Jeremiah 37:9 kjv
Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.
Jeremiah 37:9 nkjv
Thus says the LORD: 'Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surely depart from us," for they will not depart.
Jeremiah 37:9 niv
"This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, 'The Babylonians will surely leave us.' They will not!
Jeremiah 37:9 esv
Thus says the LORD, Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surely go away from us," for they will not go away.
Jeremiah 37:9 nlt
"This is what the LORD says: Do not fool yourselves into thinking that the Babylonians are gone for good. They aren't!
Jeremiah 37 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 37:9 | thus says the LORD: Do not deceive yourselves, saying, 'The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,' for they will not go. | Divine Assurance |
| Jeremiah 7:4 | But do not trust in deceptive words, saying, 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!' | False Security |
| Jeremiah 14:13 | Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets say to them, 'You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you true relief in this place.' " | False Prophecies |
| Jeremiah 23:17 | They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, 'It shall be well with you'; and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, they say, 'No harm shall come to you.' | Presumption and Deception |
| Isaiah 28:15 | Because you say, "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through, it will not come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter." | Reliance on Falsehood |
| Ezekiel 13:10 | Because, indeed, because they have misled my people, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace, and when someone builds a flimsy wall, they plaster it with whitewash. | False Peace |
| Matthew 7:21 | "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. | Doing God's Will |
| Luke 6:46 | "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? | Obedience is Key |
| Romans 2:12 | For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. | Judgment without Discrimination |
| 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 | Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. | Warning Against Deception |
| Galatians 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Sowing and Reaping |
| Ephesians 5:6 | Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. | Wrath of God |
| Colossians 3:5-6 | Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 And on account of these the wrath of God is coming. | Wrath of God |
| James 1:22 | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | Doing the Word |
| 1 Peter 3:17 | For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. | Suffering for Good |
| Revelation 3:17 | Because you say, 'I am rich, and have gained wealth and have need of nothing,' and you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. | Spiritual Deception |
| Genesis 19:15 | When the morning arose, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are found there, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city." | Urgent Escape |
| Jeremiah 28:16 | therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will strike Hananiah the prophet. This year he shall die, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD. | Divine Punishment |
| Ezekiel 33:10 | “You therefore, O son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus you have said, ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ | Confession and Repentance |
| 2 Corinthians 7:1 | Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. | Cleansing ourselves |
Jeremiah 37 verses
Jeremiah 37 9 Meaning
This verse warns against assuming that a sudden absence of conflict guarantees peace and safety. It emphasizes that God's judgment is still active and can be incurred by actions contrary to His will, regardless of outward circumstances. True deliverance and safety come from obedience and repentance.
Jeremiah 37 9 Context
Jeremiah 37 is set during the final siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah, the king of Judah, had broken his treaty with Babylon by allying with Egypt. Despite this rebellion, the Egyptians advanced, leading to a temporary lifting of the siege. In this atmosphere of false hope, Jeremiah delivers this prophecy, confronting the deceptive words of some prophets who proclaimed peace and safety. The people were reassured by the Egyptians' arrival, believing the Babylonians would retreat. Jeremiah, however, rebukes this mindset, warning that their trust in Egypt is futile and that the Babylonian threat remains real and imminent. This chapter highlights the spiritual state of Judah: a mix of defiance, false security, and continued rejection of God's warnings.
Jeremiah 37 9 Word Analysis
- thus (כֹּה - ko): Literally "so" or "thus." Indicates the source of the following declaration is divine, the LORD himself.
- says (אמר - amar): Standard Hebrew verb for "to say." Refers to the prophetic utterance.
- the LORD (יהוה - YHWH): The personal covenantal name of God. Emphasizes that this is God's direct word.
- do (אל - al): A strong negative particle used for prohibition, meaning "do not."
- deceive (תִשְׁאֲלּוּ - tishelu): From the root שאל (sha'al). In this Piel conjugation, it means "to ask," but here it carries the meaning of "to deceive yourselves," or "to delude yourselves" by asking a wrong question or by a misguided self-inquiry. It's about forming a false hope based on faulty reasoning or wishes.
- yourselves (נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם - naphshothechem): Literally "your souls" or "your selves." Highlights that this deception is internal, affecting their inner being and decisions.
- saying (לֵאמֹר - lemor): Introduces the direct speech of the false reassurance.
- 'The Chaldeans (הַכַּשְׂדִּים - ha'Kasdim): Refers to the Babylonians, the empire that conquered Judah.
- will surely go (הָלֹךְ יֵלְכוּ - haloch yelchu): A common Hebrew emphatic construction using the infinitive absolute followed by the imperfect verb from the same root. It means "they will indeed go" or "they will certainly go away."
- away (מֵעָלֵינוּ - me'aleynu): Literally "from upon us" or "away from us." Indicates the desired outcome – their departure.
- from us (מֵעָלֵינוּ - me'aleynu): Reinforces the idea of relief and deliverance.
- for (כִּי - ki): A conjunction introducing a reason or explanation.
- they will not go (לֹא יֵלֵכוּ - lo yelchu): A direct and absolute negation of their false hope.
Jeremiah 37 9 Bonus Section
The concept of "deceiving yourselves" (תִשְׁאֲלּוּ - tishelu) carries a significant nuance. It's not merely being fooled by external sources, but an active internal process of creating a false narrative. This resonates with passages that warn against believing pleasant lies or ignoring clear divine warnings (Jeremiah 23:17). It’s akin to a self-inflicted spiritual blindness, where one deliberately shutters the eyes to uncomfortable truths, preferring the solace of fantasy over the discipline of reality. This spiritual blindness often stems from a deep-seated desire to avoid the consequences of sin and a reluctance to embrace true repentance, a theme recurring throughout Jeremiah's ministry. The ultimate hope of deliverance was tied to acknowledging God's covenant and the covenantal obligations, not to ephemeral political situations.
Jeremiah 37 9 Commentary
This verse is a stern warning against self-delusion in the face of impending divine judgment. The people of Jerusalem, bolstered by the temporary withdrawal of the Babylonian army due to the Egyptian advance, were embracing a false hope that the threat was over. Jeremiah's message, "Do not deceive yourselves," strikes at the heart of their misplaced confidence. The prophetic idiom "haloch yelchu" ("will indeed go") emphasizes how convincingly the people and some prophets were assuring themselves of the enemy's permanent departure. Jeremiah's pronouncement "lo yelchu" ("they will not go") directly refutes this comforting lie, asserting God's unyielding plan for judgment upon a disobedient nation. The verse highlights a crucial principle: outward appearances and temporary changes do not nullify God's justice when His people persist in sin and rebellion. True security lies not in political alliances or wishful thinking, but in repentance and obedience to the LORD.