God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 23:16
16This is what the Lord of Armies says: Don’t listen to what the prophets are saying to you. They fill you with false hope. They speak about visions that they dreamed up. These visions are not from the Lord.
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
14“⌞Say this⌟ about the prophets of Jerusalem: I see something horrible. The prophets of Jerusalem commit adultery and live a lie. They support those who do evil so that no one turns back from his wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me, and those who live in Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.” 15This is what the Lord of Armies says about the prophets: I will give them wormwood to eat and poison to drink. The prophets of Jerusalem have spread godlessness throughout the land. This is what the Lord of Armies says: Don’t listen to what the prophets are saying to you. They fill you with false hope. They speak about visions that they dreamed up. These visions are not from the Lord. 17They keep saying to those who despise me, “The Lord says, ‘Everything will go well for you.’ ” They tell all who live by their own stubborn ways, “Nothing bad will happen to you.” 18Who is in the Lord’s inner circle and sees and hears his word? Who pays attention and listens to his word?
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 27:9Don’t listen to prophets, mediums, interpreters of dreams, fortunetellers, or sorcerers who tell you that you’ll never serve the king of Babylon.
- Jeremiah 29:8This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Don’t let the prophets or the mediums who are among you trick you. Don’t even listen to your own dreams.
- Proverbs 19:27If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
- Matthew 7:15“Beware of false prophets. They come to you disguised as sheep, but in their hearts they are vicious wolves.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13People who brag like this are false apostles. They are dishonest workers, since they disguise themselves as Christ’s apostles.
- Galatians 1:8Whoever tells you good news that is different from the Good News we gave you should be condemned to hell, even if he is one of us or an angel from heaven.
- 1 John 4:1Dear friends, don’t believe all people who say that they have the Spirit. Instead, test them. See whether the spirit they have is from God, because there are many false prophets in the world.
- Jeremiah 2:5This is what the Lord says: What did your ancestors find wrong with me that they went so far away from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.
- 2 Kings 17:15They rejected his decrees, the promise he made to their ancestors, and the warnings he had given them. They went after worthless idols and became as worthless as the idols. They behaved like the nations around them, although the Lord had commanded them not to do that.
- Romans 1:21They knew God but did not praise and thank him for being God. Instead, their thoughts were pointless, and their misguided minds were plunged into darkness.
- Jeremiah 23:21I didn’t send these prophets, yet they ran ⌞with their message⌟. I didn’t speak to them, yet they prophesied.
- Jeremiah 14:14Then the Lord told me, “These are the lies that the prophets are telling in my name: They claim that I sent them, commanded them, and spoke to them. They dreamed up the visions they tell you. Their predictions are worthless. They are the products of their own imagination.
- Ezekiel 13:3“ ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: How horrible it will be for the foolish prophets. They follow their own ideas, and they have seen nothing.
- Ezekiel 22:28Your prophets cover up these things by seeing false visions and by prophesying lies. They say, “This is what the Almighty Lord says.” Yet, the Lord hasn’t spoken.
- Micah 2:11Liars and frauds may go around and say, “We will preach to you about wine and liquor.” They would be just the type of preacher you want.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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