Deuteronomy 13:1-3

13:1 Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams ¹  should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder, ²  13:2 and the sign or wonder should come to pass concerning what he said to you, namely, “Let us follow other gods” – gods whom you have not previously known – “and let us serve them.” 13:3 You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer, ³  for the Lord your God will be testing you to see if you love him ⁴  with all your mind and being. ⁵ 

Deuteronomy 13:1

13:1 Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams ⁶  should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder, ⁷ 

Deuteronomy 18:19-22

18:19 I will personally hold responsible ⁸  anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet ⁹  speaks in my name.

18:20 “But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized ¹⁰  him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. 18:21 Now if you say to yourselves, ¹¹  ‘How can we tell that a message is not from the Lord?’ ¹²  – 18:22 whenever a prophet speaks in my ¹³  name and the prediction ¹⁴  is not fulfilled, ¹⁵  then I have ¹⁶  not spoken it; ¹⁷  the prophet has presumed to speak it, so you need not fear him.”

Deuteronomy 22:6

22:6 If you happen to notice a bird’s nest along the road, whether in a tree or on the ground, and there are chicks or eggs with the mother bird sitting on them, ¹⁸  you must not take the mother from the young. ¹⁹ 

Nehemiah 6:12-14

6:12 I recognized the fact that God had not sent him, for he had spoken the prophecy against me as a hired agent of Tobiah and Sanballat. ²⁰  6:13 He had been hired to scare me so that I would do this and thereby sin. They would thus bring reproach on me and I ²¹  would be discredited. ²² 

6:14 Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat in light of these actions of theirs – also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who were trying to scare me!

Isaiah 9:15

9:15 The leaders and the highly respected people ²³  are the head,

the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

Isaiah 56:10-11

56:10 All their watchmen ²⁴  are blind,

they are unaware. ²⁵ 

All of them are like mute dogs,

unable to bark.

They pant, ²⁶  lie down,

and love to snooze.

56:11 The dogs have big appetites;

they are never full. ²⁷ 

They are shepherds who have no understanding;

they all go their own way,

each one looking for monetary gain. ²⁸ 

Jeremiah 14:13-15

14:13 Then I said, “Oh, Lord God, ²⁹  look! ³⁰  The prophets are telling them that you said, ³¹  ‘You will not experience war or suffer famine. ³²  I will give you lasting peace and prosperity in this land.’” ³³ 

14:14 Then the Lord said to me, “Those prophets are prophesying lies while claiming my authority! ³⁴  I did not send them. I did not commission them. ³⁵  I did not speak to them. They are prophesying to these people false visions, worthless predictions, ³⁶  and the delusions of their own mind. 14:15 I did not send those prophets, though they claim to be prophesying in my name. They may be saying, ‘No war or famine will happen in this land.’ But I, the Lord, say this about ³⁷  them: ‘War and starvation will kill those prophets.’ ³⁸ 

Jeremiah 23:16-17

23:16 The Lord who rules over all ³⁹  says to the people of Jerusalem: ⁴⁰ 

“Do not listen to what

those prophets are saying to you.

They are filling you with false hopes.

They are reporting visions of their own imaginations,

not something the Lord has given them to say. ⁴¹ 

23:17 They continually say ⁴²  to those who reject what the Lord has said, ⁴³ 

‘Things will go well for you!’ ⁴⁴ 

They say to all those who follow the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts,

‘Nothing bad will happen to you!’

Jeremiah 23:25-32

23:25 The Lord says, ⁴⁵  “I have heard what those prophets who are prophesying lies in my name are saying. They are saying, ‘I have had a dream! I have had a dream!’ ⁴⁶  23:26 Those prophets are just prophesying lies. They are prophesying the delusions of their own minds. ⁴⁷  23:27 How long will they go on plotting ⁴⁸  to make my people forget who I am ⁴⁹  through the dreams they tell one another? That is just as bad as what their ancestors ⁵⁰  did when they forgot who I am by worshiping the god Baal. ⁵¹  23:28 Let the prophet who has had a dream go ahead and tell his dream. Let the person who has received my message report that message faithfully. What is like straw cannot compare to what is like grain! ⁵²  I, the Lord, affirm it! ⁵³  23:29 My message is like a fire that purges dross! ⁵⁴  It is like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces! ⁵⁵  I, the Lord, so affirm it! ⁵⁶  23:30 So I, the Lord, affirm ⁵⁷  that I am opposed to those prophets who steal messages from one another that they claim are from me. ⁵⁸  23:31 I, the Lord, affirm ⁵⁹  that I am opposed to those prophets who are using their own tongues to declare, ‘The Lord declares….’ ⁶⁰  23:32 I, the Lord, affirm ⁶¹  that I am opposed to those prophets who dream up lies and report them. They are misleading my people with their reckless lies. ⁶²  I did not send them. I did not commission them. They are not helping these people at all. ⁶³  I, the Lord, affirm it!” ⁶⁴ 

