So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

EZEKIEL 13:14KJV
Know the Bible

Ezekiel 13:14 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 13:14 mean?

Ezekiel 13:14 means that God will destroy the false sense of security created by the prophets who misled the people, exposing their lies and leaving them vulnerable. The verse says that God Himself will break down the wall they covered with weak, unreliable mortar, revealing its shaky foundation and causing it to collapse, so everyone will know He is the LORD.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Israel, specifically addressing false prophets who gave the people false hope. The "wall" is a picture of their deceptive promises, and "untempered morter" means a weak, useless material. God warns that these empty assurances will not stand, and when disaster comes, the truth will be clear to all.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 13:14

  • "Wall" (קִיר, qir): This word means a physical wall, but here it stands for the false security built by the prophets’ lies. The image helps readers picture how flimsy and unreliable these promises are.
  • "Daubed" (טָפַל, ṭāpal): This verb means to smear or plaster, showing that the prophets tried to cover up the wall’s weakness instead of fixing it. It points to a superficial fix rather than a real solution.
  • "Untempered" (תָּפֵל, tāp̄ēl): This word means something that is not properly mixed or is worthless. The mortar is not strong enough to hold the wall, so the security it represents is fake.
  • "Foundation" (יָסוֹד, yāsōd): This word refers to the base or support of the wall. When God brings down the wall, even its foundation will be exposed, showing that the whole structure was faulty from the start.

Why Ezekiel 13:14 matters

  • Ezekiel 13:14 makes it clear that God sees through false appearances and will not let lies stand, even if they seem convincing for a time.
  • The verse highlights the danger of trusting in empty promises rather than in what is true and solid, especially when those promises come from people claiming to speak for God.
  • This verse fits into a larger warning in Ezekiel 13 against false prophets, showing that their words not only mislead but also leave people unprotected when real trouble comes.

Where else these words appear

“untempered” Hebrew H8602 · used in 7 verses

  • Job 6:6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
  • Ezekiel 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:
  • Ezekiel 13:15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it;

“daubed” Hebrew H2902 · used in 11 verses

  • Leviticus 14:42 And they shall take other stones, and put them in the place of those stones; and he shall take other morter, and shall plaister the house.
  • 1 Chronicles 29:4 Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal:
  • Ezekiel 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.

“foundation” Hebrew H3247 · used in 20 verses

  • Exodus 29:12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
  • Leviticus 5:9 And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering.
  • Job 22:16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:

“down” Hebrew H2040 · used in 42 verses

  • Exodus 15:7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
  • Psalms 28:5 Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.
  • Jeremiah 45:4 Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.