Jeremiah 14:14 · Bible study
Jeremiah 14:14 Commentary: False Prophecy Without Divine Commission
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Analysis of Jeremiah 14:14: God's threefold denial of false prophets, the contents of their lies, and criteria for true prophecy.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God rejects the false prophets absolutely, He did not commission, command, or speak to them; their prophecy is false from start to finish.
- Key words: Sheqer (falsehood, deception) repeated for vision and overall prophecy; e·lil (idol, worthless thing); qesem (divination, forbidden occult practice).
- Main debate: Whether the false prophets deliberately deceived or were themselves deceived. Barnes insists on willful fraud; others see self-deception in “deceit of their own heart”.
- Theological theme: God’s sovereignty in authenticating true prophecy, no one may claim His name without His sending, command, and word.
- Best use: A diagnostic passage for discernment in preaching, teaching, and personal claimed revelations, test every message against Scripture and the marks of true commission.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
“The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied the LORD. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination, the futility and delusion of their own minds.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Then Yahweh said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in my name. I didn’t send them. I didn’t command them. I didn’t speak to them. They prophesy to you a lying vision, divination, and a thing of nothing, and the deceit of their own heart.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Then Jehovah said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name; I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake I unto them: they prophesy unto you a lying vision, and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their own heart.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Jehovah saith unto me: Falsehood the prophets are prophesying in My name, I did not send them, nor command them, Nor have I spoken unto them: A false vision, and divination, and vanity, And the deceit of their own heart, they are prophesying to you.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Jehovah said unto me, The prophets prophesy falsehood in my name; I have not sent them, neither have I commanded them, nor spoken unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision, and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the Lord said to me: The prophets prophesy falsely in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, nor have I spoken to them: they prophesy unto you a lying vision, and divination and deceit, and the seduction of their own heart.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Díjome entonces Jehová: Falso profetizan los profetas en mi nombre: no los envié, ni les mandé, ni les hablé: visión mentirosa, y adivinación, y vanidad, y engaño de su corazón os profetizan.
Então o SENHOR me disse: Os profetas profetizam falsidade em meu nome; eu não os enviei, nem lhes mandei, nem lhes falei; eles vos profetizam visão falsa, adivinhação, inutilidade, e engano de seus próprios corações.
Et l’ Éternel me dit:
Und der HERR sprach zu mir: Die Propheten weissagen falsch in meinem Namen; ich habe sie nicht gesandt und ihnen nichts befohlen und nichts mit ihnen geredet. Sie predigen euch falsche Gesichte, Deutungen, Abgötterei und ihres Herzens Trügerei.
En de HEERE zeide tot mij: Die profeten profeteren vals in Mijn Naam; Ik heb hen niet gezonden, noch hun bevel gegeven, noch tot hen gesproken; zij profeteren ulieden een vals gezicht, en waarzegging, en nietigheid, en bedriegerij huns harten.
E l’Eterno mi disse: “Que’ profeti profetizzano menzogne nel mio nome; io non li ho mandati, non ho dato loro alcun ordine, e non ho parlato loro; le profezie che vi fanno sono visioni menzognere, divinazione, vanità, imposture del loro proprio cuore.
I rzekł Pan do mnie: Fałsz prorokują ci prorocy w imieniu mojem; nie posłałem ich, anim im rozkazał, owszem, anim mówił do nich; widzenie kłamliwe, i wieszczbę, i marność, i kłamstwo serca swego oni wam prorokują.
И сказал мне Господь: пророки пророчествуют ложное именем Моим; Я не посылал их и не давал им повеления, и не говорил им; они возвещают вам видения ложные и гадания, и пустое и мечты сердца своего.
耶和華 對我 說：「那些先知 託我的名 說假 預言，我並沒有 打發他們，沒有 吩咐他們，也沒有 對他們 說話；他們 向你們 預言的，乃是虛假 的異象 和占卜，並虛無的 事，以及本心 的詭詐。
Then the Lord said to me, The prophets say false words in my name, and I gave them no orders, and I said nothing to them: what they say to you is a false vision and wonder-working words without substance, the deceit of their hearts.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 14:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse marks a sharp line between authentic prophecy and its counterfeit. God dismisses the false prophets with a threefold denial, “I did not send them, nor command them, nor speak to them”, each verb picking up a necessary element of true prophetic calling. Calvin stresses the phrase “in my name” as emphatic: the prophets misuse Yahweh’s own reputation. Gill observes that a prophet needs both mission (sending) and message (command and speech); these men lack both. Clarke notes that what they call visions are actually divination, a forbidden practice.
The content of their prophecy is listed in four descending terms: a “false vision” (something they claim to have seen from God), “divination” (an occult technique strictly banned in Deuteronomy 18), “a thing of nought” (the Hebrew e·lil suggests an idol, something empty and worthless), and finally “the deceit of their own heart.” Barnes clarifies that the last phrase means willful fraud, not self-deception. The false prophets know what they are doing.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- This is deliberate fraud: Barnes and Gill argue that the prophets knowingly deceive; the term 'deceit of their own heart' means intentional falsehood, not self-deception. The repeated lie requires conscious fabrication.
