The Prophetesses And Pillows of Ezekiel 13:17-23

 

When we read Ezekiel 13:17-23, we come across some unusual words that can leave us wondering what God is talking about. What were these “pillows” the women were sewing? What did God mean when He said they were hunting souls and making them fly?  To understand this passage, we need to look beyond the English wording and examine what God was revealing about these false prophetesses and the harm they were doing to His people.

God was exposing those who used false spiritual claims to deceive people, take advantage of them, and lead them away from the truth.  Their practices may seem strange to us today, but God's message is clear.  He sees deception,  He knows who is being harmed, and He will not allow those who prey upon His people to escape His judgment.

This warning also speaks to believers today, because God has never approved of those who use His name to deceive people, control their lives, or profit from their trust in Him.  We must be careful about whom we listen to and what we accept as God's Word.  A person may claim to speak for God, yet that claim does not make the message true. We must examine what is being taught in the light of Scripture and refuse to accept teachings that lead people away from God's truth. Those who teach must remember that they are accountable to God for what they say in His name.

Notice also that God was angry because these false prophetesses were hurting the righteous while encouraging the wicked to continue in their evil ways. The same danger exists whenever someone twists Scripture to excuse sin, frighten people into submission, or give false assurance to those who refuse to turn from wrongdoing. God's Word is meant to bring truth into the light, correct what is wrong, and lead people in His ways. We must never use it to trap others, take advantage of them, or make them dependent upon us. Our responsibility is to speak the truth faithfully, so that people may know God and walk according to His Word.

 

1. What were these “pillows”?

In Ezekiel 13:18, God says:

“Woe to the women who sew כְּסָתוֹת (kesathoth) upon the joints of the arms, and make coverings for the heads of people of every size, to hunt lives!”

The Hebrew word כְּסָתוֹת (kesathoth) is the word the KJV translates as pillows.  However, in this setting, it appears to refer to bands or charms worn on the arms, possibly connected with divination or magical practices. The exact nature of these objects is uncertain, but the surrounding passage makes their purpose clear: the women were using them to ensnare people.

These women were false prophetesses. They were claiming spiritual authority and using their practices to gain influence over people's lives. They were not speaking God's truth.

2. What does it mean to “hunt souls”?

The Hebrew word נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh) means a living being, a person, or life. Here, “souls” means the lives of the people they were targeting.

Think of a hunter setting a trap. The prey is caught, controlled, and unable to escape. These women were spiritually trapping people through their false promises and deceptive practices. They were exploiting people's desire to know what would happen to them and whether they would be safe.

Verse 19 reveals another part of their wickedness. They were doing this for handfuls of barley and pieces of bread. They were making a profit from their false prophecies, while their lies were hurting God's people.

3. “To make them fly” means what?

Now we come to the unusual wording in Ezekiel 13:20.

The Hebrew expression translated “to make them fly” is connected with the idea of letting the captured lives escape, like birds released from a trap. The KJV's wording is awkward because it makes the women sound as though they were trying to make souls fly away, when the picture is actually of people being caught and then released.

God declares that He is against these devices. He will tear them away from the women's arms and free the people they have ensnared.

The image is of a hunter holding captured birds. God intervenes, breaks the trap, and lets the birds go.

4. Why does God say He will release them?

Look at Ezekiel 13:21–23. God says He will tear away their coverings and deliver His people from their control. He explains why: these women had made the righteous sorrowful through lies, while strengthening the wicked so that they would not turn from their evil ways.

That is the heart of the passage. The false prophetesses were doing the opposite of what God's true prophets do. Instead of exposing sin and calling people back to God, they were encouraging wickedness and giving people false security.

God's judgment is against the deception, the spiritual bondage, and the harm these women were causing. He promises to rescue His people from their hands.

The “pillows” were not ordinary bedding. They were apparently objects used in a deceptive spiritual practice. The “hunting” was the trapping and manipulation of human lives, and God's tearing away those objects pictures His breaking the false prophetesses' hold over the people. The precise construction of the objects remains uncertain, but the evil purpose and God's response are unmistakable.

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Prayer:
Holy Father, I praise You for Your truth and for Your Word, which exposes every lie and brings light where there is deception. Thank You for being a God who sees the hearts of people and who will not allow those who misuse Your name to go unnoticed.

I ask You for wisdom and understanding so that I may recognize what is true and refuse to be led astray by those who speak falsely in Your name. Help me to speak Your Word faithfully, never twisting it to suit my own desires or using it to harm another person. Strengthen me to stand boldly for Your truth, to encourage those who are doing right, and to call those who have wandered away back to Your ways.

May my words and actions always honor You, and may everything I teach point others toward You and the truth You have given us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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Don't take my word for it. Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, search the Scriptures daily to see whether these things are so. Open your Bible, study God's Word for yourself, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. Don't simply accept my conclusions. If what I've written agrees with Scripture, hold fast to it. If it doesn't, let God's Word be your final authority.

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© AMKCH 2026

image done by imagefree at my direction. If any of these people looks like you or someone you know, that is purely coincidental. They are not.

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