Jeremiah 29:22 kjv
And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
Jeremiah 29:22 nkjv
And because of them a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, "The LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire";
Jeremiah 29:22 niv
Because of them, all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: 'May the LORD treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned in the fire.'
Jeremiah 29:22 esv
Because of them this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: "The LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,"
Jeremiah 29:22 nlt
Their terrible fate will become proverbial, so that the Judean exiles will curse someone by saying, 'May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned alive!'
Jeremiah 29 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 14:14 | "Then the LORD said to me, 'The prophets prophesy falsely in my name. I have not sent them, nor commanded them, nor spoken to them. They prophesy to you false visions, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.'" | God's rejection of false prophets |
| Jeremiah 23:16 | "'Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak a vision out of their own minds, not a reliable utterance from the mouth of the LORD.'" | Warning against misleading prophecy |
| Jeremiah 23:21 | "'I did not send these prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them; yet they prophesied.'" | The source of false prophecy |
| Jeremiah 28:15 | "'For I, the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, say: Behold, I will break the yoke of Babylon.'" | False prophecy of immediate return |
| Jeremiah 28:16 | "'Therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will cut you off from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have made rebellion against the LORD.'" | Judgment on Hananiah, a false prophet |
| Ezekiel 13:6 | "'They see falsehood and lying divination, saying, 'The LORD declares,' when the LORD has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word.'" | Deception of false prophets |
| Ezekiel 13:7 | "'Have you not seen a false vision and spoken lying divination? Do you say 'The LORD declares,' when I have not spoken?'" | God's challenge to false prophets |
| Ezekiel 13:8 | "'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying divination, therefore, behold, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD.'" | God's opposition to false prophets |
| Ezekiel 13:10 | "'Because, yes, because they have led my people astray, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace, and because, when they build a wall, these build with weak mortar...'" | False peace and deceitful building |
| Matthew 7:15 | "'Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.'" | Warning against deceptive appearance |
| Matthew 7:21-23 | "'Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.'" | Works not matching confession |
| 2 Peter 2:1-3 | "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction." | Warning about false teachers |
| 1 John 4:1 | "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." | Discernment of true prophecy |
| Revelation 18:5 | "for her sins are heaped high, reaching even to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities." | Babylon's sin and judgment |
| Genesis 11:9 | "Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth." | The origin of confusion and sin |
| Psalm 31:18 | "Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak against the righteous things with arrogance and contempt." | Prayer against false accusers |
| Isaiah 9:15 | "The old and the honored man, he is the head; and the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail." | Leaders of deception |
| Proverbs 10:10 | "He who winks his eye causes trouble, and a babbling fool will be ruined." | The folly of deceit |
| Deuteronomy 18:20-22 | "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or does not happen, that is the word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall do to him no fear." | The test of true prophecy |
Jeremiah 29 verses
Jeremiah 29 22 Meaning
This verse is a condemnation of specific individuals within the exiled community in Babylon. It describes them as hypocritically acting as if they possess divine messages or prophetic authority, bringing false hope and pronouncements of peace to the people. Their "prophecy" is a lie, built upon their own desires rather than God's word, and is therefore destined to be proven false and lead to shame.
Jeremiah 29 22 Context
Jeremiah chapter 29 is a letter sent by the prophet Jeremiah to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem who had been exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. The immediate context is the first wave of deportation in 597 BCE, following the reign of King Jehoiachin. The exiles were in despair, longing for a quick return, and many were receiving false assurances of peace and an imminent end to their captivity from within their own ranks. This particular verse directly addresses a subset of these people—the "false prophets" among them—who are misleading the community with deceptive messages, particularly regarding a quick end to the Babylonian exile and restoration to Jerusalem. The overarching theme of the chapter is God's sovereign plan, the necessity of submitting to Babylon for a season, and the promise of future restoration after seventy years.