- This includes self-deception: Some readers note that the prophets may have convinced themselves of their own visions; the phrase 'deceit of their heart' could describe a heart that has deceived itself. Clarke speaks of the people being 'undeceived,' implying an element of delusion.
- This is a comprehensive dismissal from God: Whatever the psychological state of the prophets, the core of the passage is God’s absolute denial of any relationship with their message. The theological point is that their teaching does not come from Him, regardless of the prophets’ sincerity.
What is clear: All exegetes agree that God unequivocally disowns the prophets and their message — He did not send, command, or speak to them — and that false prophecy is a grave sin that brings judgment.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The origin of false prophecy | False prophecy does not originate with God, He did not send, command, or speak to the prophets. | Barnes and Gill argue the deceit is willful and intentional fraud; some interpreters see “deceit of their own heart” as allowing for self-deception, where the prophets genuinely believe their own inventions. |
| The content of false prophecy (divination) | Divination (qesem) was strictly forbidden in Israel and marks the prophecy as illegitimate. | Some commentaries see this as literal sorcery or consulting spirits (Clarke); others view it as a metaphor for any message derived from human ingenuity rather than divine revelation (Keil). |
| The meaning of “thing of nought” (e·lil) | The Hebrew term indicates worthlessness or emptiness. | Many translations render it “idol” (ASV, YLT, Darby), pointing to physical false gods; others see it as a general term for vanity or futility, not necessarily a physical image (KJV, WEB). |
| The people’s responsibility | The false prophets are culpable, but the people are also to blame for loving their message (Jeremiah 5:31). | Matthew Henry emphasizes that hearers should have tested the prophets; Calvin stresses that God’s name being invoked does not excuse the people from exercising discernment. Some traditions emphasize more heavily the accountability of leaders, others the responsibility of the congregation to examine teaching. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 14 sits in the final years of the kingdom of Judah, roughly 600, 586 BC, as the shadow of Babylon gathers. The chapter opens with a severe drought (Jeremiah 14:1, 6): cisterns dry, the ground cracks, animals gasp. In response the people cry out, but their repentance is shallow. God twice rejects the prophet’s intercession (vv. 10, 12), declaring that neither fasting nor sacrifice will move Him.
This moves Jeremiah to anguish. In verse 13 he protests, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Behold, the prophets tell them, ‘You will not see the sword, neither will you have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.’” The prophet’s complaint is not defiance; he is torn between the cheerful message of his rivals and the terrible judgments he himself must deliver. The people prefer the optimists.
False prophecy was a systemic problem in Jeremiah’s day. Isaiah had already warned of prophets who teach lies (Isaiah 9:15); the people demanded pleasant words (Isaiah 30:10). Jeremiah 5:31 sums it up: “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so.” The historical setting explains why God’s answer in verse 14 is so blunt. A nation facing existential threat needs discernment, not comforting fables. God draws the line in the sand: He has not sent these men, nor commanded them, nor spoken to them. Their message is a lie from start to finish.
Later in the book, God returns to this theme at length (Jeremiah 23, 27, 28), naming specific false prophets like Hananiah and Ahab. The drought and the threat of Babylon made the conflict between true and false prophecy a life-or-death issue for Judah.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Jeremiah 14:14. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. Translations differ slightly in rendering the fourth item: KJV/ASV use “a thing of nought,” while WEB and YLT offer “idol.” Both reflect the same Hebrew e·lil, which carries the sense of worthlessness and can specifically refer to false gods.
Reception History
The passage has been a key text for Christian discernment about prophecy and teaching. The early church used it to distinguish apostolic preaching from heretical claims. During the Reformation, Calvin cited this verse prominently to argue against the Roman Catholic claim that the church’s mere assertion of authority guarantees truth; he insisted that every teaching must be tested against Scripture. In modern evangelical contexts, the verse is often employed to caution against charismatic figures who claim divine revelation without biblical grounding. The threefold denial, no sending, no command, no speech, has served as a criterion for evaluating ministries across traditions.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Divine Denial. God issues a threefold repudiation: He did not send them, command them, or speak to them. Every true prophet must have a divine commissioning, a divine message, and divine authorization.
- The Content of Lies. Four things: a false vision (claim of revelation from God), divination (forbidden occult practice), a worthless thing (the Hebrew e·lil can mean an idol), and the deceit of their own heart. False prophecy can draw from many sources, none of them God.
- The Prophet’s Dilemma. Jeremiah had just pleaded with God, noting that the false prophets were contradicting his own message. God’s answer shows that the apparent conflict is not real, only the true word stands.
Five-point outline
- Context: Judah in crisis, drought, war, and a people unwilling to repent.
- Jeremiah’s intercession: he points out the false prophets as a reason God should relent.
