should not die and kept alive those who should not live by your lies to my people, who listen to lies!
1 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
2 tn Heb “set your face against.”
3 tn Heb “from their heart.”
4 sn The wristbands mentioned here probably represented magic bands or charms. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:413.
5 tn Heb “joints of the hands.” This may include the elbow and shoulder joints.
6 tn The Hebrew term occurs in the Bible only here and in v. 21. It has also been understood as a veil or type of head covering. D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:414) suggests that given the context of magical devices, the expected parallel to the magical arm bands, and the meaning of this Hebrew root (סָפַח [safakh, “to attach” or “join”]), it may refer to headbands or necklaces on which magical amulets were worn.
7 tn Heb “human lives” or “souls” (three times in v. 18 and twice in v. 19).
8 tn Heb “human lives” or “souls.”