Jeremiah 27:14-15

27:14 Do not listen to the prophets who are telling you that you do not need to serve ⁶⁵  the king of Babylon. For they are prophesying lies to you. 27:15 For I, the Lord, affirm ⁶⁶  that I did not send them. They are prophesying lies to you. If you ⁶⁷  listen to them, I will drive you and the prophets who are prophesying lies out of the land and you will all die in exile.” ⁶⁸ 

Jeremiah 28:15-17

28:15 Then the prophet Jeremiah told the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you! You are making these people trust in a lie! ⁶⁹  28:16 So the Lord says, ‘I will most assuredly remove ⁷⁰  you from the face of the earth. You will die this very year because you have counseled rebellion against the Lord.’” ⁷¹ 

28:17 In the seventh month of that very same year ⁷²  the prophet Hananiah died.

Jeremiah 29:8-9

29:8 “For the Lord God of Israel who rules over all ⁷³  says, ‘Do not let the prophets or those among you who claim to be able to predict the future by divination ⁷⁴  deceive you. And do not pay any attention to the dreams that you are encouraging them to dream. 29:9 They are prophesying lies to you and claiming my authority to do so. ⁷⁵  But I did not send them. I, the Lord, affirm it!’ ⁷⁶ 

Jeremiah 29:31-32

29:31 “Send a message to all the exiles in Babylon. Tell them, ‘The Lord has spoken about Shemaiah the Nehelamite. “Shemaiah has spoken to you as a prophet even though I did not send him. He is making you trust in a lie. ⁷⁷  29:32 Because he has done this,” ⁷⁸  the Lord says, “I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his whole family. There will not be any of them left to experience the good things that I will do for my people. I, the Lord, affirm it! For he counseled rebellion against the Lord.”’” ⁷⁹ 

Jeremiah 37:19

37:19 Where now are the prophets who prophesied to you that ⁸⁰  the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land?

Lamentations 2:14

נ (Nun)

2:14 Your prophets saw visions for you

that were worthless lies. ⁸¹ 

They failed to expose your sin

so as to restore your fortunes. ⁸² 

They saw oracles for you

that were worthless ⁸³  lies.

Ezekiel 13:3-18

13:3 This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit but have seen nothing! 13:4 Your prophets have become like jackals among the ruins, O Israel. 13:5 You have not gone up in the breaks in the wall, nor repaired a wall for the house of Israel that it would stand strong in the battle on the day of the Lord. 13:6 They see delusion and their omens are a lie. ⁸⁴  They say, “the Lord declares,” though the Lord has not sent them; ⁸⁵  yet they expect their word to be confirmed. ⁸⁶  13:7 Have you not seen a false vision and announced a lying omen when you say, “the Lord declares,” although I myself never spoke?

13:8 “‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Because you have spoken false words and forecast delusion, look, ⁸⁷  I am against you, ⁸⁸  declares the sovereign Lord. 13:9 My hand will be against the prophets who see delusion and announce lying omens. They will not be included in the council ⁸⁹  of my people, nor be written in the registry ⁹⁰  of the house of Israel, nor enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the sovereign Lord.

13:10 “‘This is because they have led my people astray saying, “All is well,” ⁹¹  when things are not well. When anyone builds a wall without mortar, ⁹²  they coat it with whitewash. 13:11 Tell the ones who coat it with whitewash that it will fall. When there is a deluge of rain, hailstones ⁹³  will fall and a violent wind will break out. ⁹⁴  13:12 When the wall has collapsed, people will ask you, “Where is the whitewash you coated it with?”

13:13 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: In my rage I will make a violent wind break out. In my anger there will be a deluge of rain and hailstones in destructive fury. 13:14 I will break down the wall you coated with whitewash and knock it to the ground so that its foundation is exposed. When it falls you will be destroyed beneath it, ⁹⁵  and you will know that I am the Lord. 13:15 I will vent my rage against the wall, and against those who coated it with whitewash. Then I will say to you, “The wall is no more and those who whitewashed it are no more – 13:16 those prophets of Israel who would prophesy about Jerusalem ⁹⁶  and would see visions of peace for it, when there was no peace,” declares the sovereign Lord.’

