Jeremiah 14:15 · Bible study
Jeremiah 14:15 Commentary: The Doom of Lying Prophets
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God punish false prophets with the very sword and famine they denied? A study of divine justice and retribution in Jeremiah 14:15.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God judges false prophets by giving them the very calamity they denied would come.
- Key words: “I sent them not” (emphasis on lack of divine commission); “consumed” (yittammu), complete destruction; “sword” and “famine” repeated in both the lie and the verdict.
- Main debate: Whether the punishment is only temporal (death in the invasion) or symbolic of eternal judgment, and how to balance human responsibility when deceivers are allowed by God.
- Theological theme: Divine retribution, sin and punishment correspond exactly. God’s name is holy and cannot be used to spread lies.
- Best use: A warning against false teaching and a call to discernment. It reassures believers that God’s truth will prevail.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Therefore this is what the LORD says about the prophets who prophesy in My name: I did not send them, yet they say, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’ By sword and famine these very prophets will meet their end!
WEB World English Bible 2000
Therefore Yahweh says concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, but I didn’t send them, yet they say, ‘Sword and famine will not be in this land.’ Those prophets will be consumed by sword and famine.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Therefore thus saith Jehovah 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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Therefore, thus said Jehovah concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, and I have not sent them, and they are saying, Sword and famine is not in this land: By sword and by famine are these prophets consumed.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, and who say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land: By sword and by famine shall those prophets be consumed;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, whom I did not send, that say: Sword and famine shall not be in this land: By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por tanto así ha dicho Jehová sobre los profetas que profetizan en mi nombre, los cuales yo no envié, y que dicen, Cuchillo ni hambre no habrá en esta tierra: Con cuchillo y con hambre serán consumidos esos profetas.
Portanto assim diz o SENHOR quanto aos profetas que profetizam em meu nome, sem que eu tenha lhes enviado, que dizem “não haverá nem espada nem fome nesta terra”: Com espada e com fome tais profetas serão consumidos;
C’ est pourquoi ainsi parle l’ Éternel
Darum so spricht der HERR von den Propheten, die in meinem Namen weissagen, so ich sie doch nicht gesandt habe, und die dennoch predigen, es werde kein Schwert und keine Teuerung in dies Land kommen: Solche Propheten sollen sterben durch Schwert und Hunger.
Daarom zegt de HEERE alzo: Aangaande de profeten, die in Mijn Naam profeteren, daar Ik hen niet gezonden heb, en zij dan nog zeggen: Er zal geen zwaard noch honger in dit land zijn; diezelve profeten zullen door het zwaard en door den honger verteerd worden.
Perciò così parla l’Eterno riguardo ai profeti che profetano nel mio nome benché io non li abbia mandati, e dicono: Non vi sarà né spada né fame in questo paese; que’ profeti saranno consumati dalla spada e dalla fame;
Przetoż tak mówi Pan o prorokach, którzy prorokują w imieniu mojem, chociażem Ja ich nie posłał, i którzy mówią: Miecza ani głodu nie będzie w tej ziemi; ci sami prorocy mieczem i głodem zginą.
