Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.

JEREMIAH 14:15KJV
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Jeremiah 14:15 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 14:15 mean?

Jeremiah 14:15 says that the prophets who falsely claim to speak for the LORD and promise safety from sword and famine will themselves be destroyed by those very disasters. God declares that these prophets were not sent by Him, and their false assurances will lead to their own downfall.

In this verse, God is speaking through Jeremiah to the people of Judah during a time of crisis. Some prophets were telling the people that there would be no war ("sword") or hunger ("famine") in the land, contradicting Jeremiah’s warnings. God makes it clear that these prophets are not His messengers, and as a result, they will face the very judgments they denied.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 14:15

  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God, emphasizing that the message comes with divine authority, not just human opinion.
  • "Prophets" (נָבִיא, navi’): This word refers to those claiming to speak for God. Here, it highlights that not everyone who claims this role is truly sent by God.
  • "Prophesy" (נָבָא, nava’): This verb means to speak as a prophet. The verse stresses that these individuals are acting in God’s name without His commission.
  • "Consumed" (תָּמַם, tamam): This word means to be finished or destroyed. It underscores the complete and final nature of the judgment on these false prophets.

Why Jeremiah 14:15 matters

  • Jeremiah 14:15 clarifies that claiming to speak for God does not guarantee divine approval; God holds false prophets accountable for misleading others.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of giving people false hope, especially in times of crisis, and shows that such deception has real consequences.
  • This warning fits into the wider passage, where Jeremiah is confronting widespread denial and false reassurance among the people, emphasizing the need to listen carefully to true messages from God.

Where else these words appear

“consumed” Hebrew H8552 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 47:15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
  • Joshua 5:8 And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
  • Psalms 104:35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.

“famine” Hebrew H7458 · used in 88 verses

  • Genesis 12:10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
  • 2 Kings 25:3 And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
  • Jeremiah 32:24 Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it.

“prophesy” Hebrew H5012 · used in 102 verses

  • Numbers 11:25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
  • Jeremiah 20:6 And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.
  • Ezekiel 13:16 To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD.