Ezekiel 13:5

“Ye have not gone up into the gaps, &c.] Or “breaches”f170; so the Targum. The allusion is to breaches made in the walls of a city when besieged; at which time those within gather together in great numbers to meet the enemy, and prevent his entrance by the breaches. These words are either spoken to the princes of Israel, the civil magistrates; or to the prophets, who seeing the sins of the people, like a mighty torrent, opening a breach for the wrath and judgments of God to pour in upon them, should have called them, and importunately pressed them to repentance and reformation, and to have put up their prayers, and made intercession to God for them; neither of which they did, and therefore…”

“not gone up into . . . gaps--metaphor from breaches made in a wall, to which the defenders ought to betake themselves in order to repel the entrance of the foe. The breach is that made in the theocracy through the nation's sin; and, unless it be made up, the vengeance of God will break in through it. Those who would advise the people to repentance are the restorers of the breach (Eze 22:30; Psa 106:23, Psa 106:30). hedge--the law of God (Psa 80:12; Isa 5:2, Isa 5:5); by violating it, the people stripped themselves of the fence of God's protection and lay exposed to the foe. The false prophets did not try to repair the evil by bringing back the people to the law with good counsels, or by…”

“For - Or, before. In a time of siege when there are gaps or breaches in the walls, it is the part of the leaders to go up to defend them, and to throw up works to stop the in-road of the enemy. Yahweh is now assailing His people as an enemy (compare Isaiah 63:10; Job 16:11-13), and where are those who claim to be prophets, leaders of the people? return to 'Top of Page'”

“Ye - Vain prophets. Gone up - As in a besieged city, whose wall is broken down, a valiant soldier would run up into the breach to repel the enemy; so true prophets partly by prayer, and partly by doctrine, labour to preserve God's people. Hedge - The house of Israel is the Lord's vineyard, through the hedge whereof many breaches are made. To stand - Not with arms, but with fasting, prayer, and repentance. Ezekiel 13:6”

“have not: Eze 22:30; Exo 17:9-13, Exo 32:11, Exo 32:12; Num 16:21, Num 16:22, Num 16:47, Num 16:48; Sa1 12:23; Psa 106:23; Jer 15:1, Jer 23:22, Jer 27:18; Mal 1:9 gaps: or, breaches, Isa 58:12; Lam 2:13, Lam 2:14 made up the hedge: Heb. hedged the hedge to stand: Job 40:9; Psa 76:7; Isa 27:4; Eph 6:13, Eph 6:14; Rev 16:14, Rev 20:8, Rev 20:9 the day: Eze 30:3; Isa 2:12, Isa 13:6, Isa 13:9, Isa 34:8; Joe 1:15, Joe 2:1, Joe 2:31, Joe 3:14; Amo 5:18-20; Zep 1:14-18, Zep 2:2, Zep 2:3; Mal 4:5; Th1 5:2; Pe2 3:10; Rev 6:17 Ezekiel 13:6”