Поэтому так говорит Господь о пророках: они пророчествуют именем Моим, а Я не посылал их; они говорят: "меча и голода не будет на сей земле": мечом и голодом будут истреблены эти пророки,
所以 耶和華 如此 說：論到 託我名 說預言的 那些先知，我 並沒有 打發他們；他們 還說 這 地 不 能有 刀劍 饑荒，其實那些 先知 必被刀劍 饑荒 滅絕。
So this is what the Lord has said about the prophets who make use of my name, though I sent them not, and say, The sword and need of food will not be in this land: the sword and need of food will put an end to those prophets.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 14:15
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 pronounces a fitting judgment on false prophets. The crime and punishment match: these prophets said there would be no sword or famine, so they will die by sword and famine. Gill calls it “retribution in kind.” Jamieson-Fausset-Brown use the same phrase. Calvin roots the severity in the fact that the prophets spoke in God’s name without being sent, a direct act of blasphemous deception. Clarke ties the prophecy to historical events: King Jehoiakim believed the false prophets, withheld tribute from Nebuchadnezzar, which triggered the invasion that killed them and devastated the land. Matthew Henry sees the verse as the final word in God’s dispute with Jeremiah, no more room for intercession when lies have led the people astray. The consensus is that divine justice is precise and personal. Those who claim to speak for God but oppose His word cannot escape the very disaster they denied.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God holds false prophets accountable for lying in His name, and their punishment matches the judgment they denied.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Justice of God against false prophets | God punishes false prophets for speaking lies in His name; the punishment matches the lie. | Some see the punishment as strictly temporal (death in the invasion), while others see it as a picture of eternal judgment. |
| Responsibility of the deceived people | The people were led astray by false prophets, but they bear some responsibility for wanting to hear lies. | Calvin emphasizes the people’s guilt for having “itching ears,” while other traditions focus more on the prophets’ sole culpability. |
| Identifying false prophets today | False prophecy contradicts God’s revealed word in Scripture. | Some traditions test prophets primarily by doctrinal accuracy; others also consider character, fruit, and church recognition. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 14 opens with a severe drought (v1, 6). The land dries up, animals suffer, and the whole community mourns. Jeremiah intercedes for the people (v7, 9), but God responds by telling him not to pray for them (v10). Even if they fast and sacrifice, God will not accept them (v12). The crisis is not just weather, it is a sign of coming judgment by sword, famine and pestilence (v12).
Jeremiah protests: the prophets are telling the people they will see no sword and no famine, but assured peace (v13). God then gives the answer in v14, 16. These false prophets speak in God’s name, but He did not send them. Their visions are lying, their divination empty, and their messages come from their own deceitful hearts.
Historically, this takes place during the reign of Jehoiakim (609, 598 BC), before the Babylonians crushed Jerusalem. False prophets opposed Jeremiah’s call to submit to Nebuchadnezzar, promising safety. According to Clarke, the king believed them and rebelled, which invited the invasion that destroyed the land. Calvin adds that the people were not innocent: they “wilfully seek falsehood” and have “itching ears.” The drought and the coming sword and famine were God’s judgment on a nation that rejected His true word in favor of flattering lies. The false prophets themselves would be the first to fall, their death would prove that God alone speaks truth.
Textual Notes
The Cambridge Bible notes that some scholars (e.g., Giesebrecht) omit verses 15, 16 on metrical grounds, as they break the qinah (lament) meter used elsewhere in the chapter. The text itself is stable across Hebrew manuscripts, with no significant variants in verse 15. The main textual question is whether these verses are original to the poetic unit, but they are present in all major witnesses, including the Septuagint, Masoretic Text, and Dead Sea Scrolls. No variant affects the meaning.
Reception History
Early Christian writers saw this verse as a vindication of true prophecy and a warning against false teachers. The Didache, an early second-century manual, warns that prophets who teach a different way are not to be received. During the Reformation, Calvin and Matthew Henry applied this text to their own contexts, denouncing those who preach cheap grace or deny God’s judgment. Pietist and Methodist traditions used it to call for spiritual discernment and holy fear. The verse is often cited in discussions on the seriousness of claiming divine authority and the certainty that God’s word will be fulfilled.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God identifies the false prophets, They use God’s name but are not sent by Him. Their core message is a denial of coming judgment: “Sword and famine will not be in this land.”
- God judges the false prophets, The punishment fits the lie. Because they said there would be no sword or famine, God says they will be consumed “by sword and famine.”
- God vindicates His own word, Jeremiah’s warnings come true. The false prophets are exposed as liars, and God’s word stands unbroken.
Five-point outline
- The authority behind prophecy, True prophets are sent by God; false ones speak without commission (v14).
- The content of false prophecy, It opposes God’s revealed judgment. Peace promises where God has decreed war.
- The complicity of the audience, Calvin notes people wanted such prophets; they share responsibility for embracing lies.
- The precision of divine retribution, The punishment matches the crime exactly. What they denied is what they suffer.
