Ezekiel 12:24

Another thing which robbed the word of the true prophets, who threatened judgment, of its force was the fact that there were other prophets who spoke in a contrary sense, preaching peace and security. Prophets, though alike speaking in the name of Jehovah, contradicted one another, and the people, even if anxious to know the truth, had no criterion whereby to judge between them. The scene between Jeremiah and Hananiah (Jeremiah 28) is very instructive as to the condition in which the people were left. There was nothing in Jeremiah to shew him to be a true prophet, and nothing in Hananiah to prove him false. Truth and falsehood could be distinguished in those days in no other way than now: he who has to distinguish must find the criterion in himself he that is of the truth heareth my voice. The people believed that Jehovah spoke by prophets, but by which prophets, whether Jeremiah or his opponents, they had to decide out of their own hearts, and not unnaturally (Micah 2:11) they despised Jeremiah as a false prophet and held to his opponents (Jeremiah 18:18).

no more … flattering divination These false prophecies of peace shall cease, for the same judgment which confirms the true prophecy shall annihilate the false. The term "divination" was employed of the methods of reaching the mind of the deity used by the native populations of Canaan (Deuteronomy 18:10; 1 Samuel 6:2). They were such appliances as lots, arrows, and other methods of augury (Ezekiel 21:21). Possibly these methods had in some degree passed into use in Israel, and were employed by a low prophecy. In true prophecy these mechanical arts were discarded: Jehovah spoke to the mind of the prophet in his mind. Here, however, the word "divination" is used of the oracles of the prophets who were false, even though not employing any external arts of augury. Their prophecy is called "flattering," lit. smooth, because it promised immunity from trouble and disaster. Cf. Jeremiah 14:14.