13:17 “As for you, son of man, turn toward ⁹⁷  the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their imagination. ⁹⁸  Prophesy against them 13:18 and say ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to those who sew bands ⁹⁹  on all their wrists ¹⁰⁰  and make headbands ¹⁰¹  for heads of every size to entrap people’s lives! ¹⁰²  Will you entrap my people’s lives, yet preserve your own lives?

Hosea 9:8

9:8 The prophet ¹⁰³  is a watchman ¹⁰⁴  over Ephraim ¹⁰⁵  on behalf of God, ¹⁰⁶ 

yet traps ¹⁰⁷  are laid for him along all of his paths; ¹⁰⁸ 

animosity rages against him in the land ¹⁰⁹  of his God.

Micah 2:11

2:11 If a lying windbag should come and say, ¹¹⁰ 

‘I’ll promise you blessings of wine and beer,’ ¹¹¹ 

he would be just the right preacher for these people! ¹¹² 

Micah 3:5

3:5 This is what the Lord says: “The prophets who mislead my people

are as good as dead. ¹¹³ 

If someone gives them enough to eat,

they offer an oracle of peace. ¹¹⁴ 

But if someone does not give them food,

they are ready to declare war on him. ¹¹⁵ 

Micah 3:11

3:11 Her ¹¹⁶  leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases, ¹¹⁷ 

her priests proclaim rulings for profit,

and her prophets read omens for pay.

Yet they claim to trust ¹¹⁸  the Lord and say,

“The Lord is among us. ¹¹⁹ 

Disaster will not overtake ¹²⁰  us!”

Zechariah 13:3-4

13:3 Then, if anyone prophesies in spite of this, his father and mother to whom he was born will say to him, ‘You cannot live, for you lie in the name of the Lord.’ Then his father and mother to whom he was born will run him through with a sword when he prophesies. ¹²¹ 

13:4 “Therefore, on that day each prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies and will no longer wear the hairy garment ¹²²  of a prophet to deceive the people. ¹²³ 

Matthew 7:15

A Tree and Its Fruit

7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. ¹²⁴ 

Luke 6:26

6:26 “Woe to you ¹²⁵  when all people ¹²⁶  speak well of you, for their ancestors ¹²⁷  did the same things to the false prophets.

Romans 16:18

16:18 For these are the kind who do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By their smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds ¹²⁸  of the naive.

[13:1]  ¹ tn Heb “or a dreamer of dreams” (so KJV, ASV, NASB). The difference between a prophet (נָבִיא, navi’) and one who foretells by dreams (חֹלֵם אוֹ, ’o kholem) was not so much one of office – for both received revelation by dreams (cf. Num 12:6) – as it was of function or emphasis. The prophet was more a proclaimer and interpreter of revelation whereas the one who foretold by dreams was a receiver of revelation. In later times the role of the one who foretold by dreams was abused and thus denigrated as compared to that of the prophet (cf. Jer 23:28).

[13:1]  ² tn The expression אוֹת אוֹ מוֹפֵת (’ot ’o mofet) became a formulaic way of speaking of ways of authenticating prophetic messages or other works of God (cf. Deut 28:46; Isa 20:3). The NT equivalent is the Greek term σημεῖον (shmeion), a sign performed (used frequently in the Gospel of John, cf. 2:11, 18; 20:30-31). They could, however, be counterfeited or (as here) permitted to false prophets by the Lord as a means of testing his people.

[13:3]  ³ tn Heb “or dreamer of dreams.” See note on this expression in v. 1.

[13:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

[13:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “all your heart and soul” (so NRSV, CEV, NLT); or “heart and being” (NCV “your whole being”). See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.

[13:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “or a dreamer of dreams” (so KJV, ASV, NASB). The difference between a prophet (נָבִיא, navi’) and one who foretells by dreams (חֹלֵם אוֹ, ’o kholem) was not so much one of office – for both received revelation by dreams (cf. Num 12:6) – as it was of function or emphasis. The prophet was more a proclaimer and interpreter of revelation whereas the one who foretold by dreams was a receiver of revelation. In later times the role of the one who foretold by dreams was abused and thus denigrated as compared to that of the prophet (cf. Jer 23:28).

[13:1]  ⁷ tn The expression אוֹת אוֹ מוֹפֵת (’ot ’o mofet) became a formulaic way of speaking of ways of authenticating prophetic messages or other works of God (cf. Deut 28:46; Isa 20:3). The NT equivalent is the Greek term σημεῖον (shmeion), a sign performed (used frequently in the Gospel of John, cf. 2:11, 18; 20:30-31). They could, however, be counterfeited or (as here) permitted to false prophets by the Lord as a means of testing his people.

