Jeremiah 5:31
in Jeremiah 5The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
KJV
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
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This verse in Jeremiah 5
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe prophets prophesy falsely - The false prophets predict favorable things, that they may please both the princes and the people. The priests bear rule by their means - The false prophets affording them all that their influence and power can procure, to enable them to keep their places, and feed on the riches of the Lord’s house. And my people love to have it so - Are perfectly satisfied with this state of things, because they are permitted to continue in their sins without reproof or restraint. The prophets and the priests united to deceive and ruin the people.
This site's exposition
A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land
on Jeremiah 5:30-31
The verdict names three failures: “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority”, and “My people love it so”. The corruption is chosen by the people as well as suffered from above. The closing question, “but what will you do in the end?”, is left open.
This site's exposition
The prophets prophesy falsely
Clarke reads the prophets as predicting favorable things to please both the princes and the people. He takes the priests as ruling with the backing of the false prophets, kept in their places and fed from the LORD's house. The people love it so.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 30, 31.) Astonishment and wonders were done on the earth. The prophets were prophesying falsehood (or wickedness) and the priests were applauding with their hands. And my people loved such things. What then will you do in the end? As it was said before: Shall I go to the nobles and speak to them? Perhaps they knew the way of the Lord, but behold, they have broken the yoke and burst the bonds.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The prophets prophesied falsely,....
It was a horrible thing, a thing to be detested and the consequences of it dreaded. To frighten ourselves from sin, let us call it a horrible thing. In short, this: (1.) The leaders misled the people: The prophets prophesy falsely, counterfeit a commission from heaven when they are factors for hell.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
bear rule by their means--literally, "according to their hands," that is, under their guidance (1Ch 25:3). As a sample of the priests lending themselves to the deceits of the false prophets, to gain influence over the people, see Jer 29:24-32. love to have it so-- (Mic 2:11). end thereof--the fatal issue of this sinful course when divine judgments shall come.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַנְּבִיאִ֞ים | haneviim | the prophets | H5030 → | 314 times |
| נִבְּא֣וּ־ | nibeu- | they have prophesied | H5012 → | 115 times |
| בַשֶּׁ֗קֶר | vasheker | with <the> falsehood | H8267 → | 113 times |
| וְהַכֹּהֲנִים֙ | vehakohanim | and the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
| יִרְדּ֣וּ | yirdu | they are ruling | H7287 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יְדֵיהֶ֔ם | yedeihem | hands their | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וְעַמִּ֖י | veami | and people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אָ֣הֲבוּ | ʾahavu | they have loved | H157 → | 211 times |
| כֵ֑ן | khen | thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| וּמַֽה־ | umah- | and what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| תַּעֲשׂ֖וּ | taasu | will you do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לְאַחֲרִיתָֽהּ׃ | leacharitah | to end its | H319 → | 61 times |
הַנְּבִיאִ֞יםthe prophets
haneviimH5030 →314 times
נִבְּא֣וּ־they have prophesied
nibeu-H5012 →115 times
בַשֶּׁ֗קֶרwith <the> falsehood
vashekerH8267 →113 times
וְהַכֹּהֲנִים֙and the priests
vehakohanimH3548 →750 times
יִרְדּ֣וּthey are ruling
yirduH7287 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יְדֵיהֶ֔םhands their
yedeihemH3027 →1618 times
וְעַמִּ֖יand people my
veamiH5971 →1873 times
אָ֣הֲבוּthey have loved
ʾahavuH157 →211 times
כֵ֑ןthus
khenH3651 →771 times
וּמַֽה־and what?
umah-H4100 →752 times
תַּעֲשׂ֖וּwill you do
taasuH6213 →2628 times
לְאַחֲרִיתָֽהּ׃to end its
leacharitahH319 →61 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
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
- Isaiah 30:10–11
They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 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 12:24
For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations within the house of Israel,
- Jeremiah 29:31
“Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you—though I did not send him—and has made you trust in a lie,
- Isaiah 30:10–11
Through
Micah 2:11If a man of wind were to come and say falsely, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be just the preacher for this people!
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 11:13–15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13–15
Through
Ezekiel 13:6They 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.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 22:28
Her prophets whitewash these deeds by false visions and lying divinations, saying, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ when the LORD has not spoken.
- Jeremiah 29:8
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 22:28
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.