Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;

JEREMIAH 29:21KJV
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Jeremiah 29:21 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 29:21 mean?

Jeremiah 29:21 says that God, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, declares judgment against two men—Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah—because they falsely claim to speak for God. God announces that He will hand them over to Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, who will kill them in front of the people.

In this verse, Jeremiah is relaying a message from God to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. Ahab and Zedekiah are named as false prophets who are misleading the people by claiming to speak in God’s name. The verse makes it clear that their lies will have serious consequences: God Himself will allow the Babylonian king to execute them publicly, showing that their prophecies are not from God.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 29:21

  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, Yahweh): This is the personal name of God, emphasizing that the message comes directly from Israel’s covenant God, not a generic deity.
  • "hosts" (צְבָאוֹת, tseva’ot): This word means “armies” or “forces,” highlighting God’s supreme authority and power over all spiritual and earthly armies.
  • "prophesy" (נָבָא, nava’): This verb means to speak as a prophet. Here, it is used to show that Ahab and Zedekiah are pretending to have messages from God.
  • "lie" (שֶׁקֶר, sheqer): This word means a deliberate falsehood. The verse stresses that the prophecies these men give are not just mistakes, but intentional deceptions.

Why Jeremiah 29:21 matters

  • Jeremiah 29:21 clarifies that not everyone who claims to speak for God is truly a prophet; even in exile, the people must be discerning about spiritual leaders.
  • The verse connects to the larger theme in Jeremiah 29, where God warns the exiles not to listen to false prophets who give them false hope or misleading promises.
  • By naming Ahab and Zedekiah and describing their fate, the verse shows that God holds leaders accountable for misleading others, and that false prophecy has real, serious consequences.

Where else these words appear

“Kolaiah” Hebrew H6964 · used in 2 verses

  • Nehemiah 11:7 And these are the sons of Benjamin; Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jesaiah.

“Maaseiah” Hebrew H4641 · used in 23 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 15:18 And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters.
  • Ezra 10:21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
  • Nehemiah 11:5 And Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Colhozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.

“Nebuchadrezzar” Hebrew H5019 · used in 59 verses

  • 2 Kings 24:1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.
  • Jeremiah 25:1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;
  • Jeremiah 44:30 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.

“Zedekiah” Hebrew H6667 · used in 62 verses

  • 1 Kings 22:11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
  • Jeremiah 27:12 I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.
  • Jeremiah 38:14 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.