Jeremiah 27:14 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 27:14 kjv
Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.
Jeremiah 27:14 nkjv
Therefore do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon,' for they prophesy a lie to you;
Jeremiah 27:14 niv
Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon,' for they are prophesying lies to you.
Jeremiah 27:14 esv
Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon,' for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you.
Jeremiah 27:14 nlt
Do not listen to the false prophets who keep telling you, 'The king of Babylon will not conquer you.' They are liars.
Jeremiah 27 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 13:1-5 | If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you...and says, "Let us go after other gods"...that prophet...shall be put to death. | Warning against false prophets teaching idolatry. |
| Deut 18:20 | But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak...that prophet shall die. | God's punishment for prophesying falsely. |
| Jer 14:14 | The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them... | God explicitly disowns false prophecies. |
| Jer 23:16-17 | Do not listen to the words of the prophets...who fill you with vain hopes... | Against listening to false prophets. |
| Jer 23:21 | I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. | God declares He did not authorize them. |
| Jer 23:32 | I am against those who prophesy lying dreams...and lead my people astray... | False dreams leading people astray. |
| Jer 29:8-9 | Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you...for they prophesy falsely to you in my name. | Warning against deception in exile. |
| Ezek 13:3 | Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit... | Against prophets who follow their own counsel. |
| Ezek 13:7 | Have you not seen a delusive vision...speaking a lying divination...? | False visions and lying divinations. |
| Mic 3:11 | Her prophets pronounce oracles for money...but still they lean on the Lord and say, "Is not the Lord among us?" | Prophets seeking gain, feigning divine support. |
| Isa 30:10-11 | who say to the seers, "Do not see visions," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us what is right... | People prefer pleasant lies to harsh truths. |
| Zec 7:11-13 | But they refused to pay attention...stopped their ears... Therefore great wrath came... | Consequences of refusing God's word through prophets. |
| 2 Chr 36:15-16 | The Lord God of their fathers sent messengers...But they kept ridiculing...until the wrath of the Lord rose against them... | Judah's history of rejecting prophets. |
| Hab 1:6 | For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation... | God's use of Babylon as His instrument. |
| Rom 13:1-2 | Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God... | Submission to governing authorities, appointed by God. |
| Tit 3:1 | Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities... | Apostolic instruction on civil submission. |
| 1 Pet 2:13-14 | Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to the emperor as supreme, or to governors... | Christian duty of submission to government. |
| Matt 7:15 | Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. | Jesus' warning about false prophets. |
| Matt 24:11 | And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. | Future rise of false prophets. |
| 2 Pet 2:1-3 | But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you... | Prophecy of false teachers in the church. |
| 1 Jn 4:1 | Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God... | Command to test prophetic claims. |
Jeremiah 27 verses
Jeremiah 27 14 meaning
Jeremiah 27:14 is a stern divine warning against listening to false prophets who assured the people of Judah that they would not have to submit to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. God, through Jeremiah, declared these prophetic words a lie. The true message, confirmed by the Lord, was that submission to Babylon was God's decreed path and judgment for Judah, and to resist was to invite further destruction and greater suffering.
Jeremiah 27 14 Context
Jeremiah chapter 27 is set early in the reign of Zedekiah (c. 594-593 BC), just before the final Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. It takes place after the first deportation in 597 BC (Jehoiachin's captivity). The nations surrounding Judah (Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon) were contemplating rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. False prophets, both in Judah and among the exiles, were encouraging this anti-Babylonian sentiment, promising a quick end to Babylonian dominion and the return of the exiled. Jeremiah, under God's explicit instruction, publicly demonstrated the true message by wearing a literal yoke of wood, symbolizing submission to Babylon, which God ordained as His instrument of judgment. His message was directly opposed to the popular narrative of immediate liberation, declaring that prolonged servitude was God's will for Judah and the surrounding nations, and resisting Babylon would lead to ruin.
Jeremiah 27 14 Word analysis
- Do not listen: A direct imperative, מִשְּׁמַע (miš-šəmaʿ), expressing a divine command to actively disregard or refuse to heed the message. It implies not just passively hearing, but giving ear, accepting, or obeying.