Jeremiah 29 22 Word Analysis
- וְהָיוּ (və-hā·yû): "And they shall be." Future tense, emphasizing the consequence of their actions.
- כַּלְבָּנִים (kal-bā-nîm): "scallions," "leeks." This word is a bit obscure and not a common prophetic term. The Septuagint (LXX) translates it as "beastly," and some scholars connect it to "kal-bos" meaning "boar" or "hog," implying savagery or impurity. This suggests their prophecies are wild, uncontrolled, and spiritually unclean.
- וְרָאִיתָם (wə-rā-'î-tām): "and you shall see." Indicates the people will witness the futility of the false prophets' words.
- מַשְׂאַת (maś-'ət): "burden." Refers to a prophetic message or utterance, typically one of divine origin or pronouncement.
- אִישׁ (îsh): "man." Emphasizes individuals responsible for the false prophecies.
- אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ (et-rê-'ê·hū): "his neighbor," or in this context, "his fellow countryman/companion."
- נְאֻם־יְהוָה (nə-'um-Yə-hô-wāh): "Thus says the LORD." A standard prophetic formula indicating a direct divine utterance, which these false prophets are misusing.
- לֹא־נְאֻם (lō-'nə-'um): "Not, thus says the LORD." The crucial negation indicating they are not speaking for God.
- אֵיפֹה (’ê·pō): "where." The location of their false pronouncements.
- תִּשָּׂא (tîś·sa'): "you bear," or "you carry." Relates to carrying the "burden" of prophecy.
- מְשַׂא (mə-śā'): "burden," "message." Used synonymously with "מַשְׂאַת" but here possibly implying a carried weight or responsibility they are unfit to bear.
Word Groups
- "And they shall be like leeks, and you shall see the burden of each man." This phrase likely describes their futile attempts to present themselves as prophets with God's message ("burden") in a way that is seen by the people as unnatural, ineffective, or even repulsive ("leeks," or as potentially "boars" implies uncontrolled, unsavory nature). The futility of their pronouncements would become evident.
- "Because you have brought the words 'Thus says the LORD,' but I have not spoken." This is a direct accusation. The false prophets are using the sacred prophetic formula of divine pronouncement ("Thus says the LORD") without divine authority. They are falsely claiming God's message for their own utterances. This represents a form of blasphemy by usurping God's voice.
Jeremiah 29 22 Bonus Section
The use of "kal-banim" is particularly interesting due to its obscurity. Some scholarly interpretations suggest it carries a strong connotation of something corrupted or diseased, far from the wholesome sustenance expected of divine truth. This metaphor starkly contrasts the superficial comfort offered by the false prophets with the eventual, divinely promised restoration which requires patient endurance. The verse acts as a foreshadowing of the divine judgment to be meted out not just to external oppressors, but to internal spiritual deceivers who exploit vulnerability. It’s a call for spiritual discernment, reminding the faithful to weigh prophetic pronouncements against God’s established word and promises, and to critically examine the character and message of those who claim to speak for Him. The confusion sown by false prophets mirrors, in a way, the divine confusion experienced at Babel, emphasizing a disruption of right communication and divine order.
Jeremiah 29 22 Commentary
Jeremiah 29:22 unequivocally condemns false prophecy originating from within the community of exiles in Babylon. These individuals, lacking true divine commission or message, presume to speak for God, employing the very language of divine authority ("Thus says the LORD"). Their messages, often offering false peace and premature hope for return, are likened to the offensive and uncontrolled nature of "leeks" or "beastly things." The people will ultimately witness the emptiness of their pronouncements and the shame that results from clinging to deceit instead of God's truthful, though often difficult, word. This verse highlights the severe spiritual danger posed by those who manipulate religious language for their own purposes or to mislead others, ultimately leading to confusion and disappointment. It underscores the absolute necessity of discerning the true source of prophecy, contrasting authentic divine messages with human-originated falsehoods that lead only to ruin.