Ezekiel 14:9 But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

◄ Ezekiel 14:9 ►

New International Version
“’And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the LORD have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.

New Living Translation
“‘And if a prophet is deceived into giving a message, it is because I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet. I will lift my fist against such prophets and cut them off from the community of Israel.

English Standard Version
And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, 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.

Berean Standard Bible
But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

King James Bible
And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

New King James Version
“And if the prophet is induced to speak anything, I the LORD have induced that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

New American Standard Bible
“But if the prophet is persuaded so that he speaks a word, it is I, the LORD, who have persuaded that prophet; and I will stretch out My hand against him and eliminate him from among My people Israel.

NASB 1995
“But if the prophet is prevailed upon to speak a word, it is I, the LORD, who have prevailed upon that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

NASB 1977
“But if the prophet is prevailed upon to speak a word, it is I, the LORD, who have prevailed upon that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

Legacy Standard Bible
“But if the prophet is enticed to speak a word, it is I, Yahweh, who have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

Amplified Bible
“But if the prophet [who speaks without My authority] is enticed to speak a word [of his own], it is I the LORD who have caused that prophet [to speak falsely to please the inquirer, thus allowing himself to be a party to the inquirer’s sin], and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

Christian Standard Bible
“ ‘But if the prophet is deceived and speaks a message, it was I, the LORD, who deceived that prophet. I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But if the prophet is deceived and speaks a message, it was I, Yahweh, who deceived that prophet. I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

American Standard Version
And if the prophet be deceived and speak a word, I, Jehovah, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

Contemporary English Version
If a prophet gives a false message, I am the one who caused that prophet to lie. But I will still reject him and cut him off from my people,

English Revised Version
And if the prophet be deceived and speaketh a word, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
" 'If a prophet is tricked into giving a prophecy, it is I, the LORD, who tricked the prophet. I will use my power against you and destroy you from among my people Israel.

Good News Translation
"If any prophets are deceived into giving a false answer, it is because I, the LORD, have deceived them. I will remove them from the people of Israel.

International Standard Version
"Now as to the prophet, if through deceit he delivers a message, I the LORD have deceived that prophet! I'll reach out in opposition to him and exterminate him from among my people Israel.

Majority Standard Bible
But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

NET Bible
"'As for the prophet, if he is made a fool by being deceived into speaking a prophetic word--I, the LORD, have made a fool of that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.

New Heart English Bible
"'"If the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

Webster's Bible Translation
And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

World English Bible
“‘“If the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, Yahweh, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on him, and will destroy him from among my people Israel.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And the prophet, when he is enticed, and has spoken a word—I, YHWH, have enticed that prophet, and have stretched out My hand against him, and have destroyed him from the midst of My people Israel.

Young's Literal Translation
'And the prophet, when he is enticed, and hath spoken a word -- I, Jehovah, I have enticed that prophet, and have stretched out My hand against him, and have destroyed him from the midst of My people Israel.

Smith's Literal Translation
And if the prophet shall be deceived, and he spake a word, I Jehovah deceived that prophet, and I stretched forth my hand upon him, and I destroyed him from the midst of my people Israel.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the prophet shall err, and speak a word: I the Lord have deceived that prophet: and I will stretch forth my hand upon him, and will cut him off from the midst of my people Israel.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when a prophet has gone astray and has spoken a word: I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet. And I will extend my hand over him, and I will wipe him away from the midst of my people, Israel.

New American Bible
As for the prophet, if he speaks a deceiving word, I the LORD am the one who deceives that prophet. I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

New Revised Standard Version
If a prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, 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.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And when a prophet shall err and speak a word, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him, and I will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And a Prophet, when he will go astray and he will speak a word, I, LORD JEHOVAH, have deceived that Prophet and I shall lift my hands against him and I shall destroy him from within my people Israel

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And when the prophet is enticed and speaketh a word, I the LORD have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if a prophet should cause to err and should speak, I the Lord have caused that prophet to err, and will stretch out my hand upon him, and will utterly destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Idolatrous Elders Condemned
…8I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among My people. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 9But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel. 10They will bear their punishment—the punishment of the inquirer will be the same as that of the prophet—…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Deuteronomy 13:1-3
If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, / and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” / you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

1 Kings 22:20-23
And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that. / Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. / And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’ ...

