Jeremiah 27 15

Jeremiah 27:15 kjv

For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.

Jeremiah 27:15 nkjv

for I have not sent them," says the LORD, "yet they prophesy a lie in My name, that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you."

Jeremiah 27:15 niv

'I have not sent them,' declares the LORD. 'They are prophesying lies in my name. Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.'?"

Jeremiah 27:15 esv

I have not sent them, declares the LORD, but they are prophesying falsely in my name, with the result that I will drive you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to you."

Jeremiah 27:15 nlt

This is what the LORD says: 'I have not sent these prophets! They are telling you lies in my name, so I will drive you from this land. You will all die ? you and all these prophets, too.'"

Jeremiah 27 verses

Jeremiah 27 15 meaning

Jeremiah 27:15 declares God's emphatic rejection of the false prophets, clarifying that they are not divinely commissioned but are propagating deceit in His name. This falsehood directly leads to the ultimate consequence of their message: the people will be driven out from their land and perish, an outcome shared by both the deceived nation and the deceiving prophets themselves. The verse underscores God's sovereignty over judgment and the severe cost of heeding spiritual lies over divine truth.

Jeremiah 27 15 Context

Jeremiah 27 opens with the prophet Jeremiah dramatically wearing a yoke on his neck, a powerful visual sermon to King Zedekiah and the surrounding nations. The core message throughout the chapter (and chapters 28 and 29) is that all nations, including Judah, must submit to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, because it is God's decree. To resist Babylon would be to defy God Himself, leading to severe punishment, including death and prolonged exile.

This particular verse, Jeremiah 27:15, comes as a direct warning to the people of Judah (and Zedekiah) against the false prophets who were vigorously contradicting Jeremiah's divine message. These prophets promised peace, swift deliverance from Babylon, and an early return of the exiles and the temple vessels. Verse 15 directly refutes their authority and message by explicitly stating God did not send them, but rather they speak lies. The immediate historical context is the Babylonian dominance (c. 594 BCE, during the reign of Zedekiah), after the first wave of deportation, and leading up to the final destruction of Jerusalem. The nation was grappling with conflicting messages, leading to a profound crisis of spiritual discernment. Jeremiah is providing the divine rationale for rejecting the popular, comforting but false, narratives.

Jeremiah 27 15 Word analysis

• For (כִּי, kî): A conjunction meaning "because," "for," or "indeed." Here it introduces the reason why the people should not listen to the false prophets mentioned in the preceding verses. It links the command (don't listen) to its divine justification.
• I have not sent them (לֹא־שְׁלַחְתִּ֣ים, lo-sh’lakh·tîm):
  • לֹא (lo): Emphatic negative, "not."
  • שְׁלַחְתִּים (sh’lakh·tîm): "I have sent them." From the verb שָׁלַח (shalakh), meaning "to send forth, commission." This word is critical as divine sending/commissioning is the hallmark of true prophecy (e.g., Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, NT apostles). The emphatic negation means these prophets lack any divine authority.
  • Significance: This is God's direct rebuttal, stating He never authorized or equipped these individuals. It strips them of all legitimacy and undermines their every claim.
• saith the LORD (נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה, ne'um-YHWH):
  • נְאֻם (ne'um): A common prophetic formula, "declares," "an utterance," specifically a divine utterance.
  • יְהוָה (YHWH): The covenant name of God, indicating His personal, eternal, and absolute authority.
  • Significance: This phrase adds indisputable weight and authenticity to the previous declaration. It confirms that the rejection of these prophets originates from God Himself, not merely from Jeremiah.
• but they prophesy falsely (כִּי־הֵ֠מָּה נִבְּאִ֨ים לָכֶ֥ם בְּשֶׁ֖קֶר, ki-hemma nivv'im lachem b'sheqer):
  • כִּי (kî): Here, likely "indeed" or "for," connecting back to the reason, perhaps a concessive "though they prophesy."
  • הֵ֠מָּה (hemma): "they," the pronoun for the false prophets, made emphatic here.
  • נִבְּאִים (nivv'im): "they are prophesying," the Hithpael participle of נָבָא (nava), "to prophesy." This acknowledges they are performing the act of prophecy.
  • לָכֶ֥ם (lachem): "to you," specifying the audience—the people of Judah.
  • בְּשֶׁ֖קֶר (b'sheqer): "with/in falsehood," "falsely." שֶׁקֶר (sheqer) means "lie, deceit, vanity, deception." It indicates the complete lack of truth and integrity in their message.
  • Significance: This phrase directly contrasts with "I have not sent them." They may be acting as prophets, but their content is entirely (b'sheqer) false. They are deceivers.
• in my name (בִּשְׁמִֽי, bishmi):
  • בּ (b'i): "in."
  • שְׁמִֽי (shmi): "my name." The name represents the person, character, and authority of God.
  • Significance: This elevates their sin to blasphemy. They are not only lying, but doing so under the guise of God's holy authority, attempting to validate their deception by attributing it to Him. This mocks and demeans the divine reputation.
• that I might drive you out (לְמַ֨עַן הַדִּיחִ֤י אֶתְכֶם, l’ma'an haddîkhî ’etkem):
  • לְמַ֨עַן (l’ma'an): "in order that," "so that." This indicates the divine purpose or result.
  • הַדִּיחִ֤י (haddîkhî): "I will drive out/expel you," Hiphil imperfect of דָּחָה (dakhah), "to thrust, drive out."
  • אֶתְכֶם (’etkem): "you" (plural).
  • Significance: This shows God's direct sovereignty. Even the negative consequences of listening to false prophets are understood within God's larger plan and judgment. The exile to Babylon is not just a human tragedy but a divine action.
• and that ye might perish (וּלְמַ֨עַן תֹּאבְדֻ֜וּ, ul'ma'an tōv'dû):
  • וּלְמַ֨עַן (ul'ma'an): "and in order that," connecting this consequence to the previous.
  • תֹּאבְדֻ֜וּ (tōv'dû): "you will perish," Qal imperfect of אָבַד ('avad), "to perish, be destroyed, waste away."
  • Significance: Perishing goes beyond merely being driven out; it signifies utter destruction, loss, and death. It emphasizes the ultimate spiritual and physical devastation caused by choosing deception over truth.
• ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you (אַתֶּ֛ם וְהַנְּבִיאִ֥ים הַנִּבְּאִ֖ים לָכֶֽם, ’attem v'hann'vî'îm hanniv'îm lâkhem):
  • אַתֶּ֛ם (’attem): "you" (plural, emphatic pronoun), referring to the people.
  • וְהַנְּבִיאִ֥ים (v'hann'vî'îm): "and the prophets" (explicitly identifying the false ones).
  • הַנִּבְּאִ֖ים לָכֶֽם (hanniv'îm lâkhem): "who prophesy to you." This restates the nature of their activity, reinforcing their shared guilt.
  • Significance: This explicitly states the collective nature of the judgment. Those who prophesy lies and those who eagerly receive those lies will suffer the same fate. There is no innocent bystander status in choosing to believe falsehood against God's explicit warning.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "For I have not sent them, saith the LORD": This powerful opening establishes the divine voice as the primary arbiter of truth. It's a statement of ultimate authority, explicitly delegitimizing the opposition. It highlights God's sovereignty over prophetic commissioning – only He can truly send a prophet.
• "but they prophesy falsely in my name": This group exposes the heart of the false prophecy. It's not just a mistake but an active, deliberate deception (falsely) performed under the most sacred pretense (in my name). This is a severe transgression against God's holiness and covenant.
• "that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish": This phrase details the tragic and severe consequences. It emphasizes God's active role in judging, even through allowing the consequences of disobedience to unfold. Exile (drive out) and ultimate ruin (perish) are the certain results.
• "ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you": This clarifies the scope of the judgment. It's not just the deceptive leaders but also the people who, by their choice to listen to lies, become complicit in their own downfall, sharing the fate of their deceivers. It underscores a principle of shared responsibility for belief and action.

