New Living Translation
Jeremiah 23:28
28“Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain!
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
26How long will this go on? If they are prophets, they are prophets of deceit, inventing everything they say. 27By telling these false dreams, they are trying to get my people to forget me, just as their ancestors did by worshiping the idols of Baal. “Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain! 29Does not my word burn like fire?” says the Lord. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces? 30“Therefore,” says the Lord, “I am against these prophets who steal messages from each other and claim they 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 14:5An honest witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies.
- Matthew 24:45“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.
- Luke 12:42And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.
- 1 Corinthians 4:2Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.
- 2 Corinthians 2:17You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.
- 1 Timothy 1:12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him,
- 1 Corinthians 3:12Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, 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
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