say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The vivid imagery of an Eastern storm—torrential rain, hailstones, and a gale—isn't just descriptive; it’s a deliberate personification of divine judgment. God is directly calling down these destructive forces, not as random acts of nature, but as instruments wielded by His hand to dismantle the false security built by the prophets.
say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is denouncing false prophets who are deceiving Jerusalem with promises of peace and security, like prophets building a flimsy wall and then patching it up with weak mortar. God declares that this deceptive facade will be utterly destroyed by a violent storm – a deluge of rain, hail, and wind, symbolizing the impending Babylonian invasion. This judgment will expose the prophets' lies and the people's misplaced trust, revealing that God's wrath is the true force at work.
Imagine building a wall, only to cover up cracks with a thin layer of plaster. It looks okay for a moment, but it's not truly solid. This is the picture painted in Ezekiel's time, and it still speaks volumes today.
A False Foundation
Ezekiel is addressing prophets who are essentially lying to the people. They've built up false hopes – a 'wall' – promising peace and security that isn't based on God's truth. They 'smear it with whitewash,' a superficial fix that hides the real problems.
The Inevitable Collapse
God declares that this flimsy construction will fall. It's not a question of 'if,' but 'when.' The prophets' words are a sham, and the people's trust in them is misplaced. This 'whitewash' can't hold up against the real challenges ahead.
When disaster strikes, who do you turn to? Ezekiel uses powerful imagery of nature's fury to show how God brings down what is false.
The Elements of Judgment
The prophecy escalates with vivid natural imagery: 'a deluge of rain,' 'great hailstones,' and a 'stormy wind.' These aren't just random weather events; they represent God's powerful and destructive judgment being unleashed.
Nature as God's Instrument
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These destructive forces are sent by God to tear down the flimsy 'wall' of false security. The 'overflowing shower' washes away the weak mortar, the 'hailstones' pound it relentlessly, and the 'stormy wind' rips it apart. This illustrates how God uses overwhelming forces to expose and dismantle deception.
Understand the original words
taphel · Hebrew Verb
To cover over, coat, or daub, often used metaphorically for concealing truth, hypocrisy, or covering up sins with a false appearance of righteousness or security.
taphel · Hebrew Noun
A temporary or superficial layer, often used to describe something that lacks structural integrity or reality; in this context, it represents the deceptive and hollow messages of false prophets.
sheteph · Hebrew Noun
A sudden, overwhelming flood or downpour; in biblical prophecy, it often symbolizes divine judgment that sweeps away the wicked or their false securities.
se'arah · Hebrew Noun
A violent wind, frequently used in Scripture to represent the swift, powerful, and uncontrollable nature of God's judgment moving across the land.
Ezekiel's prophecy in chapter 13 denounces false prophets who falsely promise peace and security to Jerusalem. The historical context of the exiles, especially the devastation of Jerusalem and its Temple in 587/586 BC, makes this message incredibly stark. The 'wall' the false prophets built represents deceptive hopes, which God declares will be utterly destroyed by the 'storm' of Babylonian invasion, just as flimsy structures collapse under a fierce tempest.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invades Judah, deporting some of the royal family and elite, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon. This event marks the beginning of Judah's exile.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. Jerusalem's temple is partially plundered.
c. 587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
After a prolonged siege, Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This is the lowest point for the Judean people.
c. 585 BC
Third Deportation to Babylon
A final wave of exiles are deported to Babylon after a rebellion led by Gedaliah is crushed. This leaves only the poorest to tend the land.
This passage presents a striking parallel to Ezekiel's imagery, comparing the wise man who builds his house on the rock to the foolish man who builds on sand, only to have his house destroyed by floods and winds, illustrating the inevitable downfall of foundations not truly secure.
Jeremiah 6:14Jeremiah also condemns prophets who falsely claim 'Peace, peace' when there is no peace, mirroring Ezekiel's critique of false prophets who deceive the people with superficial repairs and false security.
Isaiah 28:17This verse speaks of a deluge sweeping away deceitful refuges, where justice becomes a measuring line and righteousness a plumb line, directly correlating with Ezekiel's prophecy of judgment against those who build with 'untempered mortar'.
Exodus 9:23The mention of hail in Ezekiel’s prophecy connects to the plagues of Egypt, where God sends hail and fire from heaven to destroy those who disobey, showing a pattern of divine judgment employing destructive natural forces against His enemies.
cambridgeEzekiel 13:11: "Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it."
11 . and ye, O great hailstones ] The apostrophe to the hailstones is rather unnatural. A different pointing gives the sense, and I will cause great hailstones to fall , but the construction is altogether improbable. Jeremiah 8:13 , is not in point. wind shall rent it ] Or, a strong wind shall brea…
pulpitEzekiel 13:11: "Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it."
Verse 11. - In words which would almost seem to have been in our Lord's thoughts in Matthew 7:25, we have the picture of an Eastern storm, torrents of rain passing into hail (LXX., λίθοι πετρόβολοι), accompanied by a tornado of irresistible violence (compare like pictures in Exodus 9:22; Joshua 10…
The vivid imagery of an Eastern storm—torrential rain, hailstones, and a gale—isn't just descriptive; it’s a deliberate personification of divine judgment. God is directly calling down these destructive forces, not as random acts of nature, but as instruments wielded by His hand to dismantle the false security built by the prophets.
Ezekiel is denouncing false prophets who are deceiving Jerusalem with promises of peace and security, like prophets building a flimsy wall and then patching it up with weak mortar. God declares that this deceptive facade will be utterly destroyed by a violent storm – a deluge of rain, hail, and wind, symbolizing the impending Babylonian invasion. This judgment will expose the prophets' lies and the people's misplaced trust, revealing that God's wrath is the true force at work.
Ezekiel is denouncing false prophets who are deceiving Jerusalem with promises of peace and security, like prophets building a flimsy wall and then patching it up with weak mortar. God declares that this deceptive facade will be utterly destroyed by a violent storm – a deluge of rain, hail, and wind, symbolizing the impending Babylonian invasion. This judgment will expose the prophets' lies and the people's misplaced trust, revealing that God's wrath is the true force at work.
"say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out." — The vivid imagery of an Eastern storm—torrential rain, hailstones, and a gale—isn't just descriptive; it’s a deliberate personification of divine judgment. God is directly calling down these destruct…
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Last reviewed October 2026