[18:19]  ⁸ tn Heb “will seek from him”; NAB “I myself will make him answer for it”; NRSV “will hold accountable.”

[18:19]  ⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet mentioned in v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:20]  ¹⁰ tn Or “commanded” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[18:21]  ¹¹ tn Heb “in your heart.”

[18:21]  ¹² tn Heb “know the word which the Lord has not spoken.” The issue here is not understanding the meaning of the message, but distinguishing a genuine prophetic word from a false one.

[18:22]  ¹³ tn Heb “the Lord’s.” See note on the word “his” in v. 5.

[18:22]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the word,” but a predictive word is in view here. Cf. NAB “his oracle.”

[18:22]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “does not happen or come to pass.”

[18:22]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the Lord has.” See note on the word “his” in v. 5.

[18:22]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “that is the word which the Lord has not spoken.”

[22:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and the mother sitting upon the chicks or the eggs.”

[22:6]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “sons,” used here in a generic sense for offspring.

[6:12]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.”

[6:13]  ²¹ tc The translation reads לִי (li, “to me”) rather than the MT reading לָהֶם (lahem, “to them”).

[6:13]  ²² tn Heb “would have a bad name.”

[9:15]  ²³ tn Heb “the elder and the one lifted up with respect to the face.” For another example of the Hebrew idiom, see 2 Kgs 5:1.

[56:10]  ²⁴ sn The “watchmen” are probably spiritual leaders, most likely prophets and priests, responsible for giving the people moral direction.

[56:10]  ²⁵ tn Heb “they do not know”; KJV “they are all ignorant”; NIV “they all lack knowledge.”

[56:10]  ²⁶ tn The Hebrew text has הֹזִים (hozim), which appears to be derived from an otherwise unattested verbal root הָזָה (hazah). On the basis of alleged cognates, BDB 223 s.v. הָזָה offers the definition “dream, rave” while HALOT 243 s.v. הזה lists “pant.” In this case the dog metaphor of the preceding lines continues. The reference to dogs at the beginning of v. 11 favors the extension of the metaphor. The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a has חזים (“seers”) here. In this case the “watchmen” are directly identified as prophets and depicted as lazy.

[56:11]  ²⁷ sn The phrase never full alludes to the greed of the leaders.

[56:11]  ²⁸ tn Heb “for his gain from his end.”

[14:13]  ²⁹ tn Heb “Lord Yahweh.” The translation follows the ancient Jewish tradition of substituting the Hebrew word for God for the proper name Yahweh.

[14:13]  ³⁰ tn Heb “Behold.” See the translator’s note on usage of this particle in 1:6.

[14:13]  ³¹ tn The words “that you said” are not in the text but are implicit from the first person in the affirmation that follows. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[14:13]  ³² tn Heb “You will not see sword and you will not have starvation [or hunger].”

[14:13]  ³³ tn Heb “I will give you unfailing peace in this place.” The translation opts for “peace and prosperity” here for the word שָׁלוֹם (shalom) because in the context it refers both to peace from war and security from famine and plague. The word translated “lasting” (אֱמֶת, ’emet) is a difficult to render here because it has broad uses: “truth, reliability, stability, steadfastness,” etc. “Guaranteed” or “lasting” seem to fit the context the best.

[14:14]  ³⁴ tn Heb “Falsehood those prophets are prophesying in my name.” In the OT, the “name” reflected the person’s character (cf. Gen 27:36; 1 Sam 25:25) or his reputation (Gen 11:4; 2 Sam 8:13). To speak in someone’s name was to act as his representative or carry his authority (1 Sam 25:9; 1 Kgs 21:8).

[14:14]  ³⁵ tn Heb “I did not command them.” Compare 1 Chr 22:12 for usage.

[14:14]  ³⁶ tn Heb “divination and worthlessness.” The noun “worthlessness” stands as a qualifying “of” phrase (= to an adjective; an attributive genitive in Hebrew) after a noun in Zech 11:17; Job 13:4. This is an example of hendiadys where two nouns are joined by “and” with one serving as the qualifier of the other.

[14:15]  ³⁷ tn Heb “Thus says the Lord about.” The first person construction has been used in the translation for better English style.

[14:15]  ³⁸ tn Heb “Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who are prophesying in my name and I did not send them [= whom I did not send] and they are saying [= who are saying], ‘Sword and famine…’, by sword and famine those prophets will be killed.” This sentence has been restructured to conform to contemporary English style.