- God’s direct answer: the prophets are lying when they speak in My name.
- The anatomy of a lie: false vision, divination, worthless thing, deceit of heart.
- The consequence (v. 15, 16): those prophets will perish by sword and famine, and the people who believed them will share the catastrophe.
Illustration hooks
- The false claim of authority. Think of an unlicensed doctor who performs surgery in a hospital’s name. The hospital never sent him, never trained him, never authorized the operation. The results can be fatal.
- The popularity of comforting lies. In financial markets, analysts who always forecast a bull market stay employed longer than those who warn of a crash. The crowd prefers glad news, but only the truthful report helps in the long run.
- The source of the lie. A pastor who preaches what polls well rather than what Scripture says may draw a crowd, but the sermon originates from his own preferences, “the deceit of his heart”, not from God.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can we tell today whether a teacher or prophet is speaking from God or from their own heart?
- Why does God allow false prophets to exist when they lead people astray?
- What should we do when the messages we hear from the pulpit contradict one another?
Leading a Discussion
This verse cuts to the heart of spiritual discernment. In a world where many claim to speak for God, how do we distinguish between authentic prophecy and self-generated messages? The passage does not leave us guessing, it names the marks of false prophecy and reveals the heart of the One who refuses to be associated with lies.
Discussion questions
- The verse begins with God’s direct statement. Why do you think God includes a threefold denial, “I did not send them, nor command them, nor speak to them”? What does each verb add?
- Look at the four things the false prophets offer: false vision, divination, a thing of nought, and the deceit of their own heart. Which of these seems most dangerous today? Why?
- The Hebrew word for “thing of nought” (e·lil) can mean an idol. How does idolatry connect to false prophecy? What “idols” might shape a message that claims to be from God?
- In verse 13, Jeremiah pleads with God by mentioning the false prophets. Why might the prophet think this could change God’s mind? How does God’s reply in verse 14 answer that?
- Jeremiah 5:31 says, “My people love to have it so.” What responsibility do hearers bear when false prophets are popular? How does a congregation’s appetite affect what teachers say?
- How does this passage help you evaluate a teacher or preacher? What checks would you want in place to ensure someone is truly sent by God?
- Calvin used this verse to argue against claims that the church’s authority alone guarantees a true message. How do we balance respect for church leadership with the need to test everything against Scripture?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 9:15 | The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail. |
| Isaiah 30:10 | who tell the seers, “Don’t see!” and the prophets, “Don’t prophesy to us right things. Tell us pleasant things. Prophesy deceits. |
| Isaiah 30:11 | Get out of the way. Turn away from the path. Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” |
| Jeremiah 5:31 | The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it? |
| Jeremiah 23:14 | In the prophets of Jerusalem I have also seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one returns from his wickedness. They have all become to me as Sodom, and its inhabitants as Gomorrah.” |
| Jeremiah 23:16 | Yahweh of Armies says, “Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They teach you vanity. They speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of Yahweh. |
| Jeremiah 23:21 | I didn’t send these prophets, yet they ran. I didn’t speak to them, yet they prophesied. |
| Jeremiah 23:32 | Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams,” says Yahweh, “who tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting; yet I didn’t send them or command them. They don’t profit this people at all,” says Yahweh. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke points out that the false prophets claim to have visions from God, but in reality their prophecies come from pagan divination. Worse still, the people know these prophets are false yet deliberately choose to believe them, refusing to be undeceived because they love the deception.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes distinguishes divination as conjuring that abuses lesser-known natural powers, strictly forbidden to Israel. He clarifies that “a thing of nought” refers to a small idol made of precious metals. Both practices, he insists, were willful, intentional fraud, not mere self-deception.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that the phrase "in my name" demands careful judgment: claiming God's authority does not guarantee truth. He warns against blindly accepting any prophecy simply because it bears God's name, arguing that we must exercise discernment rather than being swept away by appearances.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
13, 14 . For the attitude of the false prophets and their relation to the true see Intr. pp. xxxii. f.; also xxiii. 9 ff.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes that false prophets speak from their own hearts, not from God. God explicitly disowns their messages: He did not send them, command them, or speak to them. Their prophecies are merely empty visions and deceptive divinations, worthless because they originate in human imagination rather than divine revelation.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses the people's inexcusable guilt: they were forewarned by a true prophet yet believed false prophets who had no divine commission. The false prophets spoke their own deceitful visions, not God's word. The people bear full blame for choosing lies over the truth they had been given.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that God rejects Jeremiah's prayer because the people "loved to wander" after other gods, a persistent idolatry that hollows out their fasting and sacrifices. The false prophets' lies do not excuse the people, since they willingly believed flattering deceptions that matched their own sinful passions.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws a parallel between this passage and the parable of the barren fig tree: God's justice condemns a fruitless people to judgment, while the prophet Jeremiah intercedes for mercy. But here God overrules the intercession, showing that the people's persistent love of wandering has made further pleading pointless.