- to the words: דִּבְרֵי (diḇrê). Refers to the spoken messages, declarations, or pronouncements of the prophets. These are not merely suggestions but claims of divine utterance.
- of the prophets: הַנְּבִיאִים (han-nəḇîʾîm). This identifies the source. The term "prophet" (נָבִיא, nāḇîʾ) denotes one called by God to speak His message. Here, the article "the" (הַ, ha) implies a specific group known to the audience, distinguished from Jeremiah. In this context, they are "false" prophets.
- who say to you: הָאֹמְרִים לָכֶם (hāʾōmrîm lāḵem). Emphasizes the direct communication of their message to the people, presenting it as authoritative and addressed to them.
- ‘You shall not serve’: לֹא תַעַבְדוּ (lōʾ ṯaʿaḇdû). This is the core of the false message. "Shall not serve" uses a strong negation. The Hebrew עָבַד (ʿāḇad) implies serving, working for, or being subjected to. It doesn't necessarily mean worship, but rather submission, forced labor, or allegiance.
- the king of Babylon: מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל (meleḵ Bāḇel). Specifically identifies the earthly authority in question, Nebuchadnezzar, as the one the false prophets claim Judah would not have to submit to. This grounds the prophecy in a precise historical and political reality.
- for they prophesy: כִּי שֶׁקֶר הֵם נִבְּאִים (kî šeqer hēm niḇbāʾîm). "For" (כִּי, kî) introduces the reason for the command "do not listen." The verb נִבְּאִים (niḇbāʾîm) comes from the root נבא, meaning "to prophesy."
- a lie: שֶׁקֶר (šeqer). The emphatic word in this phrase. This declares the ultimate nature of their prophecy. It is falsehood, deception, directly contrary to God's truth. It is not just mistaken, but inherently false, possibly with intent to mislead or borne of self-delusion rather than divine revelation.
Word-groups analysis:
- "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say to you": This phrase highlights the critical importance of discerning the source of counsel. The Lord instructs His people to actively reject advice that contravenes His stated will, even if it comes from those claiming religious authority. This establishes a criterion for truth: consistency with God's clear revelation through His chosen messenger.
- "‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’": This is the deceptive message itself. It plays on nationalistic fervor and a desire for independence, offering a comforting but ultimately false promise. This promise directly contradicts the divine decree that Babylon was God's chosen instrument of judgment, necessitating submission.
- "for they prophesy a lie to you": This serves as the divine verdict on the false prophets' message. God unequivocally declares their words to be a fabrication. It underpins the command to not listen, explaining the grave danger and deceit embedded in their pronouncements.
Jeremiah 27 14 Bonus section
The popularity of the false prophets' message, though deceitful, underscores a perpetual human tendency: preferring a comforting illusion over a painful truth. This dynamic is a common thread throughout prophetic literature. The false prophets leveraged patriotic and religious sentiments, framing resistance to Babylon as faithfulness to Yahweh. However, God, in His sovereign plan, was using Babylon, an pagan nation, as an instrument for His righteous judgment on Judah's idolatry and rebellion. This situation tested Judah's understanding of God's sovereignty even over global powers and His right to choose any means to fulfill His purposes. The command to submit to Babylon was therefore not an act of capitulation to a foreign power alone, but an act of obedience to the Lord. Disobedience carried dire consequences beyond military defeat.
Jeremiah 27 14 Commentary
Jeremiah 27:14 is a critical verse in the ongoing conflict between Jeremiah, the true prophet, and the multitude of false prophets in Judah. These false prophets offered a message of immediate hope and liberation from Babylon, appealing to the people's desire for political autonomy and release from the humiliation of foreign dominion. Jeremiah, however, revealed God's counter-intuitive and unpopular truth: that submission to Babylon was God's will and judgment, symbolized by a yoke. The verse strips away the pretense of the false prophets' words, labeling them plainly as "a lie." It underscores the reality that true prophecy often contradicts human desires and political expediency, demanding uncomfortable obedience to God's difficult path. This highlights the discernment needed to distinguish divine truth from appealing falsehood, which promises what sounds good rather than what is genuinely God's purpose.