Jeremiah 23:16-17
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The truly insidious thing about these false prophets isn't just their lies, but how they befool people, making them "vain" by filling them with false hopes of peace. They didn't just invent prophecies; they concocted visions that soothed the ear and quieted the conscience, a stark contrast to God's true messengers who often stirred things up by calling people to repentance.
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. They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
In this section, Jeremiah is confronting the false prophets who are reassuring Jerusalem with lies about peace and security, despite the looming threat of Babylonian invasion. These prophets are speaking their own desires and inventions, not divine truth, directly contradicting the warnings God has given through Jeremiah. The people are being lulled into a false sense of safety by these popular but deceitful messages.
Ever heard someone tell you exactly what you want to hear, even if it didn't feel quite right? These prophets were masters at it, but with disastrous results.
Jeremiah warns the people not to listen to prophets who fill them with "vain hopes." This isn't just about wishful thinking; it's about being deceived into a false sense of security.
What are "Vain Hopes"?
These are illusions that lead people away from truth and reality. The false prophets offered promises of peace and security, which made the people feel good in the short term. However, these hopes were empty because they weren't based on God's actual word or His plan.
The Cost of Deception
When people follow these deceptive messages, they are led further into sin and away from repentance. They feel no urgency to change their ways because they believe everything is fine. This spiritual complacency is dangerous, as it blinds them to the coming judgment and God's true will.
Imagine someone claiming to have a direct message from God, but it's just something they dreamed up. That's the core issue here.
The prophet's warning cuts to the heart of true prophecy: it must originate from God.
Speaking from the Heart vs. God's Mouth
The false prophets "speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD." Their messages weren't inspired by divine revelation but were fabrications of their own intellect and desires. The "heart" in this context represents their inner self, their own thoughts and plans.
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The Mark of Authenticity
True prophecy is a message that comes directly from God and aligns with His established word and character. False prophecy, however, is self-generated, often designed to please the audience or justify their own actions and beliefs. It lacks the divine authority and truth that only God can provide.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the God of Israel, indicating His self-existence, covenant faithfulness, and sovereignty over all creation.
tsaba · Hebrew Noun
Title emphasizing God's sovereignty over the heavenly armies (angels) and all creation, highlighting His supreme authority and power to carry out His purposes.
nabi · Hebrew Noun
One called by God to proclaim His message, serve as His mouthpiece, and reveal His divine will to the people; true prophets speak only what the Lord commands.
hebel · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
Refers to emptiness, futility, or worthlessness; often used to describe things that lack substance, truth, or divine approval.
chazon · Hebrew Noun
A supernatural communication from God intended to convey His will, truth, or future purpose; must originate from God to be valid.
na'ats · Hebrew Verb
A fundamental biblical concept denoting the rejection or contemptuous disregard for God's revealed instruction and authority.
ra'ah · Hebrew Noun
The rebellion against God’s moral order, usually resulting in divine judgment and the opposite of the 'shalom' (peace/well-being) promised by God.
Jeremiah confronts a dangerous wave of false prophets who offer soothing lies of peace and security precisely when Judah is facing imminent judgment. These false prophets, unlike Jeremiah, speak comforting illusions from their own imaginations rather than God's difficult truth, leading the people further into spiritual ruin.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Exile of Northern Israel
The Assyrian Empire deports Israelites from the northern kingdom, leading to the 'lost tribes' and a sense of national crisis and spiritual uncertainty.
c. 626 BC
Jeremiah Begins His Ministry
Jeremiah is called by God to prophesy to Judah during a time of increasing political instability and spiritual decay, just before the final Babylonian invasions.
c. 609 BC
Josiah's Reforms and Death
King Josiah's religious reforms, meant to restore true worship, are cut short by his death in battle, leaving a vacuum and uncertainty about Judah's future.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and takes Jehoiakim captive, along with a first wave of elites and skilled workers, including Daniel.
c. 597 BC— this verse
Second Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports more of Judah's population, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, intensifying the crisis and prophetic warnings.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of the Temple
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, marking the final and most devastating exile for the people of Judah.
This passage directly parallels Jeremiah's warning, condemning prophets who speak falsehoods and claim divine inspiration for visions that are actually their own invention.
Deuteronomy 13:3This text provides a foundational principle for discerning true prophets from false ones: if their message doesn't align with God's established word or leads people astray, they are not from the Lord, echoing Jeremiah's caution.
Matthew 7:15Jesus warns against false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but are inwardly ravenous wolves, highlighting that their deceptive nature and harmful message are key indicators, just as Jeremiah points out the vain hopes these prophets instill.
1 John 4:1This New Testament passage instructs believers to test the spirits, urging them not to believe every prophetic utterance but to discern if the message comes from God, reinforcing the importance of verifying the source and content of prophetic words as Jeremiah does here.
pooleJeremiah 23:16: "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."
People are under no religious obligation to hear any thing but the revealed will of God, and are not to obey those that call to them for what that doth not call to them; nor to listen to them, the scope of whose teaching is but to make them vain, sinfully vain, or to deceive their soul…
barnesJeremiah 23:16: "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."
How 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.
The truly insidious thing about these false prophets isn't just their lies, but how they befool people, making them "vain" by filling them with false hopes of peace. They didn't just invent prophecies; they concocted visions that soothed the ear and quieted the conscience, a stark contrast to God's true messengers who often stirred things up by calling people to repentance.
In this section, Jeremiah is confronting the false prophets who are reassuring Jerusalem with lies about peace and security, despite the looming threat of Babylonian invasion. These prophets are speaking their own desires and inventions, not divine truth, directly contradicting the warnings God has given through Jeremiah. The people are being lulled into a false sense of safety by these popular but deceitful messages.
In this section, Jeremiah is confronting the false prophets who are reassuring Jerusalem with lies about peace and security, despite the looming threat of Babylonian invasion. These prophets are speaking their own desires and inventions, not divine truth, directly contradicting the warnings God has given through Jeremiah. The people are being lulled into a false sense of safety by these popular but deceitful messages.
"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. They say continually to those who despise the…" — The truly insidious thing about these false prophets isn't just their lies, but how they befool people, making them "vain" by filling them with false hopes of peace. They didn't just invent prophec…
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Last reviewed October 2026
