Jeremiah 23:27
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The false prophets' "dreams" aren't just night visions; they're a scheme to replace God's truth with their own narratives, aiming to make people forget not just God's name, but His very character and faithfulness, just as their ancestors abandoned Him for Baal. This shows how insidious spiritual deception can be, subtly eroding the knowledge of God by peddling personal fantasies as divine revelation.
who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is calling out the false prophets who are deceiving God's people with their self-made visions and promises of peace. These prophets, by spreading their misleading dreams and stories from person to person, are trying to make people forget who God truly is and His covenant with them, just as their ancestors had forgotten God by turning to the worship of Baal.
False prophets in Jeremiah's day were spreading dangerous messages, not with grand pronouncements, but with casual conversations and enticing 'dreams.'
Jeremiah confronts prophets who use their personal dreams to lead God's people astray. This wasn't just about having a bad dream; it was about elevating their own subjective experiences and imaginations above God's clear word.
The Danger of 'My Dream'
Jeremiah connects these modern false prophets to the ancient sin of idolatry, showing that forgetting God has a long, destructive history.
The verse draws a stark parallel: just as the Israelites of old forgot God's name and turned to the worship of Baal, so too are these false prophets trying to make people forget God by offering them enticing, but ultimately empty, dreams.
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Baal vs. God's Name
Understand the original words
shem · Hebrew Noun
The personal name of the self-existent, covenant-keeping God of Israel (YHWH). It signifies His presence, authority, and His reputation as revealed to His people.
Ba'al · Hebrew Noun
A pagan deity whose worship was a recurring snare for Israel; associated with fertility and storm-god cults, representing apostasy and spiritual infidelity.
This verse highlights a recurring cycle in Israel's history where false prophets, through their deceptive dreams and messages, caused people to forget the true God, much like their ancestors abandoned Yahweh for the worship of Baal. The context of Jeremiah's ministry, a time of intense spiritual compromise and impending judgment, underscores the danger of these misleading voices.
c. 9th-8th century BC
Rise of Baal Worship
Following the division of the kingdom, the Northern Kingdom of Israel, particularly under King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, actively promoted the worship of Baal, a Canaanite deity. This led to widespread syncretism and a turning away from the worship of Yahweh.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Exile
The Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrian Empire, and its people were exiled. This event served as a stark warning about the consequences of abandoning God, yet the Southern Kingdom of Judah continued in its spiritual decline.
c. 626-586 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Prophetic Ministry
Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous period in Judah, warning of impending judgment from Babylon. He confronted false prophets who offered messages of peace and security, contrary to God's word.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonian Empire, under Nebuchadnezzar, conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and exiled the remaining population. This was the fulfillment of Jeremiah's warnings about the consequences of disobedience and idolatry.
This passage directly contrasts the people's straying with the way animals recognize their paths, highlighting how they've forgotten God for various idols, similar to how Jeremiah 23:27 points to the forgotten name of God for Baal.
Hosea 2:16-17Hosea describes a future where the people will no longer call God by the name 'Baali' (my lord), indicating a turning away from and forgetting of God's true name for other 'lords,' mirroring the sin described in Jeremiah 23:27.
Ezekiel 13:6-7Ezekiel condemns prophets who claim visions and dreams but speak falsehoods, leading people astray and causing them to forget God's truth, which parallels Jeremiah 23:27's critique of false prophets and their deceptive dreams.
1 Kings 18:19-40The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel vividly illustrates the struggle for Israel's devotion, showing how the people had forgotten the LORD in favor of Baal, as mentioned in Jeremiah 23:27.
cambridgeJeremiah 23:27: "Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal."
27 . to forget my name ] not literally, but to forget the essential character of Him who bears the name. So their fathers confused Baal with Jehovah. See on Jeremiah 2:23 . The nature of the sin was the same. every man to his neighbour ] one to another , each prophet to those who will listen.
pulpitJeremiah 23:27: "Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal."
Verse 27. - Every man to his neighbor. Not merely one prophet to another prophet, for it is "my people" whom they cause to forget my Name (comp. ver. 32), but the prophet to his fellow man. Have forgotten my name for Baal; or, forgot my name through Baal.
The false prophets' "dreams" aren't just night visions; they're a scheme to replace God's truth with their own narratives, aiming to make people forget not just God's name, but His very character and faithfulness, just as their ancestors abandoned Him for Baal. This shows how insidious spiritual deception can be, subtly eroding the knowledge of God by peddling personal fantasies as divine revelation.
Jeremiah is calling out the false prophets who are deceiving God's people with their self-made visions and promises of peace. These prophets, by spreading their misleading dreams and stories from person to person, are trying to make people forget who God truly is and His covenant with them, just as their ancestors had forgotten God by turning to the worship of Baal.
Jeremiah is calling out the false prophets who are deceiving God's people with their self-made visions and promises of peace. These prophets, by spreading their misleading dreams and stories from person to person, are trying to make people forget who God truly is and His covenant with them, just as their ancestors had forgotten God by turning to the worship of Baal.
"who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal?" — The false prophets' "dreams" aren't just night visions; they're a scheme to replace God's truth with their own narratives, aiming to make people forget not just God's name, but His very character and…
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Last reviewed October 2026
