Jeremiah 23 31

Jeremiah 23:31 kjv

Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.

Jeremiah 23:31 nkjv

Behold, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who use their tongues and say, 'He says.'

Jeremiah 23:31 niv

Yes," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, 'The LORD declares.'

Jeremiah 23:31 esv

Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who use their tongues and declare, 'declares the LORD.'

Jeremiah 23:31 nlt

I am against these smooth-tongued prophets who say, 'This prophecy is from the LORD!'

Jeremiah 23 verses

Jeremiah 23 31 meaning

This verse pronounces God's direct and intense opposition to prophets who speak from their own minds, generating messages through their human capabilities or desires, yet deceitfully claim these words originate from the Lord Himself. It condemns the perversion of divine authority by attributing self-generated utterances to God, effectively putting their own words in God's mouth.

Jeremiah 23 31 Context

Jeremiah 23 falls within a section of Jeremiah's prophecies against the unfaithful leaders of Judah (chapters 21-29). Immediately preceding this verse, the Lord condemns the false prophets for "stealing" His words from one another (Jer 23:30) and speaking "the delusion of their own heart" (Jer 23:26). They do not stand in God's counsel (Jer 23:18, 22), nor do they proclaim God's actual word to turn people from their evil ways. The historical context is late 7th to early 6th century BCE Judah, a tumultuous period leading up to the Babylonian exile. The nation was steeped in idolatry and moral decay. False prophets, often in opposition to Jeremiah, promised peace and prosperity, catering to popular demand and easing consciences, thus preventing genuine repentance. Jeremiah's message of impending judgment and exile was highly unpopular, placing him in direct conflict with these purveyors of convenient falsehoods.

Jeremiah 23 31 Word analysis

• Behold (Heb. הִנְנִי, hin·nî): An emphatic interjection, signaling a direct and serious divine declaration. It underscores the Lord's personal, intense engagement and judgment. This is not a casual statement but a profound and intentional stance.
• I am against (Heb. אֶל, ʾel with the personal pronoun): The preposition ʾel often means "to" or "for," but in confrontational contexts like this, it carries the strong sense of being "against" or "in opposition to." It reveals God's active, personal enmity toward this particular sin.
• the prophets (Heb. הַנְּבִאִים, han·nᵊḇiʾîm): While "prophets" can refer to true spokespersons of God, in this chapter, and specifically from Jer 23:9 onwards, the context makes it clear that the Lord is addressing false prophets, those who claim the title but do not possess divine authorization or integrity.
• declares the Lord (Heb. נְאֻם יְהוָה, nᵊʾum Yah·weh): This is a standard prophetic oracle formula, used to mark direct divine speech and stamp it with absolute authority. Its appearance here within God's condemnation emphasizes the solemnity and divine origin of Jeremiah's message against those who misuse this very formula.
• who use their tongues (Heb. הַלֹּקְחִים לְשׁוֹנָם, hal·lōqᵊḥîm lᵊšôwnām): The Hebrew verb lāqaḥ (לָקַח) can mean "to take," "to grasp," or "to seize." The phrase is idiomatic and offers multiple layers of meaning:
  • Taking/seizing their own tongue: Speaking freely, impulsively, or with self-generated eloquence. Their words originate from themselves, not God.
  • Taking (over) the prophetic formula: They appropriate the sacred prophetic formula for their own, secular, or false utterances. They seize the authority of the "Thus declares the Lord" for their fabricated words. Some scholars suggest a sense of "stealing" this divine imprimatur.
  • Simply "speaking their words": Generating words without divine input. This emphasizes human-centric messaging.
• and declare (Heb. וַיִּנְאֲמוּ, way·yinʾă·mû): From the same root as nᵊʾum, meaning "to utter an oracle." This verb highlights their active engagement in prophesying, drawing a parallel (and a stark contrast) to God's own declarations.
• ‘Thus declares the Lord!’ (Heb. נְאֻם יְהוָה, nᵊʾum Yah·weh): The exact same oracle formula from earlier in the verse. Its repetition emphasizes the blatant and blasphemous imitation by the false prophets. They pronounce God's authoritative seal on their own human-generated words.

Words-group analysis:

• "Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord": This phrase firmly establishes God as the sovereign judge and opponent of these false prophets. The prophetic formula is first used authentically by God Himself through Jeremiah to pronounce His judgment, underscoring the irony and severity of the accusation that follows.
• "who use their tongues and declare, ‘Thus declares the Lord!’": This segment precisely details the modus operandi of the condemned prophets. It's not just about delivering a wrong message, but about deliberately misrepresenting the source. They use their own faculties ("their tongues") to generate a message, then blasphemously affix God's ultimate seal of approval ("Thus declares the Lord!") to their human-derived pronouncements. This combination highlights both the origin of the message (human) and the false claim of its authority (divine).

Jeremiah 23 31 Bonus section

The nature of God's direct opposition in "Behold, I am against..." is highly significant. It reveals that the act of false prophecy, especially the false attribution of words to Him, is not a minor infraction but a direct insult to God's integrity and truthfulness. This personal confrontation underscores the covenantal relationship where God expects His spokespersons to be faithful and truthful, not to manipulate or exploit His name. This condemnation also helps define the essential difference between true and false prophecy: true prophecy comes directly from the mouth of God through His chosen messenger (as conveyed by the legitimate use of nᵊʾum Yah·weh), while false prophecy originates from human faculties ("their tongues") masquerading under divine authority. The challenge for believers across all generations is discerning the genuine voice of God from cleverly disguised human rhetoric.

Jeremiah 23 31 Commentary

Jeremiah 23:31 exposes a profound spiritual malpractice: the manufacturing of "divine" messages from purely human origin. God’s wrath is precisely directed at those who engage in this deceit, not merely for speaking incorrectly, but for forging His signature onto their own rhetoric. The phrase "who use their tongues" speaks to human ingenuity, eloquence, or persuasive speech being deceptively presented as divine truth. This is a severe affront to God’s holiness and the sanctity of His Word. The true prophetic word emanates from God's presence, requiring submission and faithfulness from the prophet. These false prophets bypass divine counsel, speaking from self-interest, popular opinion, or delusion, yet claim the highest spiritual authority. This undermines the very concept of divine revelation and the trust necessary between God and His people. God's declaration "I am against them" is a personal and weighty statement of divine opposition, ensuring judgment for such profound deception. This verse serves as a timeless warning against any who would elevate human thought, experience, or opinion to the level of undeniable divine utterance without true biblical or spiritual warrant. For instance, claiming a personal opinion or agenda as "God's will for everyone," or creating doctrines based solely on human logic rather than established Scripture.