Jeremiah 14:13 kjv
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.
Jeremiah 14:13 nkjv
Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets say to them, 'You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.' "
Jeremiah 14:13 niv
But I said, "Alas, Sovereign LORD! The prophets keep telling them, 'You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.'?"
Jeremiah 14:13 esv
Then I said: "Ah, Lord GOD, behold, the prophets say to them, 'You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.'"
Jeremiah 14:13 nlt
Then I said, "O Sovereign LORD, their prophets are telling them, 'All is well ? no war or famine will come. The LORD will surely send you peace.'"
Jeremiah 14 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 14:13 | "Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you everlasting assurance in this place." | Direct statement of the prophecy |
| Jeremiah 28:15 | "And Jeremiah said unto Hananiah, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie." | Jeremiah confronts false prophets |
| Ezekiel 13:3 | "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing;" | Woe upon false prophets' baseless visions |
| Ezekiel 13:6 | "They have seen vanity and false divination, saying, The LORD saith: and they have spoken their lies, to make them believe in their lies." | False prophets speak lies |
| Micah 3:5 | "Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that doth not put into their mouths, they even prepare war." | Prophets causing people to err and crying peace while preparing war |
| Jeremiah 6:14 | "They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." | Superficial healing and false peace claims |
| Jeremiah 8:11 | "For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." | Repetition of the theme of false peace |
| Jeremiah 23:17 | "They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you." | False assurance of peace and no evil |
| Jeremiah 27:10 | "For therefore ye shall not hearken unto your prophets, nor unto your diviners, that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they lie unto you:" | Warning against listening to false prophets |
| Deuteronomy 18:20 | "But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die." | Consequence for false prophecy |
| Jeremiah 5:31 | "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?" | People love false prophecy |
| Isaiah 9:15 | "The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophets that teach lies he is the tail." | Imagery of corrupted leadership |
| Revelation 18:20 | "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her." | Heavenly rejoicing over judgment on deceptive systems |
| Matthew 7:15 | "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." | Warning against false prophets in the NT |
| 2 Peter 2:1 | "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bringing upon themselves swift destruction." | False teachers and teachers among God's people |
| 1 John 4:1 | "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." | Discernment of spirits and false prophets |
| Acts 13:6 | "And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus:" | Example of a false prophet |
| Jeremiah 14:14 | "Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy falsely in my name: I have not sent them, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke I unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and vanity, and the deceit of their own heart." | God's direct accusation of the false prophets |
| Jeremiah 14:15 | "Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed." | Divine punishment for their false prophecies |
| Lamentations 2:14 | "Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment." | Prophets failed to reveal iniquity |
| Hosea 4:6 | "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." | The people's destruction due to ignorance of God's Word |
| Zechariah 13:3 | "And it shall come to pass that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth." | Extreme societal rejection of false prophecy |
Jeremiah 14 verses
Jeremiah 14 13 Meaning
Jeremiah 14:13 expresses the prophet's dismay and God's severe judgment upon Judah. It declares that the prophets of the land, in their deceptive visions, are claiming that peace will come through military might, but God reveals that these pronouncements are false. Instead, God is bringing total destruction through the sword and famine. The verse highlights the tragic reality of false prophecy leading the people astray while God's true judgment is imminent.
Jeremiah 14 13 Context
Jeremiah 14:13 is situated within the broader context of God's judgment upon Judah for its persistent sin and rebellion. The preceding verses detail a devastating drought and the people's suffering. In response to this affliction, the people turn to their prophets for reassurance. However, these prophets, speaking lies and proclaiming peace and military security, offer false hope instead of revealing the true cause of their suffering – their disobedience to God. Jeremiah is burdened by this deception and intercedes on behalf of the people, but God's response (as seen in verse 14 onwards) is to confirm the impending doom brought by war and famine. The historical backdrop is a time when the Babylonian threat looms, and Judah is desperately seeking security, making the false prophecies even more insidious and dangerous.
Jeremiah 14 13 Word Analysis
- And I said, Ah, Lord GOD!
- And: Connects this verse to the preceding narrative.
- I said: Jeremiah's direct address.
- Ah: An interjection expressing lament, pain, or distress. It conveys the prophet's anguish over the situation.
- Lord GOD! (Adonai Yahweh!): A compound divine title emphasizing God's sovereign authority and covenantal relationship. It is a cry of profound respect and earnest appeal to the supreme ruler.
- behold,
- An expression that draws attention to something important or surprising. It signals a crucial observation or revelation.
- the prophets
- Refers to the religious leaders and soothsayers of Judah.
- Specifically, false prophets.
- say unto them,
- Indicating the spoken message of these false prophets to the people.
- Ye shall not see the sword,
- Ye: Plural pronoun, referring to the people of Judah.
- shall not see: This idiom means they will not experience or witness.
- the sword: Represents warfare, conflict, and violent death. Their prophecy promised an absence of war.
- neither shall ye have famine:
- neither: Further emphasis on the negation of further calamities.
- have famine: To experience hunger or scarcity of food. Their false assurance included exemption from starvation.
- but I will give you everlasting assurance
- but: Introduces a contrast to God's declared judgment, highlighting the deceit of the false prophets.
- I will give: The false prophets claim to bestow this "assurance."
- everlasting assurance (sheker shaket): This is a powerful and ironic phrase. "Sheker" means falsehood or lying. "Shaket" relates to quietness, stillness, or a secure settlement. It implies a false peace and security that is presented as lasting but is ultimately a deceptive promise. It mocks the people with a fabricated security.
- in this place.
- Referring to Jerusalem and the land of Judah.
Word Group Analysis:
- "the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine": This phrase captures the essence of the false prophecies given during a time of crisis. They were offering comfort and security through a denial of imminent judgment, specifically through war and starvation, which were already threatening the land. This was a denial of the observable reality and a perversion of God's message.
- "but I will give you everlasting assurance in this place": This is the core of the deceptive message. The false prophets attribute this "assurance" (a lie) to God. The "everlasting" aspect of this false assurance is a direct mockery, as God was about to bring lasting judgment, not lasting peace for those in disobedience. This false security was meant to pacify the people and keep them from repentance.
Jeremiah 14 13 Bonus Section
The phrase "everlasting assurance" (sheker shaket) is a profound indictment of false prophecy. It is not merely an untruth but a calculated lie designed to deceive and mislead. The juxtaposition of "everlasting" (which should speak of God's eternal faithfulness) with "assurance" (in the context of a lie) highlights the perversion of truth by the false prophets. This speaks to the spiritual corruption that characterized Judah. God's assurance is always rooted in righteousness and truth, not in deception. This false prophecy created a false sense of security, preventing the people from facing their sin and seeking genuine repentance, which ultimately led to their destruction. The message of Jeremiah is a call to discernment, to distinguish between the authentic voice of God and the deceptive pronouncements of those who speak from their own hearts or for their own gain.
Jeremiah 14 13 Commentary
The false prophets in Jeremiah's time offered superficial comfort to a suffering nation. In a period of drought and looming invasion, they assured the people of peace and freedom from the sword and famine. Their words were alluring, presenting a false peace ("everlasting assurance") as God's will for Jerusalem. This message was rooted in their own deceptive visions, not in divine revelation. Jeremiah, however, confronts this deception, knowing that God's judgment is actually at hand, carried out by the sword and famine. This verse highlights the spiritual danger of embracing comforting lies over challenging truths, and the devastating consequences that follow when a nation heeds false spiritual counsel while rejecting God's word and prophets. The false assurance offered by these prophets was a calculated manipulation designed to maintain the status quo of sin, leading the people away from the repentance that could have averted God's wrath.