[23:16]  ³⁹ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”

[23:16]  ⁴⁰ tn The words “to the people of Jerusalem” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied in the translation to reflect the masculine plural form of the imperative and the second masculine plural form of the pronoun. These words have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[23:16]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “They tell of a vision of their own heart [= mind] not from the mouth of the Lord.”

[23:17]  ⁴² tn The translation reflects an emphatic construction where the infinitive absolute follows a participle (cf. GKC 343 §113.r).

[23:17]  ⁴³ tc The translation follows the Greek version. The Hebrew text reads, “who reject me, ‘The Lord has spoken, “Things…”’” The Greek version is to be preferred here because of (1) the parallelism of the lines “reject what the Lord has said” // “follow the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts;” (2) the preceding context which speaks of “visions of their own imaginations not of what the Lord has given them;” (3) the following context which denies that they have ever had access to the Lord’s secrets; (4) the general contexts earlier regarding false prophecy where rejection of the Lord’s word is in view (6:14 [see there v. 10]; 8:11 [see there v. 9]); (5) the meter of the poetic lines (the Hebrew meter is 3/5/4/3; the meter presupposed by the translation is 5/3/4/3 with the 3’s being their words). The difference is one of vocalization of the same consonants. The vocalization of the MT is יְהוָה מְנַאֲצַי דִּבֶּר [mÿna’atsay dibber yÿhvah]; the Hebrew Vorlage behind the Greek would be vocalized as מְנַאֲצֵי דְּבַר יְהוָה (mÿna’atsey dÿvar yÿhvah).

[23:17]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “You will have peace.” But see the note on 14:13. See also 6:14 and 8:11.

[23:25]  ⁴⁵ tn The words, “The Lord says” are not in the text. They are supplied in the translation for clarity to show that the Lord continues speaking.

[23:25]  ⁴⁶ sn To have had a dream was not an illegitimate means of receiving divine revelation. God had revealed himself in the past to his servants through dreams (e.g., Jacob [Gen 31:10-11] and Joseph [Gen 37:6, 7, 9]) and God promised to reveal himself through dreams (Num 12:6; Joel 2:28 [3:1 HT]). What was illegitimate was to use the dream to lead people away from the Lord (Deut 13:1-5 [13:2-6 HT]). That was what the prophets were doing through their dreams which were “lies” and “the delusions of their own minds.” Through them they were making people forget who the Lord really was which was just like what their ancestors had done through worshiping Baal.

[23:26]  ⁴⁷ sn See the parallel passage in Jer 14:13-15.

[23:27]  ⁴⁸ tn The relation of the words to one another in v. 26 and the beginning of v. 27 has created difficulties for translators and commentators. The proper solution is reflected in the NJPS. Verses 26-27 read somewhat literally, “How long is there in the hearts of the prophets who are prophesying the lie and [in the hearts of] the prophets of the delusions of their [own] heart the plotting to cause my people to forget my name…” Most commentaries complain that the text is corrupt, that there is no subject for “is there.” However, the long construct qualification “in the hearts of” has led to the lack of observation that the proper subject is “the plotting to make my people forget.” There are no exact parallels but Jer 14:22; Neh 5:5 follow the same structure. The “How long” precedes the other means of asking a question for the purpose of emphasis (cf. BDB 210 s.v. הֲ 1.b and compare for example the usage in 2 Sam 7:7). There has also been a failure to see that “the prophets of the delusion of…” is a parallel construct noun after “heart of.” Stripping the syntax down to its barest minimum and translating literally, the sentence would read “How long will the plotting…continue in the hearts of the prophets who…and [in hearts of] the prophets of…” The sentence has been restructured in the translation to conform to contemporary English style but attempt has been made to maintain the same subordinations.

[23:27]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “my name.”

[23:27]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 39).

[23:27]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “through Baal.” This is an elliptical expression for the worship of Baal. See 11:17; 12:16; 19:5 for other references to their relation to Baal. There is a deliberate paralleling in the syntax here between “through their dreams” and “through Baal.”

[23:28]  ⁵² tn Heb “What to the straw with [in comparison with] the grain?” This idiom represents an emphatic repudiation or denial of relationship. See, for example, the usage in 2 Sam 16:10 and note BDB 553 s.v. מָה 1.d(c).

[23:28]  ⁵³ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[23:29]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “Is not my message like a fire?” The rhetorical question expects a positive answer that is made explicit in the translation. The words “that purges dross” are not in the text but are implicit to the metaphor. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[23:29]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “Is it not like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” See preceding note.

