Jeremiah 23:13

23:13 The Lord says, ¹  “I saw the prophets of Samaria ² 

doing something that was disgusting. ³ 

They prophesied in the name of the god Baal

and led my people Israel astray. ⁴ 

Jeremiah 23:21

23:21 I did not send those prophets.

Yet they were in a hurry to give their message. ⁵ 

I did not tell them anything.

Yet they prophesied anyway.

Jeremiah 23:25-26

23:25 The Lord says, ⁶  “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!’ ⁷  23:26 Those prophets are just prophesying lies. They are prophesying the delusions of their own minds. ⁸ 

Jeremiah 29:9

29:9 They are prophesying lies to you and claiming my authority to do so. ⁹  But I did not send them. I, the Lord, affirm it!’ ¹⁰ 

[23:13]  ¹ tn The words “The Lord says” are not in the text, but it is clear from the content that he is the speaker. These words are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[23:13]  ² map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[23:13]  ³ tn According to BDB 1074 s.v. תִּפְלָּה this word means “unseemly, unsavory.” The related adjective is used in Job 6:6 of the tastelessness of something that is unseasoned.

[23:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “by Baal.”

[23:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “Yet they ran.”

[23:25]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹³ sn See the parallel passage in Jer 14:13-15.

[29:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “prophesying lies to you in my name.”

[29:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”