Jeremiah 4:10
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, how completely You have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’ while a sword is at our throats.”

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12
For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, / in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.

Isaiah 66:4
So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”

Jeremiah 23:16-17
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. / They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD says that you will have peace,’ and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, ‘No harm will come to you.’

1 Samuel 16:14
Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him.

2 Chronicles 18:18-22
Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. / And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that. / Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. ...

Romans 1:24-28
Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. / They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen. / For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ...

Jeremiah 20:7
You have deceived me, O LORD, and I was deceived. You have overcome me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me.

Matthew 24:24
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

2 Peter 2:1-3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. / Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed. / In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.

1 Timothy 4:1-2
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, / influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.

Jeremiah 27:9-10
But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums, or your sorcerers who declare, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ / For they prophesy to you a lie that will serve to remove you from your land; I will banish you and you will perish.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. / And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. / It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.

Treasury of Scripture

And if the prophet be deceived when he has spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on him, and will destroy him from the middle of my people Israel.

if the

Ezekiel 20:25
Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;

2 Samuel 12:11,12
Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun…

1 Kings 22:20-23
And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner…

I the.

and I will

Ezekiel 16:27
Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd way.

Isaiah 5:25
Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 9:12,17,21
The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still…

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Ezekiel 14

1. God answers idolaters according to their own heart
6. They are exhorted to repent, for fear of judgments, by means of seduced prophets
12. God's irrevocable sentence of famine
15. of wild beasts
17. of the sword
19. and of pestilence
22. A remnant shall be reserved for example of others

Berean Study Bible

But if the prophet
The term "prophet" in Hebrew is "navi," which refers to someone who is called to speak on behalf of God. In the context of ancient Israel, prophets were seen as intermediaries between God and the people. This phrase sets the stage for a conditional situation, indicating that the following actions are contingent upon the behavior of the prophet. It underscores the responsibility and accountability of those who claim to speak for God.

is enticed
The Hebrew word for "enticed" is "patah," which can mean to be deceived or seduced. This suggests a scenario where the prophet is led astray, not necessarily by external forces, but by internal desires or weaknesses. It highlights the vulnerability of even those chosen by God to human failings and the importance of vigilance in spiritual leadership.

to speak a message
The phrase "to speak a message" implies the delivery of a prophetic word or oracle. In the biblical context, a true message from God is characterized by truth and alignment with God's revealed will. This phrase emphasizes the gravity of speaking on behalf of God and the potential consequences of delivering a false message.

I, the LORD, have enticed that prophet
Here, the use of "I, the LORD" (Yahweh) asserts God's sovereignty and ultimate control over all events. The Hebrew word "patah" is used again, but this time it is God who is doing the enticing. This can be understood as God allowing the prophet to follow their own inclinations as a form of judgment. It reflects the biblical theme that God sometimes permits individuals to pursue their own desires to reveal their true character and bring about divine justice.

and I will stretch out My hand against him
The phrase "stretch out My hand" is a common biblical metaphor for divine intervention, often in the form of judgment or punishment. It conveys the idea of God's active involvement in the affairs of humanity, particularly in holding individuals accountable for their actions. This phrase serves as a warning of the serious consequences of leading others astray.

and destroy him
The Hebrew word for "destroy" is "shamad," which means to annihilate or bring to ruin. This indicates the severity of the punishment for false prophecy. It underscores the holiness of God and the seriousness with which He regards the purity of His message and the integrity of those who deliver it.