[23:29]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[23:30]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[23:30]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “who are stealing my words from one another.” However, context shows that it is their own word which they claim is from the Lord (cf. next verse).

[23:31]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[23:31]  ⁶⁰ tn The word “The Lord” is not actually in the text but is implicit in the idiom. It is generally supplied in all the English versions.

[23:32]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[23:32]  ⁶² tn Heb “with their lies and their recklessness.” This is an example of hendiadys where two nouns (in this case a concrete and an abstract one) are joined by “and” but one is intended to be the adjectival modifier of the other.

[23:32]  ⁶³ sn In the light of what has been said this is a rhetorical understatement; they are not only “not helping,” they are leading them to their doom (cf. vv. 19-22). This figure of speech is known as litotes.

[23:32]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[27:14]  ⁶⁵ tn The verb in this context is best taken as a negative obligatory imperfect. See IBHS 508 §31.4g for discussion and examples. See Exod 4:15 as an example of positive obligation.

[27:15]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “oracle of the Lord.”

[27:15]  ⁶⁷ sn The verbs are again plural referring to the king and his royal advisers.

[27:15]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “…drive you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying lies.”

[28:15]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “You are giving these people false assurances.”

[28:16]  ⁷⁰ sn There is a play on words here in Hebrew between “did not send you” and “will…remove you.” The two verbs are from the same root word in Hebrew. The first is the simple active and the second is the intensive.

[28:16]  ⁷¹ sn In giving people false assurances of restoration when the Lord had already told them to submit to Babylon, Hananiah was really counseling rebellion against the Lord. What Hananiah had done was contrary to the law of Deut 13:6 and was punishable by death.

[28:17]  ⁷² sn Comparison with Jer 28:1 shows that this whole incident took place in the space of two months. Hananiah had prophesied that the captivity would be over before two years had past. However, before two months were past, Hananiah himself died in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy of his death. His death was a validation of Jeremiah as a true prophet. The subsequent events of 588 b.c. would validate Jeremiah’s prophesies and invalidate those of Hananiah.

[29:8]  ⁷³ tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.”

[29:8]  ⁷⁴ sn See the study notes on 27:9 for this term.

[29:9]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “prophesying lies to you in my name.”

[29:9]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[29:31]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “is giving you false assurances.”

[29:32]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “Therefore.”

[29:32]  ⁷⁹ sn Compare the same charge against Hananiah in Jer 28:16 and see the note there. In this case, the false prophesy of Shemaiah is not given but it likely had the same tenor since he wants Jeremiah reprimanded for saying that the exile will be long and the people are to settle down in Babylon.

[37:19]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “And where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land?’” The indirect quote has been used in the translation because of its simpler, more direct style.

[2:14]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “emptiness and whitewash.” The nouns שָׁוְא וְתָפֵל (shv’ vÿtafel) form a nominal hendiadys. The first noun functions adjectivally, modifying the second noun that retains its full nominal sense: “empty whitewash” or “empty deceptions” (see following translation note on meaning of תָּפֵל [tafel]). The noun תָּפֵל (tafel, “whitewash”) is used literally in reference to a white-washed wall (Ezek 13:10, 11, 14, 15) and figuratively in reference to false prophets (Ezek 22:28).

[2:14]  ⁸² tc The Kethib שְׁבִיתֵךְ (shÿvitekh) and Qere שְׁבוּתֵךְ (shÿvutekh), which is preserved in many medieval Hebrew mss here and elsewhere (Ps 85:1 Heb 85:2; 126:4; Job 42:10), are struggling with the root. The ancient versions take it from ָָשׁבָה (shavah) meaning “captivity.” Such a meaning is not tenable for the Job passage, which along with a similar phrase in the Sefire inscription suggest that the proper meaning is “to restore someone’s fortunes.”

[2:14]  ⁸³ tn The nouns שָׁוְא וּמַדּוּחִים (shav’ umaddukhim, lit., “emptiness and enticements”) form a nominal hendiadys. The first functions adjectivally, modifying the second noun that retains its nominal sense: “empty enticements” or “false deceptions.” The noun מַדּוּחַ (madduakh), meaning “enticement” or “transgression” is a hapax legomenon (term that appears only once in the Hebrew OT). It is related to the verb נָדָח (nadakh, “to entice, lead astray”) which is often used in reference to idolatry.

[13:6]  ⁸⁴ sn The same description of a false prophet is found in Micah 2:11.

[13:6]  ⁸⁵ sn The Lord has not sent them. A similar concept is found in Jer 14:14; 23:21.

