Sewing Spells and Selling Lies: Ezekiel’s Surprisingly Modern Warning

Ezekiel 13 isn’t light reading. It deals with deception, judgment, and spiritual manipulation—and not just by the usual suspects. Starting in verse 17, the text shifts focus to a group of women who claim to speak messages from God. What they’re actually doing is far murkier.

The New Living Translation puts it this way: "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits the women who are ensnaring the souls of my people, young and old alike. You lie to my people who love to listen to lies" (Ezekiel 13:18,19). The imagery is strange: sewing magic charms, making veils, hunting souls. It's not the kind of language I usually associate with religious texts, and that makes it all the more curious.

Magic Accessories and Misinformation

These women are accused of profiting from false visions, offering a sense of security to people who don’t deserve it, and condemning the innocent. The text suggests they're manipulating the hopes and fears of others for their own gain. It reminds me a bit of televangelists or social media influencers who package feel-good messages with just enough spiritual flair to sell a product.

But this passage is more than a warning about obvious fraud. It seems to challenge the ways people, regardless of gender, can misuse influence. These women aren't accused of violence or overt control; they're distorting truth in subtler ways. By offering emotional comfort in place of difficult reality, they "strengthen the wicked and discourage the righteous" (v. 22). That’s a chilling line.

Not a Blanket Statement on Women in Leadership

I don’t read this as a condemnation of women in spiritual leadership. That wouldn’t make much sense, especially considering other figures like Deborah or Huldah in the Hebrew Bible. Instead, it seems more about accountability. Authority—spiritual or otherwise—isn’t immune to corruption. And the kind of harm being described here isn’t always loud or obvious. Sometimes it looks like kindness or reassurance, but it leaves people worse off.

There’s also something unsettling about how these women are described as working in private, sewing and veiling, hidden in domestic acts that carry unexpected power. It blurs the line between the everyday and the dangerous. How often do influence and persuasion operate this way—quietly, through relationships and routines rather than declarations?

The Comfort Trap

This section of Ezekiel is vivid, and maybe a little confusing. But it pulls attention toward a less-discussed form of harm: when leaders offer people what they want to hear instead of what they need to understand. That’s not limited to religion. It’s visible in politics, education, entertainment—anywhere trust is leveraged for personal gain.

This makes me more aware of how soft-spoken distortions can be just as dangerous as loud lies. And that trust, once bent in the wrong direction, is hard to straighten again.