Jeremiah 29:23 kjv
Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 29:23 nkjv
because they have done disgraceful things in Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them. Indeed I know, and am a witness, says the LORD.
Jeremiah 29:23 niv
For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and in my name they have uttered lies?which I did not authorize. I know it and am a witness to it," declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 29:23 esv
because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. I am the one who knows, and I am witness, declares the LORD.'"
Jeremiah 29:23 nlt
For these men have done terrible things among my people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and have lied in my name, saying things I did not command. I am a witness to this. I, the LORD, have spoken."
Jeremiah 29 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 14:14 | "The prophets prophesy falsely..." | Warning against false prophets |
| Jeremiah 23:16 | "...they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the LORD." | Falsehood of their words |
| Jeremiah 28:15 | "...you prophesy lies to this people in my name." | Hananiah's false prophecy |
| Ezekiel 13:6 | "They have seen false visions and lying divinations..." | Characteristics of false prophets |
| Ezekiel 22:28 | "...its prophets have smeared them with whitewash, seeing false visions and prophesying lies for them..." | Superficiality of their message |
| Matthew 7:15 | "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves." | Warning about false prophets |
| Matthew 24:11 | "And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray." | End times prevalence |
| Matthew 24:24 | "For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." | Deceptive signs and wonders |
| 2 Corinthians 11:13 | "For such persons are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ." | Deceptive nature |
| 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." | Test the spirits |
| 2 Timothy 4:3 | "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers, tickling their own ears." | Preference for pleasing lies |
| Revelation 16:13 | "And I saw from the mouth of the dragon and from the mouth of the beast and from the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits that are like frogs." | Role in end-time deception |
| Proverbs 1:31 | "So they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices." | Repercussions of their actions |
| Isaiah 30:10 | "who say to the seers, 'Do not see,' and to the prophets, 'Do not prophesy to us what is right...'" | Desire for comforting lies |
| Deuteronomy 18:20 | "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." | Divine judgment for false prophecy |
| Romans 1:25 | "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator..." | Deception and idolatry |
| 2 Peter 2:1-3 | "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you...their condemnation has long been dormant, and their destruction is not asleep." | False teachers and condemnation |
| Jeremiah 6:14 | "They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace." | Superficial healing |
| Jeremiah 8:11 | "They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace." | Repeating the false assurance |
| Galatians 1:8 | "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." | Divine sanction for true gospel |
Jeremiah 29 verses
Jeremiah 29 23 Meaning
This verse speaks of false prophets who are claiming divine authority to speak prophecies of peace or reassurance, when God has not sent them. It highlights the deception these prophets bring to the people. The core message is about recognizing and rejecting false prophecy and understanding the true source of divine messages.
Jeremiah 29 23 Context
Jeremiah chapter 29 contains a letter written by the prophet Jeremiah to the elders of the exile and the priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. This letter was sent approximately 10-15 years before the fall of Jerusalem. The context is crucial: the Judeans in exile were experiencing hardship and disillusionment. They had been away from their homeland for some time, and many false prophets were rising among them, claiming that the exile would be short and that the exiles would soon return. These false prophets were offering false hope and peace. Jeremiah's letter, however, brings a sobering but ultimately hopeful message: the exile will be long (70 years), they are to settle in Babylon, seek the welfare of the city they are in, and pray for it. Within this broader message of patiently enduring the exile and discerning God's will, verse 23 addresses the deceptive words of those who falsely claim to speak for God.
Jeremiah 29 23 Word Analysis
כִּי (ki) - "Because," "for," "that." It introduces the reason or explanation for the preceding statement, here implying the reason why these false prophets are particularly blameworthy or what characterizes them.
חָלַק (chalaq) - "To divide," "share," "distribute." In this context, used with "heart," it means to deceive, to be insincere, or to have divided loyalty or a deceitful heart.
לֵב (lev) - "Heart." Represents the inner person, including mind, will, and emotions. A "lying heart" or a "divided heart" implies inner deceit or a departure from truth.
דָּבָר (dabar) - "Word," "thing," "matter," "speech." Here, "word" refers to a prophetic utterance or message.
יְהוָה (YHWH) - The Tetragrammaton, the personal name of God in Hebrew, translated as "LORD." This explicitly attributes the source of the supposed message.
אֵין (ein) - "Not," "nothing," "is not." Indicates the absence of something.
שְׁלַח (shalach) - "To send." Denotes divine commissioning or authorization.
"For they prophesy falsely unto you...": The phrase "prophesy falsely" points to their message not originating from divine truth but from their own minds or deceptive influences.
"...in my name...": This emphasizes the gravity of their sin, as they are usurping God's authority and speaking under His supposed sanction, yet deviating from His actual message.
"I did not send them," declares the LORD. This is a direct denial by God of any association with their pronouncements. It serves as a clear boundary marker between true and false prophecy.
"...have seen a lying vision and consulted false divination.": This phrase describes the nature of their supposed divine guidance – based on falsehoods and deceptive practices rather than genuine divine revelation. The verbs "seen" and "consulted" imply active engagement in generating their false messages.
Jeremiah 29 23 Bonus Section
The practice of "divination" by these false prophets was likely tied to popular, often pagan, or syncretistic practices prevalent in the ancient Near East. The message against consulting such "false divination" speaks to a polemic against mixed religious practices and any attempt to seek guidance apart from or in opposition to Yahweh's established means of revelation (like true prophecy or His Word). The deception of saying "peace, peace" when there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11) is a recurring theme and signifies a popular, but ultimately hollow, assurance that bypasses the necessary process of repentance and submission to God's current dealings, thereby hindering true restoration.
Jeremiah 29 23 Commentary
This verse starkly contrasts authentic prophetic speech with fraudulent utterance. The false prophets presented a vision that was a "lying vision" and employed "false divination." This signifies that their pronouncements were not genuine, Spirit-inspired messages but were born of internal deception, manipulation, or perhaps even demonic influence, all presented under the guise of divine authority ("in my name"). God's unequivocal denial ("I did not send them") underscores the responsibility of discerning God's true voice from misleading ones. It highlights that true prophecy aligns with God's character and purposes, which were ultimately to bring about His will, even through suffering and exile, rather than offering a superficial "peace" that bypassed His correctional work.