Ezekiel 14:1-11

Ezekiel 14:1-11

[1] Then came  certain  of the elders  of Israel  unto me, and sat  before  me. [2] And the word  of the LORD  came unto me, saying,  [3] Son  of man,  have set up  their idols  in their heart,  and put  the stumblingblock  of their iniquity  before  their face:  should I be enquired  by them? [4] Therefore speak  unto them, and say  the Lord  GOD;  Every man  of the house  of Israel  that setteth up  his idols  in his heart,  and putteth  the stumblingblock  of his iniquity  before  his face,  and cometh  to the prophet;  I the LORD  will answer  him that cometh  according to the multitude  of his idols;  [5] That I may take  the house  of Israel  in their own heart,  because they are all estranged  from me through their idols.  [6] Therefore say  unto the house  of Israel,  Thus saith  the Lord  GOD;  Repent,  yourselves from your idols;  and turn away  your faces  from all your abominations.  [7] For every one  of the house  of Israel,  or of the stranger  that sojourneth  in Israel,  which separateth  himself from me,  and setteth up  his idols  in his heart,  and putteth  the stumblingblock  of his iniquity  before  his face,  and cometh  to a prophet  to enquire  of him concerning me; I the LORD  will answer  him by myself: [8] And I will set  my face  against that man,  and will make  him a sign  and a proverb,  and I will cut him off  from the midst  of my people;  and ye shall know  that I am the LORD.  [9] 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.  [10] And they shall bear  the punishment of their iniquity:  of the prophet  shall be even as the punishment  of him that seeketh  [11] That the house  of Israel  may go no more astray  from me,  neither be polluted  any more with all their transgressions;  but that they may be my people,  and I may be their God,  saith  the Lord  GOD. 

What does Ezekiel 14:1-11 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

This prophecy carries on the thought of the one in chapter13about false prophets. Those who resorted to false prophets would share their fate, namely, judgment by God.
"Idolatry was the standard method of religion in ancient times. Ancient peoples believed that any depiction of a thing somehow partook of the essence of that thing, no matter how crude or artificial the depiction might be. A picture of a tree contained part of the essence of the tree; a statue of a god contained part of the essence of that god. Where that statue was, the god was of necessity at least partly present. Anything offered to a god"s statue was offered directly to the god." [1]
This attitude persists even today in some parts of the world as seen, for example, in some people"s unwillingness to allow someone else to photograph them. They believe that the image of themselves on the photograph is a part of their essence that the taking of a photo removes from them.