Jeremiah 29:8-9
For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The most striking phrase here is "dreams that you cause to be dreamed." This isn't just about false prophets tricking people; it’s a profound statement that the people themselves actively fuel these deceptive messages by demanding to hear what they want to hear, rather than what God’s truth might be.
The exiles in Babylon are receiving a letter from Jeremiah, meant to clarify God's message about their situation. While they are told to settle in for a long stay, false prophets are among them, stirring up deceptive hopes of a quick return. Jeremiah warns them to ignore these misleading voices, whether they claim divine revelation, divination, or prophetic dreams, because their own desire for easy answers fuels these lies.
In a challenging situation, who are you listening to? God's Word warns against a specific kind of spiritual danger that follows us even into exile.
When God’s people are in difficult circumstances, false prophets and diviners often appear, offering comforting but untrue messages. These individuals, as seen in Jeremiah's time and still today, prey on people's desires for an easy way out. They claim divine insight, whether through visions, divination, or dreams, to contradict God's actual word. God's message is clear: these voices are deceptive and lead to ruin.
Why would false messages persist? It’s not just the deceivers; God points to a critical factor from the listeners' side.
The phrase 'dreams that you cause to be dreamed' is striking! It suggests that the people themselves were actively contributing to the deception. They 'loved to have it so' (Jeremiah 5:31), meaning they craved messages that aligned with their own wishes, especially the desire for a quick return from exile. This created a demand that fueled the supply of false prophecy. People's willingness to be comforted by lies, rather than accept difficult truths, makes them complicit in their own spiritual deception.
Understand the original words
tseba'ot · Hebrew Noun
A title emphasizing God as the Commander of all angelic armies and the universe, highlighting His supreme sovereignty and power over all nations and realms.
nabi · Hebrew Noun
Individuals who claimed to speak for God but lacked divine commission, often leading people astray through false assurances and counterfeit spiritual experiences.
qesem · Hebrew Noun
Individuals who practice forbidden occult arts to predict the future or gain secret knowledge, explicitly condemned in Scripture as an affront to God's sole authority.
nasha' · Hebrew Verb
The act of being misled or seduced by false teachings or idols, causing one to abandon truth and trust in things that do not exist or have no power.
The exiles in Babylon were desperate for hope, and this desperation created a market for false prophets who offered comforting but untrue messages of immediate return, directly contradicting God's word through Jeremiah.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports members of the Judean nobility and skilled individuals, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation
Another significant group of Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon. Jerusalem's temple is plundered.
c. 587/586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon. This is a devastating blow to Jewish identity and hope.
c. 587/586 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Letter to Exiles
Jeremiah, still in or near Jerusalem, writes a letter to the exiles in Babylon, advising them to settle down and build lives, warning them not to listen to false prophets promising a quick return.
This passage warns about false prophets who speak in God's name but aren't sent by Him, a direct parallel to the deceivers Jeremiah addresses.
Jeremiah 23:16This verse echoes Jeremiah 29:8, stating that the false prophets speak 'vain visions' and 'deceits' from their own minds, not from the LORD, highlighting the source of the deception.
1 Kings 22:22-23This narrative shows a 'lying spirit' being sent by the LORD to deceive Ahab through his prophets, illustrating how God can allow deception when people reject His truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12This passage speaks of God sending 'powerful delusion' to those who do not accept the truth, connecting the idea that people can contribute to their own deception by preferring lies.
Isaiah 30:10Here, the people demand smooth prophecies and tell seers 'Prophesy falsely!', showing the demand-driven nature of receiving false messages, just as mentioned in Jeremiah 29:8 where people 'cause' the dreams.
barnesJeremiah 29:8: "For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed."
Your prophets and your diviners - The evils from which the people had suffered so cruelly at home followed them in their exile. Dreams which ye cause to be dreamed - As long as there was a market for dreams, so long there would be plenty of impostors to supply them.
clarkeJeremiah 29:8: "For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed."
Neither hearken to your dreams - Rather, dreamers; for it appears there was a class of such persons, who not only had acquired a facility of dreaming themselves, but who undertook to interpret the dreams of others.
The most striking phrase here is "dreams that you cause to be dreamed." This isn't just about false prophets tricking people; it’s a profound statement that the people themselves actively fuel these deceptive messages by demanding to hear what they want to hear, rather than what God’s truth might be.
The exiles in Babylon are receiving a letter from Jeremiah, meant to clarify God's message about their situation. While they are told to settle in for a long stay, false prophets are among them, stirring up deceptive hopes of a quick return. Jeremiah warns them to ignore these misleading voices, whether they claim divine revelation, divination, or prophetic dreams, because their own desire for easy answers fuels these lies.
The exiles in Babylon are receiving a letter from Jeremiah, meant to clarify God's message about their situation. While they are told to settle in for a long stay, false prophets are among them, stirring up deceptive hopes of a quick return. Jeremiah warns them to ignore these misleading voices, whether they claim divine revelation, divination, or prophetic dreams, because their own desire for easy answers fuels these lies.
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sheqer · Hebrew Noun
In a biblical context, it refers to a falsehood or an idol that lacks substance; it is a direct opposition to the truth and character of God.
c. 580s-570s BC
False Prophecies in Exile
During the exile, numerous prophets and dreamers among the exiles preach messages of immediate deliverance, contradicting Jeremiah's prophecy of a 70-year period of servitude.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, ushering in the Persian Empire. This event eventually leads to the decree allowing the Jews to return home.
538 BC
Decree of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree permitting the exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples. Many return, but not all.
"For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I d…" — The most striking phrase here is "dreams that you cause to be dreamed." This isn't just about false prophets tricking people; it’s a profound statement that the people themselves actively fuel thes…
