Jeremiah 23 · Verse 31

Jeremiah 23:31

Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.
Jeremiah 23:31, King James Version

Jeremiah 23:31 in other translations

BSB“Yes,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and proclaim, ‘The LORD declares it.’”
WEBBehold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who use their tongues, and say, ‘He says.’
ASVBehold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.
YLTLo, I am against the prophets, An affirmation of Jehovah, Who are making smooth their tongue, And they affirm--an affirmation.
DARBYBehold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, that use their tongues, and say, He hath said.
BBESee, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who let their tongues say, He has said.
WebsterBehold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.

What does Jeremiah 23:31 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
31. use--rather, "take" their tongue: a second class (compare Jr 23:30) require, in order to bring forth a revelation, nothing more than their tongues, wherewith they say, He (Jehovah) saith: they bungle in the very formula instead of the usual "Jehovah saith," being only able to say "(He) saith."

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

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 23:23-32

Men cannot be hidden from God's all-seeing eye. Will they never see what judgments they prepare for themselves? Let them consider what a vast difference there is between these prophecies and those delivered by the true prophets of the Lord. Let them not call their foolish dreams Divine oracles. The promises of peace these prophets make are no more to be compared to God's promises than chaff to wheat. The unhumbled…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 23:23-32 →

Jeremiah 23:31 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.

הִנְנִ֥יhi.Nihere IH2005
עַל\־'al-[am] onH5921
הַנְּבִיאִ֖םha.ne.vi.'Imthe prophetsH5030
נְאֻם\־ne.'um-[the] utterance ofH5002
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
הַלֹּקְחִ֣יםha.lo.ke.Chimwho takeH3947
לְשׁוֹנָ֔םle.sho.Namtongue theirH3956
וַֽיִּנְאֲמ֖וּvai.yin.'a.Muand they have utteredH5001
נְאֻֽם\׃ne.'Uman utteranceH5002

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

Cross references for Jeremiah 23:31

  • Jeremiah 23:17

    They say still unto them that despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.

  • 2 Chronicles 18:10-12

    And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith the Lord, With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed. And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth–gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.

  • Isaiah 30:10

    Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

  • 2 Chronicles 18:5

    Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth–gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.

  • 2 Chronicles 18:19-21

    And the Lord said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth–gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will entice him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so.

  • Micah 2:11

    If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
use. or, smooth.
Isa 30:10; Mic 2:11
He.
17; 2Ch 18:5,10-12,19-21

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

Context

  • Jeremiah 23:30

    Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.

  • Jeremiah 23:31

    Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.

  • 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.

Read all of Jeremiah 23

Jeremiah 23:31 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		He aquí yo contra los profetas, dice Jehová, que endulzan sus lenguas, y dicen: El ha dicho.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Voici, dit l’ Éternel, j’en veux aux prophètes qui usent de leur langue, et disent: Il dit.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Siehe, ich will an die Propheten, spricht Jehova, die Zungen nehmen und sprechen: Er hat geredet
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ecce ego ad prophetas, ait Dominus, qui assumunt linguas suas, et aiunt: Dicit Dominus.