Ezekiel 13:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For the sake of the barley and for the bread, to strike the spirits who were not meant to grieve and who were undeserving of death.

Beware of these erroneous beliefs and teachings that, while promising solace, ensnare individuals of all ages and genders, leading astray the souls of the miserable and misrepresenting Me among My people, presenting Me as a proponent of earthly pleasures. This is not merely for a morsel or a measure of barley, as stated in Hosea, but for a meager handful of barley, fit only for animals, and for a fragment of bread rather than the whole loaf or the entirety of Scripture’s testimony. These teachings are distorted through heretical misinterpretations, reduced and diminished to deceive the faithful, aiming to lead them toward death while falsely claiming to offer life.

He highlights the triviality of the profits they have achieved. They have polluted My name alongside My people, trading a mere handful of barley and a handful of bread. What could be less valuable than this? And what could be more dreadful than the harm that arises from it? Eze has struck down souls that are unworthy of death and restored those that do not deserve life, addressing the people swayed by deceitful messages. In pursuit of petty profit, you have vainly exalted certain individuals while deeming others deserving of condemnation, exploiting the naivety and gullibility of the masses for wrongful purposes. As a result of obeying your deceitful directives, you have unjustly spared some while condemning others without cause. Thus, after denouncing wrongdoing, he warns of impending judgment.

It frequently occurs that the role of the Judge is assumed by someone whose life does not reflect the righteousness associated with that position. Often, this individual either passes judgment on those who are innocent or allows the guilty to go unpunished, being constrained themselves. In exerting authority and binding their subordinates, this person tends to act according to personal inclination rather than legitimate justification. Consequently, the very authority to bind and make determinations is forfeited by one who employs it whimsically, rather than in alignment with the ethical conduct expected of those they oversee.