Jeremiah 14:15
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What's easy to miss here is the stark, poetic justice in God's judgment. The prophets who falsely promised peace and denied the coming sword and famine are the ones who will be "consumed" by them, becoming the first victims of the very disaster they assured everyone would not happen. This isn't random punishment; it's a direct, mirrored consequence for their deceptive words and the people's eager embrace of those lies.
Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’: By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah has just detailed a severe drought gripping the land, a clear sign of God's displeasure. In this context, he confronts false prophets who are giving the people a false sense of security, claiming peace will prevail. God declares that these deceitful prophets will not escape the very sword and famine they deny will come.
Have you ever heard someone speak with great authority, claiming to represent God's will, but something felt off? Jeremiah confronts prophets who misuse God's name.
In Jeremiah 14:15, God speaks through Jeremiah about prophets who "prophesy in my name, and I did not send them." This highlights a crucial distinction:
Authority vs. Authentication
False prophets often soothe ears with pleasant lies, but God's justice is not mocked. What happens when their comforting words crumble in the face of disaster?
Jeremiah 14:15 delivers a stark warning about the consequences for prophets who falsely promised peace:
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Retribution in Kind
This verse speaks directly to the period surrounding the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. The false prophets had assured the people and King Zedekiah that disaster would not come, directly contradicting Jeremiah's message of impending doom. This verse shows God's judgment falling not only on the people but specifically on those who led them astray with lies.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, invades Judah and deports some of the royal family and elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's subjugation to Babylon.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Another invasion by Nebuchadnezzar leads to the deportation of more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, following a rebellion.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Jerusalem is destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, the Temple is razed, and the majority of the remaining population is deported to Babylon. This is the final catastrophic end of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 586 BC
Prophets Denounce False Messengers
In the immediate aftermath of Jerusalem's destruction, Jeremiah condemns the false prophets who had previously reassured the people of peace and prosperity, declaring they will face the very judgment they denied.
This passage echoes Jeremiah 14:15 by exposing false prophets who claim everything is fine and offer 'peace' where there is no peace, promising healing for wounds God has not caused.
Ezekiel 13:8-10Similar to Jeremiah's warning, Ezekiel denounces prophets who deceive people with false visions of peace and security, predicting that their flimsy messages will crumble and they will not be found among God's true people.
1 Kings 22:21-23This account shows a false prophetic spirit, where a lying spirit goes out from the Lord to deceive prophets who are already inclined to falsehood, resulting in their destruction, mirroring the fate of Jeremiah's false prophets.
Deuteronomy 18:20-22This foundational passage establishes the standard for discerning true prophets: if a prophet speaks in the Lord's name and their prophecy does not come true, they are speaking presumptuously and are not from the Lord, directly relating to Jeremiah's critique.
Matthew 7:15-16Jesus warns about false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but are inwardly ravenous wolves, and states that they will be known by their fruits, much like Jeremiah's false prophets who are known by the destruction their false prophecies bring.
clarkeJeremiah 14:15: "Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed."
By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed - Jeremiah had told Jehoiakim that, if he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, he should be overthrown, and the land wasted by sword and famine: the false prophets said there shall be neither sword nor famine, but peace…
calvinJeremiah 14:15-16: "Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed."
Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
Propterea sic dicit Jehova super prophetas,…
What's easy to miss here is the stark, poetic justice in God's judgment. The prophets who falsely promised peace and denied the coming sword and famine are the ones who will be "consumed" by them, becoming the first victims of the very disaster they assured everyone would not happen. This isn't random punishment; it's a direct, mirrored consequence for their deceptive words and the people's eager embrace of those lies.
Jeremiah has just detailed a severe drought gripping the land, a clear sign of God's displeasure. In this context, he confronts false prophets who are giving the people a false sense of security, claiming peace will prevail. God declares that these deceitful prophets will not escape the very sword and famine they deny will come.
Jeremiah has just detailed a severe drought gripping the land, a clear sign of God's displeasure. In this context, he confronts false prophets who are giving the people a false sense of security, claiming peace will prevail. God declares that these deceitful prophets will not escape the very sword and famine they deny will come.
"Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’: By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed." — What's easy to miss here is the stark, poetic justice in God's judgment. The prophets who falsely promised peace and denied the coming sword and famine are the ones who will be "consumed" by them, be…
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Last reviewed October 2026
