Jeremiah 23:25 · Bible study
Jeremiah 23:25 Commentary: God Hears the Lie Behind the Dream
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine Jeremiah 23:25, where God confronts false prophets who claim dreams from Him, and learn how to discern true prophecy from deception.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God hears and exposes false prophets who claim divine dreams to deceive His people.
- Key words: “prophesy lies” (sheqer), intentional deception; “in my name”, misuse of God’s authority; “I have dreamed”, the repeated claim as a false credential.
- Main debate: How to distinguish genuine divine communication through dreams from human invention; answered in context by the content (calling to repentance vs. flattery) and by God’s omniscience.
- Theological theme: God’s omniscience and the seriousness of taking His name in vain through false prophecy.
- Best use: A warning to test all claims of divine revelation and a call for humility in speaking for God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
“I have heard the sayings of the prophets who prophesy lies in My name: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’
WEB World English Bible 2000
“I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’
KJV King James Version 1769
I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
I have heard what the prophets have said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
I have heard that which the prophets said, Who prophesy in My name falsehood, saying, `I have dreamed, I have dreamed.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
I have heard what the prophets say, who prophesy falsehood in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, and say: I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Yo he oído lo que aquellos profetas dijeron, profetizando mentira en mi nombre, diciendo: Soñé, soñé.
Tenho ouvido o que aqueles profetas dizem, profetizando mentiras em meu nome, dizendo: Sonhei, sonhei.
J’ ai entendu ce que disent les prophètes
Ich höre es wohl, was die Propheten predigen und falsch weissagen in meinem Namen und sprechen: Mir hat geträumt, mir hat geträumt.
Ik heb gehoord, wat de profeten zeggen, die in Mijn Naam leugen profeteren, zeggende: Ik heb gedroomd, ik heb gedroomd.
Io ho udito quel che dicono i profeti che profetizzano menzogne nel mio nome, dicendo: “Ho avuto un sogno! ho avuto un sogno!”
Słyszęć Ja, co mówią prorocy, którzy prorokują, kłamstwo w imieniu mojem, mówiąc: Śniło mi się, śniło mi się!
Я слышал, что говорят пророки, Моим именем пророчествующие ложь. Они говорят: "мне снилось, мне снилось".
我已聽見 那些 先知 所 說的，就是託我名 說的假 預言，他們說：『我做了夢！我做了夢！』
My ears have been open to what the prophets have said, who say false words in my name, saying, I have had a dream, I have had a dream, I have had a dream,
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 23:25
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 confronts the heart of false prophecy: the claim of divine revelation where none exists. God says "I have heard", a direct assertion of His omniscience. Barnes notes that "a dreamer of dreams" was viewed with suspicion because dreams were easy to counterfeit (Deuteronomy 13:1). Calvin observes that these prophets flattered the people with soft messages, in contrast to Jeremiah's call to repentance. Gill points out that the repetition "I have dreamed, I have dreamed" was intended to add weight to a lie, but God sees through it. The Cambridge Bible adds that the prophets used dreams to support "lying predictions," making the people forget the real character of God. The interpretive key is that true prophecy comes from standing in God's council (v.22), not from the imagination of the human heart.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God knows and condemns false prophets who claim dreams He has not given, and He calls His people to discern based on His revealed word.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| God's awareness of false prophecy | Christians across traditions agree that God is omniscient and hears every claim made in His name, as stated in this verse. | Some traditions emphasize that God actively judges false prophets in this life, while others see the judgment as primarily eschatological, with patience in the present. |
| Dreams as a means of divine revelation | All traditions recognize that dreams were a legitimate means of revelation in the Old Testament (Numbers 12:6). | Evangelical and Reformed traditions tend to stress the sufficiency of Scripture and caution against seeking personal revelation through dreams today; Pentecostal and Charismatic traditions more often affirm that God continues to speak through dreams and visions, though they too insist on testing them by Scripture. |
| Criteria for discerning true from false prophecy | All agree that a true prophecy aligns with God's character and already-revealed Word, and that false prophets often flatter rather than call to repentance. | The role of the community in testing prophecy is emphasized differently: some traditions place weight on the judgment of church leaders; others on the individual believer's discernment; still others on the spiritual gift of discernment of spirits. |
| The sin of using God's name to deceive | Christians universally condemn using God's name to advance falsehood; it violates the third commandment and brings judgment. | The severity of the sin and the possibility of forgiveness for false prophets is understood differently: some emphasize the impossibility of repentance once the deception is willful; others leave room for repentance if the prophet turns from error. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits within a larger indictment of prophets in Jerusalem during the final years before the Babylonian exile (roughly 600, 587 BC). The nation faced an existential threat, and the people desperately wanted reassurance. False prophets gave them exactly that: messages of peace, safety, and divine favor. Jeremiah, by contrast, delivered a message of judgment and called for repentance. This created a conflict of authority that runs through the entire chapter.
Dreams were a recognized means of divine communication in ancient Israel. Numbers 12:6 states that God speaks to prophets in visions and dreams. But Deuteronomy 13:1, 5 provided a test: if a dreamer leads the people away from God, that dream is false, regardless of signs. The false prophets in Jeremiah's day failed this test. They not only gave false comfort but also encouraged idolatry, as v.27 states: they caused the people to forget God's name through their dreams, just as their fathers forgot Him for Baal.