Jeremiah 27 15 Bonus section

This verse not only defines what false prophecy is but also highlights God's consistent character throughout Scripture. His name is sacred and not to be invoked lightly or for personal gain. When false prophets speak "in my name," it is an act of spiritual embezzlement – using the divine currency to transact deceit. The people, in listening, become accessories to this crime.

Furthermore, this passage forms part of a larger polemic against the contemporary religious climate in Judah. At a time of national crisis (Babylonian threat), various religious factions, often driven by nationalism and self-preservation, offered an appealing alternative message to Jeremiah's call for repentance and submission. Jeremiah's message (God wants you to go into exile for a time) was deeply unpopular and flew in the face of what people wanted to hear. Verse 15 highlights the seductive nature of prophecy that aligns with human desires, rather than divine decrees. It subtly suggests that people prefer to hear what makes them comfortable, even if it leads to their doom. The judgment is precisely "that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish" – God's justice is enacted even through their following of the false counsel, because it aligns with His pre-ordained decree for their chastisement and eventual restoration (Jer 29:10-14).

Jeremiah 27 15 Commentary

Jeremiah 27:15 serves as a potent divine declaration of truth amidst a storm of deception. It lays bare the fraudulent claims of prophets who, driven by popular opinion or personal gain, dared to speak "in my name" without divine mandate. God's emphatic "I have not sent them" is the ultimate disqualifier, directly exposing the illegitimacy of any message not originating from His will. The false prophets’ act of speaking "falsely" (sheqer) isn't mere error; it's a deliberate act of betrayal, usurping God's holy name for a message that opposes His revealed truth.

The verse clarifies that the seemingly comforting promises of these deceivers ("peace," "no exile") are, in fact, traps that lead directly to God's intended judgment: the "driving out" into exile and the eventual "perishing." This underscores that God retains sovereignty over all outcomes, using even the consequences of human rebellion to fulfill His righteous judgment. Crucially, the judgment is comprehensive, engulfing "you, and the prophets that prophesy unto you." This implies shared culpability; those who knowingly listen to and prefer pleasant lies over inconvenient truth bear responsibility alongside those who speak the lies. This verse calls for deep discernment and absolute allegiance to God's revealed word, warning against the catastrophic spiritual and physical consequences of any other path. It illustrates the destructive power of popular untruths that appeal to human desires rather than divine revelation.

Examples for practical usage:

• A congregation prioritizes emotional comfort and affirmation from a pastor over robust, challenging biblical teaching.
• Individuals base major life decisions on vague "words of knowledge" or prophetic "feelings" from unverified sources, rather than careful biblical principles.
• Churches tolerate leaders whose messages compromise core biblical doctrines, leading the flock astray into heresies or carnal living.