- The ultimate triumph of God’s word, Jeremiah’s message may seem harsh, but history proves it true. God’s truth outlasts every lie.
Illustration hooks
- The doctor who ignores symptoms. A patient has high fever, but the doctor insists nothing is wrong. The false prophets were like doctors denying the disease, they gave false assurance while disaster grew.
- The weather forecaster who denies the storm. As a hurricane approaches, a forecaster on TV tells everyone the skies will clear. The storm hits, and lives are lost because people stayed unprepared. The false prophets denied the coming sword and famine.
- The car mechanic who says the brakes are fine. The driver ignores the squealing because the mechanic says it’s nothing, until the brakes fail on a hill. False prophets give people confidence in a path that leads to ruin.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do we tell the difference between a true prophet and a false one today?
- If God was behind the false prophets (as in allowing them to deceive), how is He still just?
- What should we do when we hear a message that sounds hopeful but contradicts what the Bible says about sin and judgment?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows that God takes His name seriously. When people claim to speak for God but oppose His word, judgment follows. The false prophet’s lie was a denial of coming judgment; their punishment was to experience it firsthand. As you discuss this verse, think about how you discern truth from flattery, and how seriously you take God’s warnings.
Discussion questions
- What exactly did the false prophets say? (Look at verse 13 for their claim.) How did it contradict Jeremiah’s message?
- God says twice in this passage that He did not send the prophets (vv14, 15). Why does that matter? What does it reveal about their authority?
- Why does God punish them with the very things they denied? What does that say about His justice?
- How did the people contribute to their own deception? (See Calvin’s note on “itching ears” and Romans 1:28.)
- Jeremiah was told not to pray for the people (v11). When is it right to stop interceding for someone who has rejected God’s truth?
- This verse is a severe warning. How does it also bring hope, that God’s word is reliable and lies will be exposed?
- In what situations today might you be tempted to believe a comfortable lie rather than a hard truth? How can your group help each other stay grounded in 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)
| I Kings 22:25 | Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you go into an inner room to hide yourself.” |
| Jeremiah 5:12 | They have denied Yahweh, and said, “It is not he. Evil won’t come on us. We won’t see sword or famine. |
| Jeremiah 5:13 | The prophets will become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them.” |
| Jeremiah 6:15 | Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. Therefore they will fall among those who fall. When I visit them, they will be cast down,” says Yahweh. |
| Jeremiah 8:12 | Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed. They couldn’t blush. Therefore they will fall among those who fall. In the time of their visitation they will be cast down, says Yahweh. |
| Jeremiah 20:6 | You, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house will go into captivity. You will come to Babylon, and there you will die, and there you will be buried, you, and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely.’” |
| 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 23:15 | Therefore Yahweh of Armies says concerning the prophets: “Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink poisoned water; for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land.” |
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 draws attention to the ironic outcome: the false prophets who promised peace instead of sword and famine were themselves consumed by those very calamities. Their own deaths proved their prophecy false, as the king's rebellion triggered the destruction they had denied would come.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists that people deceived by false prophets are not innocent victims. They are misled only because they willingly prefer flattering lies over God's truth, so their hypocrisy brings just punishment: God lets their own love of vanity plunge them into delusion.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the word "wickedness" here refers to the punishment itself, not just the sin. The people's own evil deeds will turn around and become the means of their suffering, a point echoed in Jeremiah.The commentator notes that "their wickedness" refers to the punishment itself, not merely the sin. The people's own evil deeds will become their suffering, a point echoed in Jeremiah.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the fitting justice of God's judgment. False prophets who claimed no sword or famine would come are themselves consumed by sword and famine. Their false message of peace did not protect them; the calamity they denied falls directly on them.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that these false prophets directly contradicted God’s message by denying the coming sword and famine. Their denial proved they were not truly sent by the Lord. In righteous judgment, they themselves would be among the first to perish by those very calamities, exposing their lies.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
( Jer 5:12 ; Jer 5:13 ). By sword and famine . . . consumed —retribution in kind both to the false prophets and to their hearers ( Jer 14:16 ).
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.