The surrounding verses (23, 24) emphasize God's omnipresence: "Am I a God at hand... and not a God afar off?" The false prophets apparently thought God was distant, unaware of their deceptions. But Yahweh fills heaven and earth. He hears every claim made in His name. This historical context is crucial: the false prophets were not simply mistaken; they were intentionally deceptive, "prophesying lies" (sheqer), and they did it in God's name, making their deception especially dangerous for the faithful.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is consistent across manuscripts.
Reception History
Early church fathers like Augustine cited this verse in discussions of lying, using it to show that God is not deceived by religious pretence. During the Reformation, Calvin and others used it to challenge claims of private revelation that contradicted Scripture. In the centuries since, it has been a key text in debates about ongoing prophecy, particularly in the wake of Montanism in the early church and the charismatic renewal of the 20th century. The verse remains a standard proof text for the principle that all prophetic claims must be tested against the written Word.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God hears every claim made in His name. The verse opens with "I have heard." Nothing escapes His attention. This is both warning and comfort.
- False prophets use spiritual language to serve selfish ends. They claim dreams, but God calls it lying. The repetition "I had a dream" shows their attempt to manufacture authority.
- True prophecy calls people to repentance. Verse 22 contrasts them: standing in God's council leads to turning people from evil. The test of a message is not its emotional power but its effect on holiness.
Five-point outline
- God is not distant. The false prophets acted as though God were far away and unaware. But He fills heaven and earth (v.24).
- Dreams can be counterfeited. The ease of claiming a dream made it a favored tool of false prophets.
- Repeating a claim does not make it true. The double "I have dreamed" was a rhetorical device, not proof.
- False prophecy leads people away from God. Verse 27: they cause the people to forget God's name.
- Judgment follows deception. The chapter concludes with God's opposition to such prophets.
Illustration hooks
- A leader claims “God told me” about a major decision, but the decision contradicts Scripture and leads to division.
- Someone shares a dramatic dream that appears to validate a personal ambition, but the fruit is selfishness.
- The contrast between a teacher who tells people what they want to hear (peace, prosperity, no consequences) and one who calls for repentance.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I know if a dream or impression is from God?
- Does God still give prophetic dreams today?
- Why would someone falsely claim to speak for God?
Leading a Discussion
Jeremiah 23:25 pulls back the curtain on a danger that still exists: people who claim to speak for God when they are speaking from themselves. The verse does not deny that God can speak through dreams, but it warns that such claims must be tested. As you discuss, pay attention to what this verse reveals about God's character and about the marks of true prophecy.
Discussion questions
- What does God's statement "I have heard" tell you about His nature?
- Why do you think the false prophets repeated "I had a dream"? What effect would that repetition have on listeners?
- According to verse 22, what is the evidence of a true prophet? How does that contrast with the false prophets?
- In what ways might people today claim "God told me" without real authority?
- How does Deuteronomy 13:1, 5 help test whether a dream is from God?
- Why is it dangerous to accept a message simply because it claims divine origin?
- How can this passage give comfort to someone who has been misled by a teacher or leader?
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)
| Genesis 37:5 | Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more. |
| Genesis 37:9 | He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.” |
| Numbers 12:6 | He said, “Now hear my words. If there is a prophet among you, I, Yahweh, will make myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream. |
| Psalms 139:2 | You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar. |
| Psalms 139:4 | For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, Yahweh, you know it altogether. |
| Jeremiah 8:6 | I listened and heard, but they didn’t say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Everyone turns to his course, as a horse that rushes headlong in the battle. |
| Jeremiah 13:27 | I have seen your abominations, even your adulteries and your neighing, the lewdness of your prostitution, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! You will not be made clean. How long will it yet be?” |
| Jeremiah 14:14 | 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. |
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
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes observes that the phrase "a dreamer of dreams" carries a negative meaning because divine communication through dreams was too easily counterfeited. The possibility of false claims made this method of revelation inherently open to misuse and deception.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights the especially severe trial false prophets created by operating from within God's own church, using His name to flatter the ungodly. Because this evil was so deeply unsettling to the weak, Jeremiah had to repeatedly drive home the need for discernment rather than accepting every claim to divine authority.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight the false prophets’ empty repetition, “I have dreamed, I have dreamed,” to underscore that they claim divine authority for their own lies. The note stresses that these prophets speak falsely in God’s name, pretending their dreams are genuine revelations.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that God, being all-knowing and everywhere present, hears the false prophets who claim to have received dreams from Him. Though people cannot disprove the claim of a dream, God knows these are lies intended to gain credibility. The repeated phrase "I have dreamed" is a deliberate tactic to appear extraordinary.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB identifies the dream as a prophetic communication from God, not an ordinary dream. The reference to other passages shows Scripture treats such dreams as a legitimate form of divine revelation alongside other prophetic means.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that the false prophets' audacity rests on the delusion that God is only near and cannot see their actions. He focuses on their corrupt mingling of human dreams with God's word, comparing it to mixing straw with grain, which dilutes and distorts divine truth.