Jeremiah 23:25 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 23:25 kjv
I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
Jeremiah 23:25 nkjv
"I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!'
Jeremiah 23:25 niv
"I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! I had a dream!'
Jeremiah 23:25 esv
I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!'
Jeremiah 23:25 nlt
"I have heard these prophets say, 'Listen to the dream I had from God last night.' And then they proceed to tell lies in my name.
Jeremiah 23 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 13:1-5 | If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you... saying, “Let us go after other gods...” you shall not listen... | Warning against deceptive dreamers/prophets. |
| Deut 18:20 | But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak... shall die. | Presumption to speak falsely in God's name. |
| Jer 14:14 | The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them... they are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatry and the delusions of their own minds. | False prophecies from own minds. |
| Jer 23:16 | Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you... they speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. | Visions from own mind, not from God. |
| Jer 23:21 | I did not send these prophets, yet they have run... I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. | God denies sending or speaking to them. |
| Jer 23:26 | How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy delusions of their own minds? | False prophecy as delusion of heart/mind. |
| Jer 23:28 | Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word truthfully. | Distinction between dreams and God's word. |
| Jer 23:31-32 | I am against the prophets who use their own words and say, “The Lord declares”... who prophesy false dreams and mislead my people. | Against those who invent words and false dreams. |
| Jer 27:9-10 | So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams... who tell you, “You will not serve the king of Babylon.” For they prophesy lies to you. | Don't listen to false dream-interpreters. |
| Jer 29:8 | Do not let the prophets and diviners among you who are in your midst deceive you... do not listen to the dreams that you encourage them to dream. | Warning against being deceived by dreamers. |
| Ezek 13:2-3 | Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel... "Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!" | Prophesying against prophets following own spirit. |
| Ezek 13:6 | Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, “The Lord declares,” when the Lord has not sent them... | False visions and lies, claiming divine source. |
| Ezek 13:7 | Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations...? You say, "The Lord declares," though I have not spoken. | Speaking what God has not spoken. |
| Mic 3:5-7 | This is what the Lord says: "As for the prophets who lead my people astray... they have no answer from God." | Prophets leading astray, no true divine word. |
| Zech 10:2 | The diviners see delusions, they tell false dreams and give meaningless comfort... they go astray like sheep. | False dreams giving meaningless comfort. |
| Matt 7:15-16 | Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. | Identifying false prophets by their fruit. |
| 2 Pet 2:1-3 | But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you... bringing destructive heresies. | Warning about false prophets/teachers. |
| Col 2:18 | Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you... going into great detail about what he has seen. | False authority from subjective experiences. |
| 1 John 4:1 | Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. | Test all spirits, as many false prophets exist. |
| Rev 19:20 | But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs... By these two, those who worshiped the beast and received its mark were deceived. | Final judgment on the false prophet. |
| Acts 20:29-30 | I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock... from your own number men will arise and distort the truth. | Internal threat of false teachers distorting truth. |
| 2 Tim 3:13 | But evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. | Escalation of deception. |
Jeremiah 23 verses
Jeremiah 23 25 meaning
Jeremiah 23:25 addresses the deceptive claims of false prophets who attribute their lies to God, asserting that their messages originate from divine dreams. This verse highlights their attempt to legitimize their own invented words by invoking God's name and presenting their personal, often repeated, dream experiences as divine revelation, thereby contrasting their human-generated messages with God's authentic, life-transforming word.
Jeremiah 23 25 Context
Jeremiah 23 is a pivotal chapter addressing the corrupt leadership of Judah, particularly the false prophets and unfaithful shepherds (leaders). Leading up to this verse, God denounces the shepherds who scatter and destroy His flock (v.1-4), then promises a righteous King (v.5-8). He then turns sharply to condemn the prophets and priests (v.9-15), lamenting their immorality and their prophecies of peace when destruction is imminent. Verses 16-20 specifically warn the people against listening to these false prophets, whose messages stem from their own imagination rather than God's mouth. Verse 25 fits directly into this indictment, illustrating how these false prophets legitimize their deception: by claiming divine inspiration through dreams, creating a counterfeit source of revelation that sounds authoritative but is ultimately self-generated and contrary to God's true message, which Jeremiah delivers. Historically, Judah was in a precarious state, facing Babylonian invasion, and the people sought reassurance; the false prophets offered this comfort, contradicting Jeremiah's warnings of judgment. This context highlights the stark contrast between God's authentic, often challenging word, and the deceptive, comforting messages designed to appeal to human desires for peace and safety.
