Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash,
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to see the false prophets as just saying "peace" when there wasn't any. But the imagery of building a weak wall and then covering it with "untempered mortar" reveals a deeper deceit: they weren't just lying about peace, they were actively patching up the people's faulty foundations with flimsy assurances that looked strong but would utterly fail when tested.
Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash,
English Standard Version (ESV)
These verses dive into Ezekiel's scathing critique of false prophets who are misleading the people of Judah. While the people are trying to shore up their defenses (perhaps through alliances or other human efforts), these prophets offer hollow promises of peace and security. They essentially slap a coat of superficial plaster over a crumbling wall, hiding its fatal flaws and lulling the people into a dangerous false sense of safety.
Why would prophets tell people everything is okay when it's clearly not? What kind of 'peace' are they offering?
The false prophets in Ezekiel's day were masters of deception. Their primary tactic? Telling people exactly what they wanted to hear: 'Peace!' This wasn't a genuine, God-given peace, but a dangerous illusion.
Lulling into Complacency
A False Foundation
Imagine building something, only to have someone plaster over the cracks. What does this image reveal about spiritual repair?
The imagery of the 'wall' is powerful. In ancient times, a wall was crucial for defense and security. God's people should have been focused on reinforcing the spiritual 'wall' of their community, repairing the breaches caused by sin and disobedience. Instead, false prophets engaged in a sham of repair.
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The Illusion of Strength
Deceptive Workmanship
Understand the original words
shalom · Hebrew Noun
A term referring to the state of well-being, wholeness, prosperity, and harmony, both within oneself and in relationship with others and God. In a theological sense, it often refers to the fullness of God's blessing and reconciliation.
taphel · Hebrew Noun
A substance used to cover or hide the true condition of something; symbolically, it refers to the practice of covering up moral or spiritual corruption with a superficial appearance of righteousness or stability.
The false prophets' dangerous message of 'peace' directly contradicted the grim reality of impending destruction, a reality Ezekiel, in exile, was compelled to confront. Their flimsy pronouncements were like smearing weak walls with unusable mortar, offering a false sense of security against the coming judgment.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports some of the Judean elite, including Daniel, to Babylon after a victory. This marks the beginning of a period of growing Babylonian power and Judean subservience.
c. 597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and a larger group of Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This event further destabilizes Jerusalem and its leadership.
c. 590-580 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Ministry in Babylon
Ezekiel receives his prophetic call and begins ministering to the exiles in Babylon. He confronts false prophets who are misleading the people with false hopes of a swift return and peace.
c. 588-586 BC
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem, which ultimately falls. The city is destroyed, the Temple is burned, and a final, larger deportation of Judeans takes place.
This passage directly echoes Ezekiel's accusation, highlighting the same false message of 'peace' given to a people who are spiritually broken and far from true peace with God.
Matthew 23:27Jesus uses a similar image of 'whitewashed tombs' to expose the hypocrisy of religious leaders who appear righteous on the outside but are corrupt within, much like the false prophets covering a weak structure with a pleasing facade.
Isaiah 30:10This verse describes people who tell prophets to 'stop prophesying what is right' and to tell them 'pleasant lies,' mirroring the demand for comforting falsehoods that the false prophets in Ezekiel supplied.
Luke 6:47Jesus' parable about building a house illustrates the importance of a strong foundation; the false prophets' 'whitewashed wall' is like building on sand, a structure that will inevitably collapse under pressure.
1 Kings 22:11The story of Micaiah and the false prophets shows a similar dynamic where one prophet (Hanani) makes bold, unchallenged claims, and others follow suit, demonstrating the collective delusion fostered by those who speak without divine authority.
cambridgeEzekiel 13:10: "Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter:"
10–16 . The prophets whitewash the tottering wall which the people build 10 . Because, even because ] A solemn and emphatic introduction of the offence of the prophets; ch. Ezekiel 36:3 ; Leviticus 26:43 . seduced ] Or, led astray. peace; and there was no peace ] “Peace” includes security and prosperity; cf. Micah 3…
barnesEzekiel 13:10: "Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter:"
Wall - A partition wall; in Ezekiel 13:12 , the word used is the usual word for the outer wall of a house or city. The fall of the partition wall would perhaps involve the fall of the whole house. Untempered morter - Or, whited plaster, employed to patch up a wall, so as to give it an appearance (without the reality…
It's easy to see the false prophets as just saying "peace" when there wasn't any. But the imagery of building a weak wall and then covering it with "untempered mortar" reveals a deeper deceit: they weren't just lying about peace, they were actively patching up the people's faulty foundations with flimsy assurances that looked strong but would utterly fail when tested.
These verses dive into Ezekiel's scathing critique of false prophets who are misleading the people of Judah. While the people are trying to shore up their defenses (perhaps through alliances or other human efforts), these prophets offer hollow promises of peace and security. They essentially slap a coat of superficial plaster over a crumbling wall, hiding its fatal flaws and lulling the people into a dangerous false sense of safety.
These verses dive into Ezekiel's scathing critique of false prophets who are misleading the people of Judah. While the people are trying to shore up their defenses (perhaps through alliances or other human efforts), these prophets offer hollow promises of peace and security. They essentially slap a coat of superficial plaster over a crumbling wall, hiding its fatal flaws and lulling the people into a dangerous false sense of safety.
"Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash," — It's easy to see the false prophets as just saying "peace" when there wasn't any. But the imagery of building a weak wall and then covering it with "untempered mortar" reveals a deeper deceit: they w…
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Last reviewed October 2026