Christian Standard Bible
Jeremiah 23:16
16This is what the Lord of Armies says: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are deluding you. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the Lord’s mouth.
Jeremiah 23:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the Lord.
Context of Jeremiah 23:16
14Among the prophets of Jerusalem also I saw a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, and none turns his back on evil. They are all like Sodom to me; Jerusalem’s residents are like Gomorrah. 15Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies says concerning the prophets: I am about to feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land. This is what the Lord of Armies says: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are deluding you. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the Lord’s mouth. 17They keep on saying to those who despise me, ‘The Lord has spoken: You will have peace.’ They have said to everyone who follows the stubbornness of his heart, ‘No harm will come to you.’” 18For who has stood in the council of the Lord to see and hear his word? Who has paid attention to his word and obeyed?
Read all of Jeremiah 23Jeremiah 23:16 word by word
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת אַֽל־תִּשְׁמְע֞וּ עַל־דִּבְרֵ֤י הַנְּבִאִים֙ הַנִּבְּאִ֣ים לָכֶ֔ם מַהְבִּלִ֥ים הֵ֖מָּה אֶתְכֶ֑ם חֲז֤וֹן לִבָּם֙ יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ לֹ֖א מִפִּ֥י יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- Hearkenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- not unto the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- of the prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- that prophesyנָבָאnâbâ' · to prophesyH5012
- unto you: they make you vainהָבַלhâbal · to become vainH1891
- they speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- a visionחָזוֹןchâzôn · visionH2377
- of their own heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- not out of the mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
Cross-references for Jeremiah 23:16
- Jeremiah 27:9So you should not listen to your prophets, diviners, dreamers, fortune-tellers, or sorcerers who say to you, ‘Don’t serve the king of Babylon!’
- Jeremiah 29:8For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them,
- Proverbs 19:27If you stop listening to correction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
- Matthew 7:15“Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
- Galatians 1:8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!
- 1 John 4:1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- Jeremiah 2:5This is what the Lord says: What fault did your ancestors find in me that they went so far from me, followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves?
- 2 Kings 17:15They rejected his statutes and his covenant he had made with their ancestors and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves, following the surrounding nations the Lord had commanded them not to imitate.
- Romans 1:21For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened.
- Jeremiah 23:21I did not send out these prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.
- Jeremiah 14:14But the Lord said to me, “These prophets are prophesying a lie in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, worthless divination, the deceit of their own minds.
- Ezekiel 13:3This is what the Lord God says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing.
- Ezekiel 22:28Her prophets plaster for them with whitewash by seeing false visions and lying divinations, saying, ‘This is what the Lord God says,’ when the Lord has not spoken.
- Micah 2:11If a man comes and utters empty lies — “I will preach to you about wine and beer” — he would be just the preacher for this people!
Commentaries on Jeremiah 23:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Hearken not unto the words of the prophets - That is, of those who promise you safety, without requiring you to forsake your sins and turn unto the Lord; see Jeremiah 23:17.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16How were the people to know the false prophets from the true? The former bring a message that fills with vain hopes, or “speak a vision” out of their own invention.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-22Verses 9-22 The false prophets of Samaria had deluded the Israelites into idolatries; yet the Lord considered the false prophets of Jerusalem as guilty of more horrible wickedness, by which the people were made bold in sin. These false teachers would be compelled to suffer the most bitter part of the Lord's indignation. They made themselves believe that there was no harm in sin, and practised accordingly; then they made others believe so. Those who are…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16The false prophets gave the people false hopes; they were not chosen to speak for the Lord, and their ideas came from their own minds.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. make you vain--They seduce you to vanity, that is, idolatry, which will prove a vain trust to you (Jr 2:5; 2Ki 17:15; Jon 2:8), [Gesenius]. Rather, "they delude you with vain promises of security" (Jr 23:17; compare Psa 62:10) [Maurer]. of their own heart--of their own invention (Jr 23:21; Jr 14:14).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 23:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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