Jeremiah 27:10
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It's easy to read this verse as God stating His intention to remove the people. However, the phrasing actually reveals that God is exposing the result of the people listening to the false prophets. Their lies aren't just inaccurate; they actively lead to the very destruction the people are trying to avoid.
For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will perish.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah, wearing a wooden yoke, is showing the surrounding nations and Judah that they will all be forced to serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He directly confronts the false prophets who are telling the people that Nebuchadnezzar's power is temporary and that their idols will protect them. Jeremiah warns that believing these lies will result in their exile and destruction, not liberation, as God himself will drive them out.
Imagine hearing words that sound like good news, only to discover they seal your doom. This is the trap Jeremiah exposes.
The false prophets were telling the people what they wanted to hear – that they were safe and would remain in their land. But Jeremiah reveals the devastating truth: these comforting prophecies were lies.
The Real Outcome
Jeremiah clarifies that the result of believing these lies wouldn't be security, but the exact opposite. Instead of staying put, they would be forcibly removed from their homeland. This wasn't necessarily the intention of the false prophets (though their motives were clearly self-serving), but it was the inevitable consequence of their deceitful counsel.
God's message is stark: obedience to Him, even when it means submission to earthly powers like Babylon, leads to preservation. Disobedience, fueled by false assurances, leads to destruction and perishing far from home. The prophecies of safety were a lie, and the true outcome would be exile and ruin.
Who's really in charge when empires clash and people are displaced? Jeremiah points to a divine hand at work.
Jeremiah's message, though harsh, underscores a profound theological truth: God is sovereign over all nations and rulers. He uses human actions, even the wicked plans of kings like Nebuchadnezzar, to accomplish His purposes.
Instruments of Judgment and Discipline
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When Jeremiah tells them that he (referring to God) will drive them out, he's not absolving the Babylonians of their actions. Instead, he's revealing that God orchestrates these events. The exile and potential perishing are presented as God's judgment and discipline for Judah's sin and their rejection of His prophets (like Jeremiah himself).
This perspective is crucial: even amidst crushing defeat and loss of land, God remains in control. He uses even the 'driving out' of His people as a tool, however painful, to bring about His ultimate will.
Understand the original words
sheqer · Hebrew Noun
A deception or false statement presented as truth; spiritually, it is contrary to the character of God, who is truth, and often leads to destruction.
Jeremiah 27:10 warns against false prophets whose comforting lies about immediate deliverance actually hasten the terrible reality of exile. The verse highlights the danger of believing what we want to hear rather than the difficult truth that leads to obedience and survival.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Judah and takes prominent citizens, including Daniel, into exile. This marks the beginning of Babylonian dominance over the region.
c. 598 BC— this verse
Second Deportation to Babylon
After a brief revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans to Babylon. Jeremiah's prophecy in chapter 27 likely falls within this turbulent period.
c. 597 BC
Jehoiachin's Exile and Zedekiah's Reign
Nebuchadnezzar places Zedekiah, Jehoiachin's uncle, on the throne of Judah. Zedekiah, however, continues to face pressure from rebellious factions and calls for Egyptian aid.
589 BC
Siege of Jerusalem Begins
Zedekiah rebels against Babylon, provoking Nebuchadnezzar to lay siege to Jerusalem. This prolonged siege would eventually lead to the city's destruction.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar's forces breach Jerusalem's walls, destroying the Temple and the city. The remaining population is largely exiled to Babylon, fulfilling the dire prophecies.
This passage describes a 'lying spirit' being sent by God to deceive prophets, much like the false prophets in Jeremiah 27 are giving deceptive messages that lead to destruction.
Ezekiel 13:6Ezekiel also condemns prophets who 'see false visions and utter lying divinations' and promise security, directly paralleling Jeremiah's warning about deceitful prophecies leading to ruin.
Deuteronomy 28:64This verse prophesies the scattering of Israel among the nations, a consequence that Jeremiah warns will come upon them because they listened to lies instead of obeying God.
Isaiah 6:12Similar to Jeremiah's message, Isaiah's prophecy describes a devastating removal and scattering of people from their land, highlighting the severe consequences of divine judgment.
barnesJeremiah 27:10: "For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish."
To remove you far ... - That would be the result of their vaticinations.
pooleJeremiah 27:10: "For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish."
Let them come by their pretended knowledge which way they will, what they say is false; and the issue of your belief of what they say will be nothing but your carrying into captivity out of your own country, and your ruin and destruction.
It's easy to read this verse as God stating His intention to remove the people. However, the phrasing actually reveals that God is exposing the result of the people listening to the false prophets. Their lies aren't just inaccurate; they actively lead to the very destruction the people are trying to avoid.
Jeremiah, wearing a wooden yoke, is showing the surrounding nations and Judah that they will all be forced to serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He directly confronts the false prophets who are telling the people that Nebuchadnezzar's power is temporary and that their idols will protect them. Jeremiah warns that believing these lies will result in their exile and destruction, not liberation, as God himself will drive them out.
Jeremiah, wearing a wooden yoke, is showing the surrounding nations and Judah that they will all be forced to serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He directly confronts the false prophets who are telling the people that Nebuchadnezzar's power is temporary and that their idols will protect them. Jeremiah warns that believing these lies will result in their exile and destruction, not liberation, as God himself will drive them out.
"For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will perish." — It's easy to read this verse as God stating His intention to remove the people. However, the phrasing actually reveals that God is exposing the result of the people listening to the false prophets.…
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Last reviewed October 2026