[13:6]  ⁸⁶ tn Or “confirmed”; NIV “to be fulfilled”; TEV “to come true.”

[13:8]  ⁸⁷ tn The word h!nn@h indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[13:8]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.

[13:9]  ⁸⁹ tn The Hebrew term may refer to the secret council of the Lord (Jer 23:18; Job 15:8), but here it more likely refers to a human council comprised of civic leaders (Gen 49:6; Jer 6:11; 15:17 Ps 64:3; 111:1).

[13:9]  ⁹⁰ tn The reference here is probably to a civil list (as in Ezra 2:16; Neh 7:64) rather than to a “book of life” (Exod 32:32; Isa 4:3; Ps 69:29; Dan 12:1). This registry may have been established at the making of David’s census (2 Sam 24:2, 9).

[13:10]  ⁹¹ tn Or “peace.”

[13:10]  ⁹² tn The Hebrew word only occurs here in the Bible. According to L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 1:202-3) it is also used in the Mishnah of a wall of rough stones without mortar. This fits the context here comparing the false prophetic messages to a nice coat of whitewash on a structurally unstable wall.

[13:11]  ⁹³ tn Heb “and you, O hailstones.”

[13:11]  ⁹⁴ sn A violent wind will break out. God’s judgments are frequently described in storm imagery (Pss 18:7-15; 77:17-18; 83:15; Isa 28:17; 30:30; Jer 23:19; 30:23).

[13:14]  ⁹⁵ tn Or “within it,” referring to the city of Jerusalem.

[13:16]  ⁹⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[13:17]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “set your face against.”

[13:17]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “from their heart.”

[13:18]  ⁹⁹ sn The wristbands mentioned here probably represented magic bands or charms. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:413.

[13:18]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “joints of the hands.” This may include the elbow and shoulder joints.

[13:18]  ¹⁰¹ tn The Hebrew term occurs in the Bible only here and in v. 21. It has also been understood as a veil or type of head covering. D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:414) suggests that given the context of magical devices, the expected parallel to the magical arm bands, and the meaning of this Hebrew root (סָפַח [safakh, “to attach” or “join”]), it may refer to headbands or necklaces on which magical amulets were worn.

[13:18]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “human lives” or “souls” (three times in v. 18 and twice in v. 19).

[9:8]  ¹⁰³ tc The Leningrad Codex (the MT ms used for BHS) and Aleppo Codex both place the atnach (colon divider) after אלהי (“my God”) and connect נָבִיא (navi’, “prophet”) with the following colon. On the other hand, BHS suggests that נָבִיא (navi’, “prophet”) belongs with the first colon. For discussion of this syntactical problem, see F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Hosea (AB), 533-34.

[9:8]  ¹⁰⁴ tc The syntax of this line is difficult, and the text is questionable. The major options include: (1) Adopt the MT vocalization and BHS line division: צֹפֶה אֶפְרַיִם עִם־אֱלֹהָי נָבִיא (tsofeh ’efrayim ’im-elohay navi’, “The prophet is a watchman over Ephraim with my God [= on behalf of God]”). There are two problems with this: (a) Although BHS places נָבִיא (“prophet”) with this colon, the Aleppo Codex and Leningrad Codex both connect נָבִיא with the next colon (as do KJV, ASV). (b) The phrase עִם־אֱלֹהָי (“with my God”) is difficult to explain. (2) Adopt the MT vocalization and the MT line division: עִם־אֱלֹהָי צֹפֶה אֶפְרַיִם (“Ephraim is a watchman with my God,” cf. NASB). The problem with this, of course, is that Ephraim hardly fits the description of a prophetic watchman. (3) Revocalize the MT and adopt BHS line division: צֹפֶה אֶפְרַיִם עַם אֱלֹהָי נָבִיא (“Ephraim – the people of my God! – lies in ambush for the prophet”) This involves: (a) revocalization of the preposition עִם (’im, “with”) to the noun עַם (’am, “people”), (b) taking עַם־אֱלֹהָי (“people of my God”) in apposition to אֶפְרַיִם (“Ephraim”), and (c) nuancing צֹפֶה as “to lie in wait (=set ambush)” (e.g., Ps 37:32). This is contextually attractive and harmonizes well with the following line: “traps are laid along all of his paths.” However, it has two problems: (a) there is no textual evidence supporting the revocalization of עם as “people” and (b) the unusual nuance “to lie in wait” for צֹפֶה occurs only in Ps 37:32, where it takes the preposition לְ (lamed, i.e., “to lie in wait for the righteous”; HALOT 1044 s.v. צפה 4). (4) Emend אֱלֹהָי (“my God”) to אֹהֶל (’ohel, “tent”), as suggested in the BHS textual apparatus: אֶפְרַיִם עַם־אֹהֶל נָבִיא צֹפֶה (“Ephraim spies on the prophet’s tent”). The verb צָפָה may mean “to spy” (BDB 859 s.v. צָפָה; HALOT 1044 s.v. צפה 3); however, the preposition עִם (’im) does not normally mean “upon” and צָפָה is not used with עִם elsewhere.

