Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.

JEREMIAH 23:32KJV
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Jeremiah 23:32 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 23:32 mean?

Jeremiah 23:32 says that God is firmly opposed to people who claim to speak for Him by sharing false dreams and misleading messages, because these claims are lies that lead His people astray and do not bring any real benefit. God makes it clear that He did not send or command these false prophets, so their words are empty and unhelpful.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah. The situation is that many so-called prophets are spreading messages and dreams that do not come from God, causing confusion and leading people away from the truth. God emphasizes that these false prophets are acting on their own, and their messages are not only untrue but also careless and irresponsible, bringing no real help to the community.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 23:32

  • "False" (שֶׁקֶר, sheqer): This word means a deliberate lie or deception. God is not just warning about mistakes, but about intentional falsehoods being presented as divine truth.
  • "Lightness" (פַּחַז, pachaz): This word carries the idea of recklessness or thoughtlessness. The false prophets are not only lying but also treating serious matters lightly, showing a lack of respect for God’s message.
  • "Err" (תָּעָה, ta'ah): This word means to wander or go astray. The result of these false messages is that people are led off the right path, spiritually lost because of the lies.

Why Jeremiah 23:32 matters

  • Jeremiah 23:32 clarifies that not everyone who claims to speak for God is truly sent by Him, highlighting the need for discernment among listeners.
  • The verse shows that God holds leaders and teachers accountable for misleading others, especially when they do so carelessly or for their own gain.
  • This verse fits into a larger section where Jeremiah warns against false prophets, showing the seriousness of spiritual deception and its real consequences for the community.

Where else these words appear

“profit” Hebrew H3276 · used in 21 verses

  • 1 Samuel 12:21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.
  • Proverbs 11:4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.
  • Isaiah 57:12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.

“err” Hebrew H8582 · used in 45 verses

  • Genesis 20:13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
  • Psalms 119:110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.
  • Isaiah 30:28 And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

“dreams” Hebrew H2472 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
  • Genesis 41:11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
  • 1 Kings 3:15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

“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.