Lamentations 2:14 kjv
Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.
Lamentations 2:14 nkjv
Your prophets have seen for you False and deceptive visions; They have not uncovered your iniquity, To bring back your captives, But have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions.
Lamentations 2:14 niv
The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading.
Lamentations 2:14 esv
Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading.
Lamentations 2:14 nlt
Your prophets have said
so many foolish things, false to the core.
They did not save you from exile
by pointing out your sins.
Instead, they painted false pictures,
filling you with false hope.
Lamentations 2 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lam 2:14 | Your prophets have seen for you false and foolish visions; they have not laid bare your iniquity to turn you back... | Lamentations 2:14 (Explains prophetic failure) |
| Jer 14:14 | ...though the LORD has not sent them; they make the people hope in lies. | Jeremiah 14:14 (False prophets promise hope) |
| Jer 23:16 | Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hope... | Jeremiah 23:16 (Warning against false prophecy) |
| Ezek 13:6 | They have seen false and lying visions, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD,’ when the LORD did not send them... | Ezekiel 13:6 (False prophets speak lies) |
| Micah 3:11 | Her princes give judgment for a bribe; her priests teach for hire; her prophets practice divination for money... | Micah 3:11 (Profits from prophecy) |
| 1 Tim 6:5 | ...from such people keep yourselves away. But godliness with contentment is great gain... | 1 Timothy 6:5 (Contrast true and false gain) |
| 2 Pet 2:1 | But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you... | 2 Peter 2:1 (Parallel in NT false teachers) |
| Matt 7:15 | “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. | Matthew 7:15 (Warning about false prophets) |
| 2 Cor 4:2 | But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word... | 2 Corinthians 4:2 (Integrity in ministry) |
| Deut 18:22 | ...and you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’ | Deuteronomy 18:22 (Testing true prophecy) |
| Jer 5:31 | The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at her [or his] direction; and my people love it so! But what will you do when the end of it comes? | Jeremiah 5:31 (Love of falsehood) |
| Ezek 22:28 | And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD has not spoken. | Ezekiel 22:28 (Whitewashing sin with false prophecy) |
| Acts 20:30 | and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. | Acts 20:30 (Origin of false teaching) |
| Prov 29:18 | Where there is no vision, the people are scattered; but blessed is he who keeps the law. | Proverbs 29:18 (Importance of divine guidance) |
| Isa 9:16 | Those who lead this people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed. | Isaiah 9:16 (Leaders lead astray) |
| Hosea 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being priests to me... | Hosea 4:6 (Consequence of rejecting knowledge) |
| Jer 8:11 | They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. | Jeremiah 8:11 (False healing, no peace) |
| Zeph 3:4 | Her prophets are reckless, faithless men; her priests profane the sanctuary, they do violence to the law. | Zephaniah 3:4 (Moral failure of religious leaders) |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.” | 1 Samuel 15:23 (Rejection of God's Word) |
| Matt 15:14 | Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” | Matthew 15:14 (Blind leading the blind) |
Lamentations 2 verses
Lamentations 2 14 Meaning
The prophets of your people prophesied falsehood, for their own gain, and did not expose your iniquity to turn you back. Their message to you was mere delusion, leading to your ruin.
Lamentations 2 14 Context
This verse appears in Lamentations chapter 2, which poignantly describes the devastation and sorrow following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians. The immediate context of verse 14 is a reflection on the reasons for this catastrophic judgment. Lamentations emphasizes the failure of Judah's leaders, including its prophets, to faithfully guide the people and to call them to repentance. These prophets offered false assurances of peace and divine favor, ignoring the deep-seated sin and apostasy prevalent in the nation. This hollow prophecy directly contributed to the people's unfaithfulness and ultimate downfall, as they were lulled into a false sense of security. The prophet Jeremiah had extensively warned against such false prophets, highlighting their self-serving motives and the disastrous consequences of their pronouncements.
Lamentations 2 14 Word Analysis
- "Your prophets" (נְבִיאַ֖יִךְ - neviyaich): Possessive plural, referring to the prophetic figures within Israel. It indicates those who claimed to speak for God.