from among My people Israel
This phrase highlights the communal aspect of the judgment. The prophet is not only accountable to God but also to the community of Israel. It reflects the covenant relationship between God and His people, where the actions of individuals can have broader implications for the community. This serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of the faith community and the importance of maintaining faithfulness to God's word.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) And if the prophet be deceived.--The exact sense of the original is, "If a prophet be persuaded and speak a word, I the LORD have persuaded that prophet." The thought is thus in close connection with what precedes; in Ezekiel 14:3-4; Ezekiel 14:7, the Lord has refused to allow an answer through the prophet to the hypocritical enquirer; but if the prophet, by giving the desired answer, allows himself to become a partaker of the sin which God abhors, then God will treat him according to that general method of dealing with sin which is here described. He "persuades" the prophet in the same sense in which He hardened Pharaoh's heart, by making such persuasion the natural consequence of the immutable moral laws which He has ordained. Men are held back from sin only by God's own Holy Spirit drawing them towards Himself. When they set this aside by transgressing God's commands, the inevitable tendency--the tendency under the moral laws God has established--is to further sin. Hence the prophet who allowed himself to be persuaded, contrary to God's command, to answer the hypocritical enquirer at all, would inevitably be persuaded further to answer him according to his desires. God does not force men either to receive the truth or to act righteously. If, notwithstanding His remonstrances, their hearts are set upon wrong, He will even give them up and "send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie" (2Thessalonians 2:11). We are too often told in Scripture of this method of the Divine dealing to leave any room for us to misunderstand the principle. The result is a terrible one, but it is quite in keeping with all we can observe of the Divine work in nature. The man that refuses the medicine, must sink under the disease. The principle is clearly exemplified in the case of Ahab (1Kings 22:19-23), where the Lord is represented as sending a lying spirit into the mouths of the prophets, that they might counsel the king to the wrong course he was already determined to take. God is declared to do this because it was the result under His moral laws of the wicked and domineering spirit of the king who had driven away the true prophets and gathered around himself those who were willing to pervert their office and prophesy falsely to gratify his wishes. Of course this is not to suppose that God can ever be the author of sin and deceit; but He has ordained that sin shall punish itself, and when the heart rejects Him, He withdraws His Spirit from it and gives it up to its own delusions. Thus when Saul's heart became alienated from God, and "the Spirit of the Lord departed from" him, the evil spirit, which came instead, is said to be "from the LORD" (1Samuel 16:14). This kind of judgment is necessarily more common in times of great and general declension from the right. Hence false prophets were especially abundant towards the close of the kingdom of Judah, and form a marked characteristic in the New Testament prophecies of "the last days." No more terrible judgment can be imagined than that of thus giving up the sinner to the consequences of his own sin.

Will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.--This is not the word which is so often used in the penalties of the law, "will cut him off from my people." The latter refers only to excommunication, to exclusion from the privileges of the chosen people; but this means that the untrue prophet shall literally be destroyed, like Balaam (Numbers 31:8), among the enemies of God with whom he had cast in his lot. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - I the Lord have deceived that prophet, etc. The teaching of modern thought is to soften language like this into "I have permitted him to be deceived." The distinction was seldom, if ever, present to the mind of the Old Testament, or indeed of the New Testament, writers. It is Jehovah who sends the "lying spirit" in 1 Kings 22:20 -23. It is he who in the latter days shall send men "strong delusions" that they shall believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11). In both cases it is implied that the delusion is a righteous punishment, is indeed the natural, because the divinely appointed, punishment of the sin. Populus vult decipi et decipiatur, but the very deception is a means for undeceiving them. At last their eyes shall be opened. The punishment of the false prophet and of those who trust him is at once retributive, and a discipline, and, if the discipline fails for them, at least a warning for others.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

But if
כִֽי־ (ḵî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the prophet
וְהַנָּבִ֤יא (wə·han·nā·ḇî)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5030: A spokesman, speaker, prophet

is enticed
יְפֻתֶּה֙ (yə·p̄ut·teh)
Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6601: To open, be, roomy, to be, simple, delude

to speak
וְדִבֶּ֣ר (wə·ḏib·ber)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

a message,
דָּבָ֔ר (dā·ḇār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

then it was I
אֲנִ֤י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

who enticed
פִּתֵּ֔יתִי (pit·tê·ṯî)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6601: To open, be, roomy, to be, simple, delude

him,
הַה֑וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

and I will stretch out
וְנָטִ֤יתִי (wə·nā·ṭî·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

My hand
יָדִי֙ (yā·ḏî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

against him
עָלָ֔יו (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

and destroy him
וְהִ֨שְׁמַדְתִּ֔יו (wə·hiš·maḏ·tîw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8045: To be exterminated or destroyed

from among
מִתּ֖וֹךְ (mit·tō·wḵ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

My people
עַמִּ֥י (‘am·mî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 14:9 If the prophet be deceived and speak (Ezek. Eze Ezk)