Jeremiah 23 25 Word analysis
- I have heard (שָׁמַעְתִּי, shāmaʿtî): This first-person declaration by God establishes His omniscient awareness. It is not an indirect report but a direct statement from the divine judge. The imperfect aspect of the verb here implies an ongoing action of hearing and knowing. God is fully cognizant of the deception, exposing the fallacy of operating hidden from Him.
- what the prophets say (אֲשֶׁר אֹמְרִים הַנְּבִיאִים, ʾăšer ʾomərîm hanəbîʾîm): The use of the definite article "the" (ha-) signifies specific, identifiable individuals within Judah, emphasizing their recognized (though false) office. They claim to be prophets but lack divine authorization.
- who prophesy lies (הַנִּבְּאִים בִּשְׁמִי שָׁקֶר, hannibbāʾîm bišmî šāqer):
- prophesy (nibbāʾîm): The Niphal participle, conveying one who speaks under inspiration. Here, it is ironically applied to false prophets who claim inspiration.
- in my name (bišmî): This is a critical phrase. It refers to claiming divine authority and legitimacy. To prophesy "in God's name" meant to speak on His behalf, representing His character and word. Its misuse is blasphemous and deceitful, hijacking God's reputation.
- lies (שָׁקֶר, šāqer): Denotes falsehood, deceit, emptiness. This word immediately brands their messages as devoid of truth and spiritual substance. It stands in stark contrast to God's emet (truth/faithfulness).
- They say (לֵאמֹר, lēʾmor): A common Hebrew phrase used to introduce direct speech. It sets up the specific method of deception.
- 'I have had a dream! I have had a dream!' (חָלַמְתִּי חָלָמְתִּי, ḥālamtî ḥālamtî):
- I have had a dream! (ḥālamtî): A perfect tense verb, suggesting a completed personal experience. This refers to a vision received during sleep. While God can speak through dreams (Gen 20:6, Num 12:6, Dan 1:17), the emphasis here is on its use as a self-justifying and repetitive declaration by false prophets.
- The repetition of "I have had a dream!" is significant. It might indicate:
- Insistence/Emphasis: Their strong conviction, perhaps feigned or genuine, that their dream is powerful and real.
- Lack of direct revelation: Without a clear divine word like "Thus says the Lord," they rely on subjective experience, which is then dramatically announced.
- Common deceptive trope: A widely recognized means of claiming revelation, often associated with ancient Near Eastern divination, appealing to a populace accustomed to interpreting such omens.
- Reinforcement for self/others: Repetition serves to solidify the supposed authority, almost hypnotically.
Jeremiah 23 25 Bonus section
The concept of dreams as a source of divine revelation was well-established in the ancient Near East, which provided a cultural backdrop for the false prophets' claims. This made their "I have had a dream!" pronouncements highly persuasive to the common person who sought divine guidance. Jeremiah 23:25, however, subtly debunks this broad cultural acceptance by framing such claims as "lies in My name." The problem isn't the phenomenon of dreams themselves, but the content and the source's fidelity. God's true prophets often delivered direct pronouncements starting with "Thus says the Lord," reflecting an objective, direct word from God. The false prophets, by contrast, fell back on subjective experience, a "dream" – often a malleable, personal encounter – which they then interpreted to fit their own desired message, usually one of false peace and prosperity. This polemic functions against syncretistic tendencies where divine communication was equated with personal spiritual experiences or pagan divination practices. The repetition of "I have had a dream!" also evokes a sense of desperation or an attempt at conviction through sheer volume rather than truth. This chapter strongly contrasts the fleeting, often delusive nature of human dreams with the powerful, enduring, fire-and-hammer quality of God's true word (Jer 23:29).
Jeremiah 23 25 Commentary
Jeremiah 23:25 reveals God's divine oversight over those who abuse their prophetic office by fabricating messages and cloaking them in sacred authority. The crux of the deception lies in the phrase "in my name" (bišmî) combined with "lies" (šāqer); these prophets audaciousclaimed God's endorsement for their own fabrications, which directly contradicted His revealed word. Their method—the emphatic declaration "I have had a dream! I have had a dream!"—illustrates a reliance on subjective, personal experience as the source of revelation, contrasting sharply with the true prophet's fidelity to God's communicated word. While God historically communicated through dreams (e.g., to Joseph or Daniel), these false prophets used dreams as a smokescreen for self-originated falsehoods (šāqer) or personal desires, rather than genuinely divine insights. God's response ("I have heard") confirms His full awareness of their charade, exposing the hollowness of their claims and their attempts to mislead the people by appealing to popular forms of "revelation" while disregarding the authentic, convicting truth of God delivered through His genuine messengers like Jeremiah. Ultimately, this verse underscores the critical distinction between divinely inspired truth and human-concocted error, emphasizing that a claim of divine source must align with God's character and consistent revelation.