The Meaning of Ezekiel 13:18 Explained

Ezekiel 13:18

KJV: And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?

YLT: And thou hast said: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Woe to those sowing pillows for all joints of the arm, And to those making the kerchiefs For the head of every stature -- to hunt souls, The souls do ye hunt of My people? And the souls ye have do ye keep alive?

Darby: and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe unto the women that sew pillows for all wrists, and that make veils for the head of persons of every stature to catch souls! Will ye catch the souls of my people, and will ye save your own souls alive?

ASV: and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the women that sew pillows upon all elbows, and make kerchiefs for the head of persons of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and save souls alive for yourselves?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And say,  Thus saith  the Lord  GOD;  Woe  to the [women] that sew  pillows  to all armholes,  and make  kerchiefs  upon the head  of every stature  to hunt  souls!  Will ye hunt  the souls  of my people,  and will ye save  the souls  alive  [that come] unto you? 

What does Ezekiel 13:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

He was to announce Yahweh"s judgment on these women who sewed cloth bands to place on the wrists and floor-length veils on the heads of themselves or the objects of their "prophesying." They used these aids to impress people and to cast spells on (to influence) people to bring them under their power (cf. Jeremiah 7:18; Jeremiah 44:17; Jeremiah 44:19).
"The activities attributed to these women suggest that they were more like witches or sorcerers than prophets [1]." [2]," Journal of Semitic Studies (1974):1-12.]

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 13

1  The reproof of false prophets
10  and their untempered mortar
17  Of prophecies and their pillows

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 13:18 mean?

And say thus says the Lord GOD Woe to the [women] who sew [magic] charms on all wrists their sleeves and make veils for the heads of [people] of every height to hunt souls the souls will you hunt of My people and yourselves keep alive
וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ כֹּה־ אָמַ֣ר ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הוֹי֩ לִֽמְתַפְּר֨וֹת כְּסָת֜וֹת עַ֣ל ׀ כָּל־ אַצִּילֵ֣י יָדַ֗י וְעֹשׂ֧וֹת הַמִּסְפָּח֛וֹת עַל־ רֹ֥אשׁ כָּל־ קוֹמָ֖ה לְצוֹדֵ֣ד ! נְפָשׁ֑וֹת הַנְּפָשׁוֹת֙ תְּצוֹדֵ֣דְנָה לְעַמִּ֔י וּנְפָשׁ֖וֹת לָכֶ֥נָה תְחַיֶּֽינָה

וְאָמַרְתָּ֞  And  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כֹּה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֣ר ׀  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲדֹנָ֣י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִ֗ה  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
הוֹי֩  Woe 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֹוי  
Sense: ah!, alas!, ha!, ho!, O!, woe!.
לִֽמְתַפְּר֨וֹת  to  the  [women]  who  sew 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Participle, feminine plural
Root: תָּפַר  
Sense: to sew together.
כְּסָת֜וֹת  [magic]  charms 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: כֶּסֶת  
Sense: band, fillet, covered amulets, false phylacteries.
אַצִּילֵ֣י  wrists 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: אַצִּיל  
Sense: joining, joint (such as elbow etc).
יָדַ֗י  their  sleeves 
Parse: Noun, fdc, first person common singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וְעֹשׂ֧וֹת  and  make 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הַמִּסְפָּח֛וֹת  veils 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מִסְפָּחָה  
Sense: long veil, veil (as spread out).
רֹ֥אשׁ  the  heads  of  [people] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
כָּל־  of  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
קוֹמָ֖ה  height 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קֹומָה  
Sense: height.
לְצוֹדֵ֣ד  to  hunt 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: צוּד 
Sense: to hunt.
! נְפָשׁ֑וֹת  souls 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
הַנְּפָשׁוֹת֙  the  souls 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
תְּצוֹדֵ֣דְנָה  will  you  hunt 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person feminine plural
Root: צוּד 
Sense: to hunt.
לְעַמִּ֔י  of  My  people 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לָכֶ֥נָה  yourselves 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine plural
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
תְחַיֶּֽינָה  keep  alive 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person feminine plural
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.