Jeremiah 29:31-32
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It's easy to focus on Shemaiah's lies, but notice how the verse highlights his audacity: he "prophesied to you when I did not send him." This wasn't just a mistake; it was an act of impersonating God and twisting His message, making people trust in a dangerous falsehood instead of His actual word and timing.
“Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah had prophesied to you when I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie, therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He shall not have anyone living among this people, and he shall not see the good that I will do to my people, declares the LORD, for he has spoken rebellion against the LORD.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah has just sent a letter to the exiles in Babylon urging them to settle in and accept their circumstances, warning them not to listen to false prophets promising a quick return. This verse introduces a specific instance of such deception, as God commands Jeremiah to expose Shemaiah, a false prophet who misled the exiles by falsely claiming divine authority. Shemaiah's message directly contradicted Jeremiah's, fueling false hope and rebellion instead of patient endurance.
Have you ever heard a 'word from the Lord' that just didn't sit right? This passage warns about those who speak for God without His say-so.
Speaking Beyond God's Authority
The core issue with Shemaiah wasn't just that he was wrong; it was that he claimed divine authority for his own ideas. The text hammers this point home: 'Because Shemaiah hath prophesied to you, and I did not send him.'
This highlights a crucial principle: true prophecy honors God's commission and guides people according to His revealed word, not personal conjecture.
Why is believing a lie so serious? Because it doesn't just mislead us; it actively blocks us from experiencing God's best.
The Perniciousness of False Hope
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Shemaiah's prophecy wasn't just inaccurate; it was actively harmful. He told the exiles what they wanted to hear – a quick return home. This is why the text states he 'caused you to trust in a lie.'
This teaches us that deception, especially religious deception, is more than an error; it's a spiritual poison that disconnects us from God's truth and His redemptive purposes.
Understand the original words
gôlâ · Hebrew Noun
Refers to those taken captive from their homeland, often used to describe the Israelites removed to Babylon. It implies a state of being displaced from God's chosen land as part of divine judgment or discipline.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
A title of sovereignty and covenantal relationship, used exclusively for the God of Israel. It denotes the self-existent One who keeps His promises and deals personally with His creation.
nābāʾ · Hebrew Verb
One who speaks on behalf of God, conveying divine revelation. A true prophet is called and authorized by God, whereas a false prophet claims divine authority without having been sent by Him.
šeqer · Hebrew Noun
A departure from objective truth or a deliberate deception. Biblically, a lie often carries the weight of idolatry or spiritual falsehood that misleads the people of God away from His revealed will.
pāqaḏ · Hebrew Verb
To visit with judgment or retribution for sinful behavior. In biblical usage, this is a divine act of holding individuals or nations accountable for their actions against God's law or authority.
sārâ · Hebrew Noun
The state of open defiance or insurrection against God’s sovereign authority and revealed word. It signifies a refusal to submit to God's rule, often characterized by active opposition to His prophets and commands.
This verse emerges from the profound crisis of the Babylonian exile, a period where false hopes and genuine despair vied for the hearts of the exiles. Shemaiah represents the dangerous allure of easy answers, directly challenging God's prophetic word delivered through Jeremiah, who called for patience and trust in God's long-term plan.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports Jewish nobles and skilled workers, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
More Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon following a rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar.
c. 587/586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Jerusalem is destroyed, the Temple is sacked, and the majority of the remaining population is deported to Babylon. This event fulfills much of Jeremiah's prophecy regarding judgment.
During the Babylonian Exile (early 6th century BC)— this verse
Shemaiah's False Prophecy
Shemaiah, a false prophet among the exiles, claims to have received a message from God promising a quick return to Jerusalem, contrary to Jeremiah's message of a seventy-year exile.
During the Babylonian Exile (early 6th century BC)
Jeremiah's Letter to the Exiles
Jeremiah sends a letter to the exiles in Babylon, instructing them to settle, build houses, and pray for their captors, as their return would be after seventy years. This letter directly counters the false hopes spread by prophets like Shemaiah.
During the Babylonian Exile (early 6th century BC)
God's Judgment on Shemaiah
God reveals through Jeremiah that Shemaiah will be punished for prophesying without divine authorization and for misleading the people into trusting a lie.
This passage warns against prophets who speak in God's name but haven't been sent by Him, a direct parallel to Shemaiah's sin in Jeremiah 29:31.
Ezekiel 13:6-7Ezekiel describes false prophets who see false visions and practice divination, uttering lies that deceive the people – the same pattern of deception seen with Shemaiah.
1 Kings 22:11-12This story shows a false prophet, Zedekiah, making bold, encouraging claims about victory that were not from God, mirroring Shemaiah's false prophecy and the people's resulting misplaced trust.
Matthew 7:15Jesus warns about false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but are ravenous wolves, highlighting the danger of those who appear to speak for God but lead people astray, a core issue with Shemaiah.
calvinJeremiah 29:30-32: "Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,"
Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
Mitte ad totam captivitatem, dicendo, Sic dicit Jehova de Semaiah Nehelamita, Propterea quod prophetavit vobis Semaiah, cum ego non miserim ipsum, et confidere vos fecit super mendacio;
Therefore thus saith…
cambridgeJeremiah 29:31: "Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:"
31 . hath prophesied ] the first explicit statement that Shemaiah was a prophet.
It's easy to focus on Shemaiah's lies, but notice how the verse highlights his audacity: he "prophesied to you when I did not send him." This wasn't just a mistake; it was an act of impersonating God and twisting His message, making people trust in a dangerous falsehood instead of His actual word and timing.
Jeremiah has just sent a letter to the exiles in Babylon urging them to settle in and accept their circumstances, warning them not to listen to false prophets promising a quick return. This verse introduces a specific instance of such deception, as God commands Jeremiah to expose Shemaiah, a false prophet who misled the exiles by falsely claiming divine authority. Shemaiah's message directly contradicted Jeremiah's, fueling false hope and rebellion instead of patient endurance.
Jeremiah has just sent a letter to the exiles in Babylon urging them to settle in and accept their circumstances, warning them not to listen to false prophets promising a quick return. This verse introduces a specific instance of such deception, as God commands Jeremiah to expose Shemaiah, a false prophet who misled the exiles by falsely claiming divine authority. Shemaiah's message directly contradicted Jeremiah's, fueling false hope and rebellion instead of patient endurance.
"“Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah had prophesied to you when I did not send him, and has made you trust in a lie, therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shema…" — It's easy to focus on Shemaiah's lies, but notice how the verse highlights his audacity: he "prophesied to you when I did not send him." This wasn't just a mistake; it was an act of impersonating God…
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Last reviewed October 2026