- "have seen" (חָזוּ־ - chazu): Perfect tense, indicating a completed action of vision. However, the nature of these visions is immediately qualified.
- "for you" (לָ֔ךְ - lach): Dative case, indicating that these visions were perceived on behalf of or directed towards the people.
- "false" (שֶׁ֖קֶר - sheqer): A lie, falsehood, deception, deceit. It signifies that the visions were not true or from God.
- "and foolish" (וְאָ֣וֶל - ve'aveil): Connected to "sheqer" by "and" (וְ - ve). "Aveil" refers to foolishness, folly, vanity, implying irrational or nonsensical visions.
- "visions" (חָז֖וּת - chazut): From the root חָזָה (chazah), meaning "to see." Refers to the content of the visions, which are revealed to be untrue.
- "they have not laid bare" (לֹֽא־גִלּ֥וּ - lo gilu): "Lo" (לֹא) is a negative particle. "Gilu" from גָּלָה (galah), meaning "to uncover," "reveal," or "expose." The prophets failed to reveal the people's sin.
- "your iniquity" (עֲוֺנֵךְ֙ - avonech): Feminine singular possessive, referring to the guilt or sin of the people (Jerusalem/Judah).
- "to turn you back" (לְהָשִׁ֥יב - lehashiv): Infinitive construct with a preposition. "Hashiv" means "to cause to return," "to turn back," or "restore." The purpose of exposing sin should have been repentance.
- "your ruin" (נִבּוּבֵךְ֙ - nibubayich): Derived from a root meaning "to speak foolishly," "to prattle," or "to empty." It suggests vanity, emptiness, or utter ruin, the result of their foolish prophecy.
Phrase Analysis:
- "False and foolish visions" (שֶׁ֖קֶר וְאָ֣וֶל חָז֖וּת): This powerful phrase indicts the prophetic ministry. It was not just that they saw falsely (i.e., lies), but that their visions were fundamentally foolish, lacking wisdom and substance. This highlights a corruption of true prophecy which is meant to convey divine truth and wisdom.
- "laid bare your iniquity to turn you back": This describes the positive, intended role of genuine prophecy. Prophets were meant to confront sin, expose it in its ugliness (like a surgeon exposing a wound for healing), and thereby urge the people toward repentance and a return to covenant faithfulness. The failure to do this rendered their prophecy ineffective and destructive.
Lamentations 2 14 Bonus Section
This verse illustrates a critical theme in the Old Testament: the importance of faithful and truthful prophetic ministry. True prophecy confronts sin to lead to repentance, which aligns with God's covenantal faithfulness. Conversely, false prophecy, often motivated by personal gain or a desire for popular approval, ignores sin and offers false reassurance, leading to disaster. The concept of "laying bare your iniquity" emphasizes the diagnostic and surgical nature of divine revelation when it comes to sin; it's meant to expose the problem fully so healing can occur. The New Testament also warns strongly against false prophets and teachers, highlighting that the core message of redemption through Christ necessitates confronting sin and calling believers to holiness. This failure to expose sin remains a danger in religious settings throughout history.
Lamentations 2 14 Commentary
Lamentations 2:14 condemns the spiritual leadership of Judah for its profound failure. The prophets, who should have been the conscience of the nation and a voice for God, instead delivered hollow prophecies. They saw visions, but these were deceptive ("false") and meaningless ("foolish"), ultimately leading the people further into ruin rather than toward restoration. Their sin was not just speaking lies, but actively avoiding the confrontation of the people's deeply rooted iniquity. By not "laying bare" the sin – that is, not clearly and boldly exposing it – they prevented the possibility of repentance. Their preaching was a form of spiritual malpractice, offering comfort where there was no peace, and a superficial plaster over a festering wound. This failure of prophecy had a devastating consequence, as it left the people unprepared for divine judgment and contributed to their destruction. The verse echoes the severe warnings given by other prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel who criticized prophets for speaking flattering lies and seeking personal gain, rather than faithfully communicating God's truth.