New English Translation
Jeremiah 23:28
28Let the prophet who has had a dream go ahead and tell his dream. Let the person who has received my message report that message faithfully. What is like straw cannot compare to what is like grain! I, the Lord, affirm it!
Jeremiah 23:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the Lord.
Context of Jeremiah 23:28
26Those prophets are just prophesying lies. They are prophesying the delusions of their own minds. 27How long will they go on plotting to make my people forget who I am through the dreams they tell one another? That is just as bad as what their ancestors did when they forgot who I am by worshiping the god Baal. Let the prophet who has had a dream go ahead and tell his dream. Let the person who has received my message report that message faithfully. What is like straw cannot compare to what is like grain! I, the Lord, affirm it! 29My message is like a fire that purges dross! It is like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces! I, the Lord, so affirm it! 30So I, the Lord, affirm that I am opposed to those prophets who steal messages from one another that they claim are from me.
Read all of Jeremiah 23Jeremiah 23:28 word by word
הַנָּבִ֞יא אֲשֶׁר־אִתּ֤וֹ חֲלוֹם֙ יְסַפֵּ֣ר חֲל֔וֹם וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר דְּבָרִי֙ אִתּ֔וֹ יְדַבֵּ֥ר דְּבָרִ֖י אֱמֶ֑ת מַה־לַתֶּ֥בֶן אֶת־הַבָּ֖ר נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- that hath a dreamחֲלוֹםchălôm chălôm · dreamH2472
- let him tellסָפַרsâphar · to recountH5608
- and he that hath my wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- let him speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- faithfullyאֱמֶת'emeth · truth: faithfulH571
- the chaffתֶּ֫בֶןteben · strawH8401
- to the wheatבַּרbâr bar · grainH1250
- saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
Cross-references for Jeremiah 23:28
- Proverbs 14:5A truthful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.
- Matthew 24:45“Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their food at the proper time?
- Luke 12:42The Lord replied, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his household servants, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time?
- 1 Corinthians 4:2Now what is sought in stewards is that one be found faithful.
- 2 Corinthians 2:17For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God.
- 1 Timothy 1:12I am grateful to the one who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful in putting me into ministry,
- 1 Corinthians 3:12If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw,
Commentaries on Jeremiah 23:28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord - Do not mingle these equivocal matters with positive revelations. Do not consider a dream, even from a prophet, as that positive inspiration which my prophets receive when their reason, judgment, and spiritual feelings are all in full and in regular exercise. Mix none of your own devices with my doctrines.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28A dream faithfully - Rather, as “a dream” as truth. The dream is but a dream, and is to be told as such, but God‘s word is to be spoken as certain and absolute truth. The dreams are the chaff, worthless, with nothing in them; the wheat, the pure grain after it is cleansed and winnowed is God‘s word. What have these two in common?Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-32Verses 23-32 Men cannot be hidden from God's all-seeing eye. Will they never see what judgments they prepare for themselves? Let them consider what a vast difference there is between these prophecies and those delivered by the true prophets of the Lord. Let them not call their foolish dreams Divine oracles. The promises of peace these prophets make are no more to be compared to God's promises than chaff to wheat. The unhumbled heart of man is like a rock…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 28The Lord temporarily let the false prophets share their dreams. Meanwhile, the Lord had his true messengers, like Jeremiah, proclaim every word. This helped people see the difference between the false prophets' useless dreams (straw) and the nourishing words of the Lord's messengers (grain); compare Psalm 1:3–4.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2828. God answers the objection which might be stated, "What, then, must we do, when lies are spoken as truths, and prophets oppose prophets?" Do the same as when wheat is mixed with chaff: do not reject the wheat because of the chaff mixed with it, but discriminate between the false and the true revelations. The test is adherence to, or forgetfulness of, Me and My law (Jr 23:27). that hath a dream--that pretends to have a divine communication by dream, let…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 23:28
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries