Jeremiah 23:28-29
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The verse doesn't just tell us to distinguish between dreams and God's word; it urges us to identify dreams as dreams, without elevating them to the status of divine revelation. God's word, unlike the worthless chaff of a dream, is pure, nourishing wheat, essential for spiritual life.
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. Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is confronting false prophets who are misleading the people with comforting lies instead of God's truth. He distinguishes between those who claim divine inspiration through dreams and those who faithfully speak God's actual word. The verse contrasts the worthless chaff of human dreams with the nourishing wheat of divine revelation, urging the people to discern the vital difference.
In a world full of whispers and supposed revelations, how do we know what truly comes from God? Jeremiah gives us a clear way to tell the difference.
Jeremiah is drawing a sharp distinction between human dreams and God's divine word. He tells the prophets, 'Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream.' This isn't saying dreams are inherently bad, but that they should be presented for what they are – human experiences, perhaps even with some insight, but not on the same level as God's direct communication.
But then comes the crucial part: 'but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully.' God's word is presented as something solid, trustworthy, and meant to be communicated with integrity. It's not a mere suggestion or a fleeting thought; it's the very truth of the Lord, to be spoken with unwavering faithfulness.
Imagine trying to feed your family with straw. That's the kind of comparison God makes to highlight the utter difference between His Word and human pronouncements.
The striking question, 'What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD,' cuts to the heart of the matter. Wheat is nourishing grain, essential for life and sustenance. It's the valuable product of careful cultivation and harvest.
Straw, on the other hand, is the worthless byproduct. It's dry, brittle, and offers no real nourishment. It's what's left over after the grain has been threshed and separated.
God uses this agricultural analogy to show that His word is pure, life-giving, and essential. The 'dreams' and pronouncements of the false prophets are like straw – they may look similar on the surface, but they lack substance, truth, and the power to truly sustain or nourish the soul. They are empty and easily discarded.
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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.
esh · Hebrew Noun
A common biblical image for divine judgment, purification, and the consuming presence of God. It represents both the heat of His holiness and the light of His truth.
pattiysh · Hebrew Noun
A tool used to crush or shatter; metaphorically representing the irresistible, corrective, and judgment-bringing power of God's word against human stubbornness.
Jeremiah's words here directly challenge the deceptive messages of prophets who claimed divine authority for their own visions and dreams, especially during the intensifying crisis of the Babylonian threat. He distinguishes God's clear, life-giving word from the worthless 'chaff' of human speculation.
c. 627 BC - 586 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Ministry
Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous period in Judah, warning of impending Babylonian invasion and exile due to the nation's disobedience. He faced significant opposition from false prophets and rulers.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Jerusalem and begins deporting Jewish people, including prominent figures and potential leaders, to Babylon. This event signaled the growing threat from the north.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports more of Judah's population, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, further weakening the kingdom and intensifying the crisis.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, marking the end of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and the beginning of the Babylonian exile for most of the remaining population.
Paul uses a similar building metaphor, contrasting precious materials like gold and silver (representing God's true word) with less valuable materials like wood, hay, and straw (representing human teaching or false prophecy).
Deuteronomy 18:21This passage addresses how to discern a true prophet from a false one, highlighting the need to test prophecies, much like Jeremiah urges a separation between God's word and mere dreams.
Hebrews 4:12The Bible describes the word of God as 'living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,' emphasizing its power and distinguishing nature, much like Jeremiah contrasts wheat with chaff.
2 Peter 1:16Peter explains that he and the other apostles did not follow cleverly devised myths or human traditions when they spoke of Jesus' power, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty, mirroring Jeremiah's call to speak God's word faithfully, not human fancies.
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…
The verse doesn't just tell us to distinguish between dreams and God's word; it urges us to identify dreams as dreams, without elevating them to the status of divine revelation. God's word, unlike the worthless chaff of a dream, is pure, nourishing wheat, essential for spiritual life.
Jeremiah is confronting false prophets who are misleading the people with comforting lies instead of God's truth. He distinguishes between those who claim divine inspiration through dreams and those who faithfully speak God's actual word. The verse contrasts the worthless chaff of human dreams with the nourishing wheat of divine revelation, urging the people to discern the vital difference.
Jeremiah is confronting false prophets who are misleading the people with comforting lies instead of God's truth. He distinguishes between those who claim divine inspiration through dreams and those who faithfully speak God's actual word. The verse contrasts the worthless chaff of human dreams with the nourishing wheat of divine revelation, urging the people to discern the vital difference.
"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. Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the ro…" — The verse doesn't just tell us to distinguish between dreams and God's word; it urges us to identify dreams as dreams, without elevating them to the status of divine revelation. God's word, unlike…
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Last reviewed October 2026
