Jeremiah 23:25

25 “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’

Jeremiah 23:25 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
25 I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
25 I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!'
New Living Translation (NLT)
25 “I have heard these prophets say, ‘Listen to the dream I had from God last night.’ And then they proceed to tell lies in my name.
The Message Bible (MSG)
25 "I know what they're saying, all these prophets who preach lies using me as their text, saying 'I had this dream! I had this dream!'
American Standard Version (ASV)
25 I have heard what the prophets have said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
25 "I've heard the prophets who speak lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! I had a dream!'
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
25 "I have heard what the prophets who prophesy a lie in My name have said: I had a dream! I had a dream!
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
25 "I have heard what the prophets are saying. They prophesy lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! The LORD has given me a dream!'

Jeremiah 23:25 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 23:25

I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my
name
Or, "I hear what the prophets say" F7, &c. though they thought God was at a distance from them, in the highest heavens, and neither saw, nor heard, nor took any notice of what was done on earth, they were greatly mistaken; he heard and observed with indignation the false doctrines and lying prophecies which they delivered out in his name to the people, whether in public or in private; for he is the Lord God omniscient and omnipresent; and therefore, though they deceived the people, they could not deceive him; who knew all their schemes and all their designs, from what principles they acted, and with what views; saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed;
not a common dream, but a divine dream; this was one way in which the Lord formerly made known his mind and will to his servants, ( Numbers 12:6 ) ; wherefore these false prophets, in imitation of the true ones, and in order to gain credit from the people, pretended they had a dream from the Lord, in which such and such things were revealed to them; and this is repeated by them for the greater certainty of it, and to raise the people's attention as to something very uncommon and extraordinary. So the Targum,

``saying, a word of prophecy has been shown to me in a dream.''
Now, though the people could not contradict them, or know any otherwise than as they might observe that they agreed not with the word of God, or with his will, as made known by the true prophets of the Lord; for if a man says he has dreamed so and so, another cannot say he has not; because no man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of a man that is in him; yet God, that knows all things, knew that these were all lies and impostures, and that they had never had a dream from him, or any revelation of his will in that way.
FOOTNOTES:

F7 (wrma) "dicunt", Calvin, Cocceius.

Jeremiah 23:25 In-Context

23 “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD, “and not a God far away?
24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD.
25 “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’
26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?
27 They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship.

Cross References 2

  • 1. ver 16; Jeremiah 14:14; Jeremiah 27:10
  • 2. ver 28,32; S Deuteronomy 13:1; Jeremiah 27:9; Jeremiah 29:8
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