[9:8]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or “Ephraim is a watchman with my God”; cf. ASV, NASB.

[9:8]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “with my God” (so ASV, NASB).

[9:8]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “bird trap of a bird catcher” or “snare of a fowler” (so KJV).

[9:8]  ¹⁰⁸ tc Or “The prophet is like a trap along all of his paths.” The Aleppo Codex and Leningrad Codex (ms used in BHS) both connect נָבִיא (navi’, “prophet”) with this colon. On the other hand, BHS places נָבִיא (“prophet”) at the end of the preceding colon.

[9:8]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “house.” The term בַּיִת (bayit, “house”) is used as a figure of speech, referring to either (1) the temple or official sanctuaries (so TEV, CEV) or (2) the land of Israel (e.g., Hos 9:15).

[2:11]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “if a man, coming [as] wind and falsehood, should lie”; NASB “walking after wind and falsehood”; NIV “a liar and a deceiver.”

[2:11]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “I will foam at the mouth concerning wine and beer.”

[2:11]  ¹¹² tn Heb “he would be the foamer at the mouth for this people.”

[3:5]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “concerning the prophets, those who mislead my people.” The first person pronominal suffix is awkward in a quotation formula that introduces the words of the Lord. For this reason some prefer to begin the quotation after “the Lord says” (cf. NIV), but this leaves “concerning the prophets” hanging very awkwardly at the beginning of the quotation. It is preferable to add הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) at the beginning of the quotation, right after the graphically similar יְהוָה (yÿhvah; see D. R. Hillers, Micah [Hermeneia], 44). The phrase הוֹי עַל (hoy ’al, “woe upon”) occurs in Jer 50:27 and Ezek 13:3 (with “the prophets” following the preposition in the latter instance).

[3:5]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “those who bite with their teeth and cry out, ‘peace.’” The phrase “bite with the teeth” is taken here as idiomatic for eating. Apparently these prophets were driven by mercenary motives. If they were paid well, they gave positive oracles to their clients, but if someone could not afford to pay them, they were hostile and delivered oracles of doom.

[3:5]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “but [as for the one] who does not place [food] in their mouths, they prepare for war against him.”

[3:11]  ¹¹⁶ sn The pronoun Her refers to Jerusalem (note the previous line).

[3:11]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “judge for a bribe.”

[3:11]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “they lean upon” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV); NAB “rely on.”

[3:11]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “Is not the Lord in our midst?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he is!”

[3:11]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “come upon” (so many English versions); NCV “happen to us”; CEV “come to us.”

[13:3]  ¹²¹ sn Death (in this case being run…through with a sword) was the penalty required in the OT for prophesying falsely (Deut 13:6-11; 18:20-22).

[13:4]  ¹²² tn The “hairy garment of a prophet” (אַדֶּרֶת שֵׁעָר, ’adderet she’ar) was the rough clothing of Elijah (1 Kgs 19:13), Elisha (1 Kgs 19:19; 2 Kgs 2:14), and even John the Baptist (Matt 3:4). Yet, אַדֶּרֶת alone suggests something of beauty and honor (Josh 7:21). The prophet’s attire may have been simple the image it conveyed was one of great dignity.

[13:4]  ¹²³ tn The words “the people” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation from context (cf. NCV, TEV, NLT).

[7:15]  ¹²⁴ sn Sheep’s clothing…voracious wolves. Jesus uses a metaphor here to point out that these false prophets appear to be one thing, but in reality they are something quite different and dangerous.

[6:26]  ¹²⁵ tc The wording “to you” (ὑμῖν, Jumin) is lacking throughout the ms tradition except for a few witnesses (D W* Δ 1424 pc co). The Western witnesses tend to add freely to the text. Supported by the vast majority of witnesses and the likelihood that “to you” is a clarifying addition, the shorter reading should be considered original; nevertheless, “to you” is included in the translation because of English requirements.

[6:26]  ¹²⁶ tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.

[6:26]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[16:18]  ¹²⁸ tn Grk “hearts.”