Jeremiah 29:8
in Jeremiah 29For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your prophets that are in the midst of you, and your diviners, deceive you; neither hearken ye to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
KJV
For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
⋯
This verse in Jeremiah 29
Commentary
7 notes on this verse(Verse 8, 9) For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, nor give heed to your dreams which you dream. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord. The prophet Ezekiel testifies that there were prophets, or rather false prophets, and diviners and dreamers in Babylon, among those whom Nebuchadnezzar had brought with Jehoiachin and his mother, as he writes against them, to whom Jeremiah also commands not to believe (Ezekiel 13).
This site's exposition
For this is what the LORD
on Jeremiah 29:8-9
The warning against false prophets goes with the exiles to Babylon, the danger named at home in chapter 27. The LORD says, “do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them,” naming dreams drawn out on demand. His verdict on those prophets is plain: “I have not sent them.”
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,....
Note, Though the deliverance of the church do not come in our time, it is sufficient that it will come in God's time, and we are sure that that is the best time. The promise is that God will visit them in mercy; though he had long seemed to be strange to them, he will come among them, and appear for them, and put honour upon them, as great men do upon their inferiors by coming to visit them.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Neither hearken to your dreams - Rather, dreamers; for it appears there was a class of such persons, who not only had acquired a facility of dreaming themselves, but who undertook to interpret the dreams of others.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
your dreams which ye caused to be dreamed--The Latin adage says, "The people wish to be deceived, so let them be deceived." Not mere credulity misleads men, but their own perverse "love of darkness rather than light." It was not priests who originated priestcraft, but the people's own morbid appetite to be deceived; for example, Aaron and the golden calf (Ex 32:1-4).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Your prophets and your diviners - The evils from which the people had suffered so cruelly at home followed them in their exile. Dreams which ye cause to be dreamed - As long as there was a market for dreams, so long there would be plenty of impostors to supply them.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּי֩ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כֹ֨ה | khoh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֜ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָאוֹת֙ | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| יַשִּׁ֧יאוּ | yashiu | they deceive | H5377 → | 16 times |
| לָכֶ֛ם | lakhem | <to> <the> you | ||
| נְבִֽיאֵיכֶ֥ם | nevieikhem | prophets your | H5030 → | 314 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֖ם | bekirbekhem | [are] in midst your | H7130 → | 227 times |
| וְקֹֽסְמֵיכֶ֑ם | vekosemeikhem | and diviners your | H7080 → | |
| וְאַֽל־ | veal- | and may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ | tishmeu | you listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| חֲלֹמֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם | chalomoteikhem | dreams your | H2472 → | 65 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אַתֶּ֖ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| מַחְלְמִֽים׃ | machlemim | [are] dreaming | H2492 → | 29 times |
כִּי֩for
kiH3588 →4482 times
כֹ֨הthus
khohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֜רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָאוֹת֙of hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
יַשִּׁ֧יאוּthey deceive
yashiuH5377 →16 times
לָכֶ֛ם<to> <the> you
lakhem
נְבִֽיאֵיכֶ֥םprophets your
nevieikhemH5030 →314 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֖ם[are] in midst your
bekirbekhemH7130 →227 times
וְקֹֽסְמֵיכֶ֑םand diviners your
vekosemeikhemH7080 →
וְאַֽל־and may not
veal-H408 →724 times
תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙you listen
tishmeuH8085 →1159 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
חֲלֹמֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔םdreams your
chalomoteikhemH2472 →65 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אַתֶּ֖םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
מַחְלְמִֽים׃[are] dreaming
machlemimH2492 →29 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
Ephesians 5:6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
it leads to
- Romans 1:18
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
- Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.
- Matthew 24:4
Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you.
- 1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12
and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.
- Romans 1:18
Through
Jeremiah 14:14“The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied the LORD. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination,…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 13:6–7
They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ when the LORD did not send them; yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message.
- Jeremiah 29:8–9
For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from…
- Ezekiel 13:6–7
Through
2 Timothy 3:13while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- 1 Timothy 4:1
Where this verse is studied
About Jeremiah

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
