I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jeremiah 23:25
What does Jeremiah 23:25 mean?
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Jeremiah 23:25
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It's easy to overlook that the false prophets' boasting about their dreams wasn't just about having visions, but about the way they used dreams to claim divine authority. They repeated "I have dreamed!" to sound impressive and authoritative, essentially trying to bypass God’s established word and law by appealing to a dramatic, personal experience.
I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is confronting a wave of false prophets who are misleading the people of Judah with comforting lies, promising peace and prosperity despite God's impending judgment. These prophets claim divine authority by insisting they've received revelations in dreams, a common, though easily counterfeited, method of communication from God. Jeremiah, however, reveals that God has heard these deceptive pronouncements and will expose their falsehoods.
Why did false prophets lean so heavily on dreams to make their claims? It wasn't just about visions; it was a calculated strategy.
In Jeremiah's day, dreams were a recognized way God communicated. True prophets sometimes received messages this way. However, the false prophets twisted this by exaggerating their dreams, repeating, "I have dreamed, I have dreamed!" This repetition wasn't just emphasis; it was an attempt to dazzle and convince people of their supposed divine encounters.
Why it worked:
These prophets thought they were fooling people, but they were also fooling God, right? Or were they?
Jeremiah 23:25 opens with God declaring, 'I have heard...' This is crucial. While the false prophets proclaimed their dreams loudly, hoping to sway the people and perhaps even convince themselves, God's perspective is one of keen awareness. He hears not just the words, but the and the behind them.
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The Divine Audit:
Understand the original words
šēqer · Hebrew Noun
Deliberate falsehoods presented as divine revelation. It is an act of spiritual deception that misleads people and usurps God's authority by claiming His endorsement for human inventions.
ḥălôm · Hebrew Noun
A method of receiving information or guidance while sleeping. While God used dreams in Scripture to reveal His will, false prophets in this context falsely claim to have received dreams to validate their own unauthorized messages.
The false prophets in Jeremiah's day offered comforting lies about peace and victory, directly contradicting God's judgment announced through Jeremiah. They claimed divine visions through dreams to legitimize their deceptive messages, preying on the people's desire for hope amidst escalating threats from Babylon.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many of its inhabitants. This event profoundly impacts Judah's sense of security and religious identity.
c. 626 BC
Jeremiah Begins Prophesying
Jeremiah is called by God to prophesy, initiating a long ministry in Judah during a period of increasing political instability and spiritual decay.
c. 609 BC
Josiah's Reforms Reversed
King Josiah, a reformer, is killed in battle. His successors quickly abandon his religious reforms, creating a spiritual vacuum that false prophets exploit.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacks Judah and takes prominent citizens, including young Daniel, into exile. This event signals the growing Babylonian threat.
c. 597 BC— this verse
Second Deportation to Babylon
Babylon deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, after a brief rebellion. The people are desperate for good news.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Babylon destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population. This catastrophic event marks the end of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
This passage directly addresses the danger of prophets claiming divine messages through dreams, warning Israel to test them against God's established word, mirroring Jeremiah's condemnation of false prophets who used dreams to deceive.
1 Samuel 28:6When Saul desperately sought guidance, God did not answer him directly, 'neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets,' highlighting that in critical times, true communication from God was not coming through these potentially misused channels, which aligns with Jeremiah's critique of false prophets relying on dreams.
Numbers 12:6This verse acknowledges that God *did* communicate through dreams in certain instances, particularly in the early days of prophecy. Jeremiah's prophecy, however, points to a later period where reliance on dreams had become a hallmark of deception, showing a shift in how God communicated or how prophets misused the method.
Ezekiel 13:6-7Ezekiel directly echoes Jeremiah's concern, denouncing prophets who 'see false visions and practice lying divination.' They falsely claim 'The LORD declares' when they have not been sent or acknowledged by the Lord, revealing their dreams to be deceptive pronouncements, much like those Jeremiah confronts.
Matthew 7:15-16Jesus warns against false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but are inwardly ravenous wolves, stating that they can be recognized by their fruits. This spiritual discernment is key to distinguishing true prophets from those like Jeremiah's false prophets, who, despite their claims of divine dreams, produced harmful outcomes.
cambridgeJeremiah 23:25: "I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed."
25 . I have dreamed, I have dreamed ] These were the words with which they caught the ear of the crowd, and so gained a sure hearing for their pretended revelations. But another kind of test was needed (see Introd. pp. xxxii. f.), and this the false prophets failed to supply. 25–29 . See introd. summary to section.
pulpitJeremiah 23:25: "I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed."
Verse 25. - I have dreamed. Jeremiah mentions it as one of the marks of a false prophet that he appealed to his dreams (comp. Jeremiah 29:8); true prophecy contented itself with less ambiguous media of communication with the unseen world. It may be objected that Abraham (Genesis 15:12), at any rate, and Abimelech (Genesis 20:3) received Divine revelations in dreams; but…
It's easy to overlook that the false prophets' boasting about their dreams wasn't just about having visions, but about the way they used dreams to claim divine authority. They repeated "I have dreamed!" to sound impressive and authoritative, essentially trying to bypass God’s established word and law by appealing to a dramatic, personal experience.
Jeremiah is confronting a wave of false prophets who are misleading the people of Judah with comforting lies, promising peace and prosperity despite God's impending judgment. These prophets claim divine authority by insisting they've received revelations in dreams, a common, though easily counterfeited, method of communication from God. Jeremiah, however, reveals that God has heard these deceptive pronouncements and will expose their falsehoods.
Jeremiah is confronting a wave of false prophets who are misleading the people of Judah with comforting lies, promising peace and prosperity despite God's impending judgment. These prophets claim divine authority by insisting they've received revelations in dreams, a common, though easily counterfeited, method of communication from God. Jeremiah, however, reveals that God has heard these deceptive pronouncements and will expose their falsehoods.
"I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’" — It's easy to overlook that the false prophets' boasting about their dreams wasn't just about having visions, but about the way they used dreams to claim divine authority. They repeated "I have drea…
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Last reviewed October 2026