Jeremiah 23 · Verse 21

Jeremiah 23:21

I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
Jeremiah 23:21, King James Version

Jeremiah 23:21 in other translations

BSBI did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied.
WEBI didn’t send these prophets, yet they ran. I didn’t speak to them, yet they prophesied.
ASVI sent not these prophets, yet they ran: I spake not unto them, yet they prophesied.
YLTI have not sent the prophets, and they have run, I have not spoken unto them, and they have prophesied.
DARBYI did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
BBEI did not send these prophets, but they went running: I said nothing to them, but they gave out the prophet's word.
WebsterI have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

What does Jeremiah 23:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. sent ... spoken--"sent" refers to the primary call: "spoken" to the subsequent charges given to be executed. A call is required, not only external, on the part of men, but also internal from God, that one should undertake a pastor's office [Calvin].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran - Not to save souls, but to profit themselves. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied - They never received the word at my mouth; yet they went, publishing their own deceits, and pretending them to be revelations from God. The churches which have legal emoluments are ever in danger of being overrun and ruined by worldly and self-interested priests.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 23:9-22

The false prophets of Samaria had deluded the Israelites into idolatries; yet the Lord considered the false prophets of Jerusalem as guilty of more horrible wickedness, by which the people were made bold in sin. These false teachers would be compelled to suffer the most bitter part of the Lord's indignation. They made themselves believe that there was no harm in sin, and practised accordingly; then they made others…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 23:9-22 →

Jeremiah 23:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
שָׁלַ֥חְתִּיsha.Lach.tiI sentH7971
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַנְּבִאִ֖יםha.ne.vi.'Imthe prophetsH5030
וְהֵ֣םve.Hemand theyH1992
רָ֑צוּRa.tzuthey ranH7323
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
דִבַּ֥רְתִּיdi.Bar.tiI spokeH1696
אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם'a.lei.Hemto themH413
וְהֵ֥םve.Hemand theyH1992
נִבָּֽאוּ\׃ni.Ba.'uthey prophesiedH5012

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 23:21

  • Jeremiah 14:14

    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.

  • Jeremiah 27:15

    For I have not sent them, saith the Lord, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.

  • Jeremiah 23:32

    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 29:31

    Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:

  • Jeremiah 28:15

    Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

  • Jeremiah 29:9

    For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord.

  • Acts 13:4

    So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

  • John 20:21

    Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

  • Isaiah 6:8

    Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

  • Romans 10:15

    And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
32; 14:14; 27:15; 28:15; 29:9,31; Isa 6:8; Joh 20:21; Ac 13:4
Ro 10:15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 23:20

    The anger of the Lord shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.

  • Jeremiah 23:21

    I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

  • Jeremiah 23:22

    But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

Read all of Jeremiah 23

Jeremiah 23:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		No envié yo aquellos profetas, y ellos corrían: yo no les hablé, y ellos profetizaban.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Je n’ai pas envoyé ces prophètes, et ils ont couru; je ne leur ai pas parlé, et ils ont prophétisé;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Ich habe die Propheten nicht gesandt, und doch sind sie gelaufen. Ich habe nicht zu ihnen geredet, und doch haben sie geweissagt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Non mittebam prophetas, et ipsi currebant: non loquebar ad eos, et ipsi prophetabant.