Jeremiah 23:28-29
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)
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The verse doesn't just say dreams are different from God's word; it highlights that dreams should be presented as dreams, distinct from divine truth. This sharp contrast between a mere dream and faithfully spoken divine instruction exposes how easily human ideas can be confused with God's certain message, making us question what we accept as truth.
Jeremiah is confronting false prophets who are misleading God's people with comforting lies and claiming their dreams are divine revelations. He contrasts these dreamers with those who faithfully speak God's actual word, highlighting the vast difference between worthless deception and life-giving truth. The prophet then uses the metaphor of chaff versus wheat to emphasize how easily these counterfeit messages can be distinguished from God's genuine message.
Ever felt like you've had a 'divine download' from a dream or a sudden thought? Jeremiah draws a clear line between our own imaginings and God's actual message.
Jeremiah is speaking to a time when prophets were presenting their own dreams and visions as if they were direct messages from God. The Lord is saying, 'If you have a dream, tell it as a dream – don't pass it off as my authoritative word.' The crucial distinction is between something that arises from our own minds (even if it feels significant) and what God has spoken directly. God’s word is presented as solid, pure, and essential, while dreams are acknowledged as something less substantial, to be presented as such.
What's the difference between worthless husk and nourishing grain? Jeremiah uses this agricultural image to highlight the vast gulf between human dreams and God's pure message.
The powerful imagery of chaff and wheat drives home the point. Chaff is the husk, the protective covering of a grain, that is separated and discarded during harvest. It has no nutritional value and is essentially waste. Wheat, on the other hand, is the essential grain, the substance that sustains life. God's word is compared to wheat – it nourishes the soul, provides true sustenance, and has lasting value. The dreams and fabricated prophecies of the false prophets are like chaff, empty and useless. Jeremiah isn't just saying they are different; he's emphasizing that one is vital and the other is worthless, making it clear there's no comparison between them.
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It's not enough to simply have God's message; there's a vital responsibility in how it's delivered. Jeremiah calls for uncompromising integrity.
The verse doesn't just identify the difference between dreams and God's word; it prescribes the prophet's duty. For those who do have God's word, the command is to 'speak my word faithfully.' This means speaking it accurately, truthfully, and without distortion. It’s about conveying the pure message God has given, not adding personal opinions, fears, or interpretations that dilute its power or change its meaning. Faithfulness here is about loyalty to the source – God Himself – and integrity in transmitting His message, ensuring it remains the pure 'wheat' and not mixed with the 'chaff' of human ideas.
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.
This verse comes from a prophet speaking into a crisis. The people are facing destruction because of their disobedience, yet false prophets are telling them everything is fine. Jeremiah's message calls for discernment between God's actual word and the deceptive 'dreams' of these other speakers, highlighting the devastating consequences of mixing God's truth with human wishful thinking.
c. 627 BC
Jeremiah Called to Prophesy
Jeremiah begins his prophetic ministry in Jerusalem during the reign of King Josiah, a time of religious reform but also underlying instability.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, captures Jerusalem and deports a number of prominent citizens, including Daniel, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel. This event intensifies the crisis for those left behind.
c. 590 BC— this verse
Jeremiah Warns Against False Prophets
Jeremiah delivers powerful oracles, like those in chapter 23, denouncing the false prophets who are misleading the people with promises of peace and security, contrary to God's judgment.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the kingdom of Judah and deporting the majority of the population to Babylon. This is the culmination of the warnings Jeremiah and others delivered.
Paul uses a similar metaphor of building with precious materials (gold, silver, precious stones) versus worthless materials (wood, hay, stubble) to distinguish true ministry from false, echoing Jeremiah's contrast between divine word and worthless dreams.
Galatians 1:6-9This passage warns against preaching a different gospel, emphasizing the singular importance of God's true word and the severe consequences for those who distort it, aligning with Jeremiah's call for faithfulness to God's message.
Deuteronomy 18:20-22This text establishes a test for prophets: if their prophecies don't come true, they are not from God, mirroring Jeremiah's distinction between genuine divine communication and mere human invention or dreams.
1 Thessalonians 5:20-21The call to not despise prophecies but to test everything and hold fast to what is good highlights the need to discern true prophetic messages from false ones, just as Jeremiah urges his audience to distinguish God's word from dreams.
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 say dreams are different from God's word; it highlights that dreams should be presented as dreams, distinct from divine truth. This sharp contrast between a mere dream and faithfully spoken divine instruction exposes how easily human ideas can be confused with God's certain message, making us question what we accept as truth.
Jeremiah is confronting false prophets who are misleading God's people with comforting lies and claiming their dreams are divine revelations. He contrasts these dreamers with those who faithfully speak God's actual word, highlighting the vast difference between worthless deception and life-giving truth. The prophet then uses the metaphor of chaff versus wheat to emphasize how easily these counterfeit messages can be distinguished from God's genuine message.
Jeremiah is confronting false prophets who are misleading God's people with comforting lies and claiming their dreams are divine revelations. He contrasts these dreamers with those who faithfully speak God's actual word, highlighting the vast difference between worthless deception and life-giving truth. The prophet then uses the metaphor of chaff versus wheat to emphasize how easily these counterfeit messages can be distinguished from God's genuine message.
"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 say dreams are different from God's word; it highlights that dreams should be presented as dreams, distinct from divine truth. This sharp contrast between a mere dream and…
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