Jeremiah 23:28
in Jeremiah 23Let the prophet who has a dream retell it, but let him who has My word speak it truthfully. For what is straw compared to grain?” declares the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat? saith Jehovah.
KJV
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord.
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This verse in Jeremiah 23
Commentary
11 notes on this verseWhat is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord - Do not mingle these equivocal matters with positive revelations. Do not consider a dream, even from a prophet, as that positive inspiration which my prophets receive when their reason, judgment, and spiritual feelings are all in full and in regular exercise. Mix none of your own devices with my doctrines.
This site's exposition
I have heard the sayings of
on Jeremiah 23:25-32
The prophets’ doubled cry, “I had a dream!”, is mocked, and verse 28 sets the two side by side: “what is straw compared to grain?” The LORD’s word is “like fire” and “like a hammer that smashes a rock,” with a force the invented word lacks.
This site's exposition
what is straw compared to grain
Straw and grain grow on the same stalk, yet only grain feeds anyone. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the verse as a call to set the dream beside the LORD's word and compare. Clarke warns against mixing human ideas with God's word.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 28, 29.) The prophet who has a dream, let him tell the dream, and the one who has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is straw compared to wheat? says the Lord. Are not my words like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer (or an axe) shattering rock? It is for them to interpret the dream who are deserving of having the word of God, and to say: Thus says the Lord; to whom the Lord has spoken, in whom there is truth, and not deceitful lies.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Those that have spiritual senses exercised will be able to distinguish; for what is the chaff to the wheat? The promises of peace which these prophets make to you are no more to be compared to God's promises than chaff to wheat." Men's fancies are light, and vain, and worthless, as the chaff which the wind drives away.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
What is the wheat - There is as much difference between my will and their dreams, as there is betwixt the chaff and the wheat.
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The test is adherence to, or forgetfulness of, Me and My law (Jer 23:27). that hath a dream--that pretends to have a divine communication by dream, let him tell it "faithfully," that it may be compared with "my word" (2Co 4:2).
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
IT is remarkable that God has traced so much of the misery of the children of Israel in the period of their degradation to the unfaithfulness of those governors, priests and prophets who ruled over them. The crying evil of a nation's crimes lay at the door of these foolish shepherds. At first it would seem that the main stress of calamity rested on the common people—and the time-serving rulers enjoyed ease and affluence as the fruit of their own corruption.
IT is remarkable that God has traced so much of the misery of the children of Israel in the period of their degradation to the unfaithfulness of those governors, priests and prophets who ruled over them. The crying evil of a nation's crimes lay at the door of these foolish shepherds. At first it would seem that the main stress of calamity rested on the common people—and the time-serving rulers enjoyed ease and affluence as the fruit of their own corruption. But when the Most High arises to judgment, He begins with those "pastors" who have foully betrayed their sacred trust. As one who has seen their way with His watchful eyes and heard their lies with His ever-listening ears, He denounces them with terrible threats. While, on the other hand, He looks with compassion on the unhappy victims of strange delusion and cruel oppression—and compares them to a flock hard driven and mercilessly scattered. No, more, He claims this people as His own flock, whose wrongs He will avenge, whose rights He will restore, whose fears He will relieve and whose prosperity He will secure. The sin of those false prophets is exposed in terms which leave them no shadow of excuse. It was a profanity that dared to invoke the Divine name for their horrible wickedness. It was a folly that perverted every kind of truth—and it was a mischief that made the land mourn and dried up all its pleasant places. Therefore the anger of the Lord went forth like a whirlwind in its fury, yet like arrows shot from His bow it singled out the head of the wicked and executed vengeance on the real offenders. Here, then, in this chapter, we have some of God's most withering threats and some of His most gracious promises. The abettors of sin are made a prey and the victims of sin are delivered.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
A dream ... faithfully - Rather, as “a dream”... as truth. The dream is but a dream, and is to be told as such, but God’s word is to be spoken as certain and absolute truth. The dreams are the chaff, worthless, with nothing in them; the wheat, the pure grain after it is cleansed and winnowed is God’s word. What have these two in common?
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַנָּבִ֞יא | hanavi' | the prophet | H5030 → | 314 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אִתּ֤וֹ | ʾito | [is] with him | H854 → | 929 times |
| חֲלוֹם֙ | chalom | a dream | H2472 → | 65 times |
| יְסַפֵּ֣ר | yesaper | let him recount | H5608 → | 159 times |
| חֲל֔וֹם | chalom | [the] dream | H2472 → | 65 times |
| וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר | vaasher | and whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דְּבָרִי֙ | devari | word my | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אִתּ֔וֹ | ʾito | [is] with him | H854 → | 929 times |
| יְדַבֵּ֥ר | yedaber | let him speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| דְּבָרִ֖י | devari | word my | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֱמֶ֑ת | ʾemet | faithfulness | H571 → | 127 times |
| מַה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| לַתֶּ֥בֶן | lateven | [belongs] to the straw | H8401 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| הַבָּ֖ר | habar | the grain | H1250 → | |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
הַנָּבִ֞יאthe prophet
hanavi'H5030 →314 times
אֲשֶׁר־whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
אִתּ֤וֹ[is] with him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
חֲלוֹם֙a dream
chalomH2472 →65 times
יְסַפֵּ֣רlet him recount
yesaperH5608 →159 times
חֲל֔וֹם[the] dream
chalomH2472 →65 times
וַאֲשֶׁ֤רand whom
vaasherH834 →5497 times
דְּבָרִי֙word my
devariH1697 →1440 times
אִתּ֔וֹ[is] with him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
יְדַבֵּ֥רlet him speak
yedaberH1696 →1141 times
דְּבָרִ֖יword my
devariH1697 →1440 times
אֱמֶ֑תfaithfulness
ʾemetH571 →127 times
מַה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
לַתֶּ֥בֶן[belongs] to the straw
latevenH8401 →
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
הַבָּ֖רthe grain
habarH1250 →
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 24:45Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 4:1–2
So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 25:21
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
- Matthew 25:23
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
- Luke 16:10–12
Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
- 1 Corinthians 4:1–2
Through
2 Corinthians 2:17For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 4:2
Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to…
- 2 Corinthians 4:2
Through
1 Timothy 1:12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, that He considered me faithful and appointed me to service.
it leads to
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- 2 Timothy 4:17
But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of…
- Philippians 4:13
Through
Luke 12:42And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time?
it leads to
- Matthew 24:45–46
Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?
- Matthew 24:45–46
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Jeremiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 862: “Winnowing Time” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.