Jeremiah 23:30
Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal my words from one another.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easy to miss here is that these prophets weren't just fabricating messages from scratch; they were actively plagiarizing from each other. God is against them not just for their falsehoods, but for their lack of originality, showing how even among false prophets, there's a hollow echo chamber of deception that they try to pass off as divine revelation.
God is speaking against the false prophets who are deceiving his people. These prophets lack any genuine message from God themselves, so they resort to imitating true prophets, or even just copying each other, to gain credibility. This verse highlights their lack of originality and authenticity in contrast to God's true messengers.
Imagine a stage actor who only recites lines they've overheard from others, never truly embodying the character. That's what God saw in these prophets.
The core accusation here is a profound lack of divine inspiration. These prophets weren't hearing from God; they were merely recycling what others said, especially other false prophets.
Plagiarism of the Sacred
God's declaration, 'I am against you,' isn't a suggestion; it's a divine indictment against those who misuse His sacred name.
This isn't just a gentle correction; it's a powerful statement of God's opposition. The phrase "I am against" signifies active resistance and impending judgment.
The Lord's Stand
Understand the original words
ganab · Hebrew Verb
To take something without permission; in a theological sense, it refers to usurping divine authority or presenting borrowed, false messages as if they were genuine revelations from God.
Jeremiah's scathing rebuke of prophets who 'steal my words' comes during a time when Judah's political and spiritual foundations are crumbling. These false prophets, lacking their own divine message, echoed each other's empty promises, desperately trying to maintain credibility by mimicking the true prophetic style or borrowing phrases from genuine messages, all while their nation faced imminent destruction.
Late 7th century BC
Reign of Josiah and religious reforms
King Josiah initiated a significant religious reformation in Judah, attempting to centralize worship at the Jerusalem temple and eliminate idolatry. This period saw a renewed emphasis on the Law and prophetic messages.
c. 609 BC
Death of King Josiah
Josiah's death in battle at Megiddo marked a turning point, leading to political instability and a decline in the religious reforms he had championed.
605 BC
First Babylonian deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged Jerusalem and deported a group of Judean elites, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon. This event signaled the growing power of Babylon and the looming threat to Judah's independence.
c. 600-586 BC— this verse
Jeremiah prophesies to Judah
This passage echoes Jeremiah's condemnation by highlighting false prophets who 'see false visions and practice lying divination,' showing a pattern of deception where God's message is distorted for personal gain.
1 John 4:1This New Testament verse directly addresses the need to 'test the spirits to see whether they are from God,' which is crucial when encountering prophets like those in Jeremiah who claim divine authority but 'steal words' and speak falsehoods.
Deuteronomy 18:20-22This foundational text provides the criteria for discerning true prophets from false ones by stating that if a prophecy does not come to pass, the speaker has not spoken by God, offering a way to identify those who 'steal words' rather than receiving them directly from the Lord.
Galatians 1:8-9Paul's strong warning against anyone preaching a different gospel, even an angel, parallels God's anger towards prophets who twist or steal His words, underscoring the severe consequences of altering or fabricating divine messages.
ellicottJeremiah 23:30: "Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour."
(30) That steal my words . . . —Another note of the counterfeit prophet is found in the want of any living personal originality. The oracles of the dreamers were patchworks of plagiarism, and they borrowed, not as men might do legitimately, and as Jeremiah himself did, from the words of the great teachers of the past, but from men of their own time, false and unreal…
barnesJeremiah 23:30: "Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour."
Jeremiah gives in succession the main characteristics of the teaching of the false prophets. The first is that they steal God's words from one another. Having no message from God, they try to imitate the true prophets.
What's easy to miss here is that these prophets weren't just fabricating messages from scratch; they were actively plagiarizing from each other. God is against them not just for their falsehoods, but for their lack of originality, showing how even among false prophets, there's a hollow echo chamber of deception that they try to pass off as divine revelation.
God is speaking against the false prophets who are deceiving his people. These prophets lack any genuine message from God themselves, so they resort to imitating true prophets, or even just copying each other, to gain credibility. This verse highlights their lack of originality and authenticity in contrast to God's true messengers.
God is speaking against the false prophets who are deceiving his people. These prophets lack any genuine message from God themselves, so they resort to imitating true prophets, or even just copying each other, to gain credibility. This verse highlights their lack of originality and authenticity in contrast to God's true messengers.
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During this tumultuous period, Jeremiah delivered God's warnings to Judah, confronting the false prophets who offered comforting lies instead of the hard truth of impending judgment.
597 BC
Second Babylonian deportation
Another wave of exiles, including the prophet Ezekiel, were deported to Babylon. This further weakened Judah and intensified the sense of crisis.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Babylonian deportation
Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and deported the remaining significant population to Babylon, effectively ending the kingdom of Judah.
"Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal my words from one another." — What's easy to miss here is that these prophets weren't just fabricating messages from scratch; they were actively plagiarizing from each other. God is against them not just for their falsehoods, but…
