How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;

JEREMIAH 23:26KJV
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Jeremiah 23:26 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 23:26 mean?

Jeremiah 23:26 asks how long false prophets will continue to keep lies in their hearts, accusing them of speaking not from God but from their own self-deception. The verse highlights that these prophets are driven by the deceit within themselves rather than by any true message from God.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking God’s words to the people of Judah, specifically confronting those who claim to speak for God but actually spread falsehoods. The situation is one of spiritual crisis, where many leaders are misleading the people. Jeremiah points out that the root problem is internal: these prophets are not just mistaken, but are intentionally holding onto deceitful thoughts and motivations.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 23:26

  • לֵב (lev; heart): This word refers to the inner self or mind, not just emotions but the whole inner life. Here, it emphasizes that the source of the lies is deep within the prophets themselves.
  • נָבִיא (navi; prophet): Used twice, this word stresses that those being addressed are recognized religious leaders, making their deception especially serious.
  • שֶׁקֶר (sheqer; lies): This word means falsehood or deception. Its use makes clear that these are not innocent mistakes, but deliberate untruths.
  • תַּרְמִית (tarmit; deceit): This word carries the sense of trickery or fraud. The verse singles out the prophets’ own deceitful intentions as the source of their false prophecies.

Why Jeremiah 23:26 matters

  • Jeremiah 23:26 clarifies that the problem with these prophets is not just error, but willful self-deception and dishonesty rooted in their own hearts.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of spiritual leaders misusing their position, showing that their lies are not accidental but come from deliberate deceit.
  • In the wider context of Jeremiah 23, this verse helps explain why God is so strongly condemning the prophets: their false messages are not just wrong, but are intentionally misleading the people away from God’s truth.

Where else these words appear

“deceit” Hebrew H8649 · used in 6 verses

  • Judges 9:31 And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.
  • Psalms 119:118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.
  • Jeremiah 14:14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.

“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 20:1 Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
  • 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.

“lies” Hebrew H8267 · used in 109 verses

  • Exodus 5:9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
  • Psalms 144:8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
  • Jeremiah 7:9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;

“be” Hebrew H3426 · used in 129 verses

  • Genesis 18:24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
  • 1 Samuel 21:8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.
  • Psalms 73:11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?