Jeremiah 23:28
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Jeremiah isn't just saying false prophets should identify their messages as mere dreams; he's highlighting that any mingling of human fancy with God's truth is like mixing worthless straw with nourishing wheat. The stark contrast emphasizes that God's authoritative word is substantial and life-giving, while human dreams, however well-intentioned, are ultimately hollow.
Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is confronting false prophets who are misleading the people of Judah with their own pronouncements and false promises of peace. He demands they distinguish their own human-generated dreams from the authentic, life-giving message God has given him to declare faithfully. The comparison of straw to wheat highlights the profound difference in value and substance between their flimsy pronouncements and God's solid truth.
Ever heard someone claim a 'gut feeling' or a 'dream' as God's direct message? Jeremiah draws a clear line between personal experiences and divine revelation.
Jeremiah is addressing false prophets who were passing off their own dreams and imaginations as direct messages from God. The prophet makes a stark distinction:
Speak Your Dream as a Dream
If a prophet has a dream, they should share it, but as just that – a dream. It’s a personal experience, not a divine mandate. It doesn't carry the weight or authority of God's direct word.
Speak My Word Faithfully
But for those who genuinely receive a message from the LORD, their responsibility is different. They are to speak that word with faithfulness. This means conveying it accurately, without alteration or personal embellishment. God's word is presented as something solid, reliable, and authoritative.
Jeremiah uses a powerful agricultural image to show just how different God's true word is from the 'messages' of false prophets. What's the difference?
The second half of the verse explodes with imagery: "What has straw in common with wheat?" This isn't just a rhetorical question; it's a declaration of the fundamental difference between authentic divine revelation and human invention.
Straw: Worthless and Empty
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Straw is the dry stalk left over after the wheat grain has been threshed and separated. It has no nutritional value, it can't be used for bread, and it's easily blown away. It represents the dreams, speculations, and false prophecies of the unfaithful prophets – they are empty, useless, and without substance.
Wheat: Nourishing and Essential
Wheat, on the other hand, is the life-giving grain. It's the essential food source that sustains people. It's solid, valuable, and enduring. This symbolizes God's true word – it nourishes the soul, provides true sustenance, and has lasting power.
Understand the original words
dabar · Hebrew Noun
The revealed communication of God to man; it is considered infallible, authoritative, and the primary means by which God makes His will known.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The self-revealing name of the God of Israel, the eternal, covenant-making Lord.
teben · Hebrew Noun
A common, perishable agricultural product, often used in metaphors to represent something of little spiritual value or substance compared to the 'wheat' of truth.
bar · Hebrew Noun
A staple grain, often used in Scripture as a metaphor for that which is nourishing, essential, and genuine, especially when contrasted with chaff or straw.
Jeremiah's sharp words cut through the comforting lies of false prophets who preyed on a nation facing imminent destruction. He contrasts the solid, life-giving truth of God's word with the worthless dreams and empty promises of his opponents, urging listeners to discern the vital difference, especially during the intense crisis leading up to and during the Babylonian exile.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many inhabitants. This event creates a deep sense of national crisis and loss among the remaining Israelites and Judahites.
c. 626 BC
Jeremiah Begins Prophesying
Jeremiah is called by God to prophesy to Judah, a kingdom increasingly threatened by regional powers. He delivers messages of warning and impending judgment due to the people's unfaithfulness.
609 BC
Josiah's Death in Battle
King Josiah, a reformer king who sought to restore true worship, is killed at the Battle of Megiddo. His death plunges Judah into political instability and spiritual confusion.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacks Judah and deports a significant portion of the elite, including young nobles like Daniel. This marks the beginning of Judah's subjugation to Babylon.
c. 597 BC— this verse
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a revolt, Babylon deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel. Jerusalem's temple is despoiled.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar utterly destroys Jerusalem and its sacred temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This is the catastrophic climax of Jeremiah's prophecies.
Paul uses a similar building metaphor, contrasting God's solid foundation (like wheat) with worthless materials (like straw or stubble) that will burn up, highlighting the difference between true divine instruction and human additions.
Deuteronomy 18:21-22This passage addresses how to discern a true prophet from a false one, by whether their prophecy comes to pass, mirroring Jeremiah's challenge to distinguish the word of the Lord from mere dreams or predictions.
1 Thessalonians 5:20-21This encourages believers to not despise prophetic utterances but to test everything and hold onto what is good, aligning with Jeremiah's call to differentiate between God's faithful word and less reliable pronouncements.
Hebrews 4:12The Bible is described as living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, powerfully discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart, underscoring the unique, transformative quality of God's true word that sets it apart from human speculation.
barnesJeremiah 23:28: "The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD."
A dream ... faithfully - Rather, as "a dream"... as truth. The dream is but a dream, and is to be told as such, but God's word is to be spoken as certain and absolute truth. The dreams are the chaff, worthless, with nothing in them; the wheat, the pure grain after it is cleansed and winnowed is God's word. What have th…
pooleJeremiah 23:28: "The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD."
A dream; not a Divine dream; a revelation which I have made to him in his sleep (as appeareth by the following opposition, betwixt a dream and the word of the Lord ); but if any man hath dreamed an ordinary dream, let him tell it as a dream; let him not entitle God to it. And he that hath my word, let him speak my word…
Jeremiah isn't just saying false prophets should identify their messages as mere dreams; he's highlighting that any mingling of human fancy with God's truth is like mixing worthless straw with nourishing wheat. The stark contrast emphasizes that God's authoritative word is substantial and life-giving, while human dreams, however well-intentioned, are ultimately hollow.
Jeremiah is confronting false prophets who are misleading the people of Judah with their own pronouncements and false promises of peace. He demands they distinguish their own human-generated dreams from the authentic, life-giving message God has given him to declare faithfully. The comparison of straw to wheat highlights the profound difference in value and substance between their flimsy pronouncements and God's solid truth.
Jeremiah is confronting false prophets who are misleading the people of Judah with their own pronouncements and false promises of peace. He demands they distinguish their own human-generated dreams from the authentic, life-giving message God has given him to declare faithfully. The comparison of straw to wheat highlights the profound difference in value and substance between their flimsy pronouncements and God's solid truth.
"Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD." — Jeremiah isn't just saying false prophets should identify their messages as mere dreams; he's highlighting that any mingling of human fancy with God's truth is like mixing worthless straw with nouris…
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Last reviewed October 2026
