Ezekiel 13:18
“and say, “Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Woe to the women who sew pillows on all elbows, and make kerchiefs for the head of persons of every stature to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people, and save souls alive for yourselves?”
What does Ezekiel 13:18 mean?
Ezekiel is delivering a hard word against false prophetesses who were using magical practices to manipulate and control people in his community. The "pillows" and "kerchiefs" seem to be objects tied to divination rituals, tools they used to deceive vulnerable people by claiming special spiritual power. Rather than protecting God's people, these women were exploiting them for their own gain and status. The warning cuts to something deeply troubling: when people use spiritual authority (real or invented) to trap others into dependency, they're doing real spiritual harm. God cares fiercely about people being preyed upon in their searching and suffering. If you've encountered someone claiming special spiritual insights to control you or extract money, power, or loyalty, this passage validates your instinct that something is wrong.