Jeremiah 23:27

KJV

Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.

KJV (with Strong's)

Which think {H2803} to cause my people {H5971} to forget {H7911} my name {H8034} by their dreams {H2472} which they tell {H5608} every man {H376} to his neighbour {H7453}, as their fathers {H1} have forgotten {H7911} my name {H8034} for Baal {H1168}.

Complete Jewish Bible

With their dreams that they keep telling each other, they hope to cause my people to forget my name; just as their ancestors forgot my name when they worshipped Ba'al.

Berean Standard Bible

They suppose the dreams that they tell one another will make My people forget My name, just as their fathers forgot My name through the worship of Baal.

American Standard Version

that think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers forgat my name for Baal.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jeremiah 23:27 delivers a scathing indictment against the false prophets of Judah, exposing their true intent and the devastating consequence of their deceptive messages. These self-proclaimed seers, driven by their own imaginations rather than divine revelation, actively sought to lead God's people astray by causing them to forget the Lord's true character and identity. The verse highlights a dangerous spiritual amnesia, drawing a direct and damning parallel to the apostasy of previous generations who abandoned the covenant God for the worship of the pagan deity Baal, underscoring a recurring pattern of spiritual rebellion that threatened the very foundation of Israel's relationship with Yahweh.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is embedded within a larger prophetic oracle in [Jeremiah 23](/jeremiah/23 "Jeremiah 23 - Denunciation of False Prophets") where the Lord, through Jeremiah, vehemently condemns the corrupt spiritual leadership of Judah—specifically the false prophets and priests. Chapters 21-24 deal with various aspects of judgment and hope for Judah and Jerusalem, with a particular focus on the spiritual decay caused by unfaithful leaders. Immediately preceding this verse, the Lord contrasts His true word with the deceptive dreams of these prophets, declaring, "I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed" ([Jeremiah 23:25](/jeremiah/23-25 "Jeremiah 23:25 - False Prophets' Dreams")). The Lord's central complaint is that these prophets are not speaking His word but their own, leading the people into sin and away from Him. Verse 27 serves as a climactic statement of the ultimate goal and devastating effect of their deception: to erase the memory of God from the hearts of His people. The subsequent verses continue to emphasize the stark distinction between true and false prophecy, affirming the power and truth of God's authentic word, which is like a fire and a hammer that breaks rocks in pieces ([Jeremiah 23:28-29](/jeremiah/23-28 "Jeremiah 23:28-29 - The Word of God vs. Dreams")).
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, spanning the reigns of several kings, from Josiah to Zedekiah, leading up to the Babylonian exile. This era was marked by profound political instability, moral decay, and widespread spiritual syncretism. Despite Josiah's significant reforms, idolatry, particularly the worship of Baal and other Canaanite deities, remained deeply entrenched in the land, often subtly interwoven with the worship of Yahweh. False prophets flourished in this environment, often telling people what they wanted to hear—messages of peace and prosperity, even when judgment was imminent ([Jeremiah 6:14](/jeremiah/6-14 "Jeremiah 6:14 - False Peace")). Their "dreams" were likely self-generated visions or merely popular sentiments, lacking any genuine divine origin or moral substance. The explicit reference to "Baal" harks back to centuries of Israelite apostasy, vividly documented in books like [Judges](/judges/2 "Judges 2 - Israel's Disobedience") and [1 Kings](/1_kings/18 "1 Kings 18 - Elijah and the Prophets of Baal"), where the worship of this Canaanite storm and fertility god directly challenged Yahweh's sovereignty and covenant demands. The cultural memory of their "fathers" forgetting God for Baal was a stark reminder of the nation's persistent spiritual infidelity and the cyclical nature of their rebellion.
* **Key Themes:** Jeremiah 23:27 powerfully encapsulates several core themes prevalent throughout the book of Jeremiah and the broader prophetic tradition. The primary theme is the **Danger of False Prophecy**, highlighting how deceptive messages, even those cloaked in spiritual language, can actively undermine true faith and lead to profound spiritual ruin. These prophets were not merely mistaken; they were actively "thinking to cause" forgetfulness, implying malicious intent or at least profound spiritual negligence. A second crucial theme is the **Significance of God's Name**. In ancient Israelite thought, a name was not just a label but represented the essence, character, authority, and reputation of the person. To "forget my name" means to lose sight of Yahweh's unique identity as the covenant-keeping God, His holiness, His power, His faithfulness, and His exclusive claim on His people. This spiritual amnesia inevitably leads to **Apostasy and Idolatry**, as seen in the explicit mention of Baal. The verse underscores the cyclical nature of Israel's unfaithfulness, where the current generation mirrors the sins of their "fathers" who repeatedly turned away from the Lord to worship false gods, demonstrating a profound failure to learn from history and uphold the covenant. This persistent turning to Baal, a god associated with fertility and material prosperity, represents a fundamental rejection of Yahweh's exclusive claim on His people and His moral law.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **think (Hebrew, _châshab'_):** From H2803, this verb means "to plot or contrive (usually in a malicious sense); hence (from the mental effort) to think, regard, value, compute." In this context, it carries a strong connotation of intentionality and deliberation. The false prophets are not merely mistaken or passively disseminating error; they are actively devising a strategy or outcome—to cause God's people to forget Him. This implies a calculated effort to undermine the covenant relationship rather than a passive error, revealing the depth of their culpability.
* **forget (Hebrew, _shâkach'_):** From H7911, meaning "to mislay, i.e., to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention; [idiom] at all, (cause to) forget." The active causative form used here ("to cause... to forget") emphasizes that the prophets' actions directly lead to this spiritual amnesia. It's not just a passive lapse in memory but an active effacement of God's identity, His covenant, and His commands from the people's consciousness, leading to a breakdown of their relationship with Him and their moral compass.
* **Baal (Hebrew, _Baʻal'_):** From H1168, "Baal, a Phoenician deity." Baal was a prominent Canaanite storm and fertility god, whose worship often involved sensuous rituals, cultic prostitution, and even child sacrifice. His mention here is not merely an example of idolatry but represents the antithesis of Yahweh, the living God. To forget Yahweh's name "for Baal" signifies a complete spiritual betrayal, exchanging the true, holy, and covenant-keeping God for a lifeless, morally corrupting idol, symbolizing the ultimate act of apostasy and covenant breaking.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Which think to cause my people to forget my name":** This opening clause immediately identifies the false prophets as the subject and reveals their calculated, malevolent intention. Their goal is not merely to mislead, but to actively eradicate the memory and knowledge of God's true identity, character, and covenant from the hearts and minds of the Israelites. "My name" (Hebrew: *shem*) signifies God's entire revealed being, His reputation, authority, and presence. To forget His name is to lose the very foundation of their relationship with Him, leading to spiritual and moral decay.
* **"by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour":** This phrase specifies the method of their deception. The "dreams" are not divine revelations but human fabrications, presented as authoritative messages from God. The widespread dissemination—"every man to his neighbour"—highlights the pervasive and infectious nature of their false teachings, indicating a systematic corruption of the spiritual landscape. These dreams, devoid of God's truth, serve as the insidious vehicle for spiritual forgetfulness, replacing divine revelation with human imagination.
* **"as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.":** This concluding clause provides a powerful and damning comparison. The current generation's apostasy, facilitated by the false prophets, is directly likened to the historical pattern of Israel's persistent rebellion. The phrase "for Baal" underscores the ultimate consequence of forgetting God's name: a turning to idolatry and the worship of false gods. This analogy serves as a severe warning, linking the contemporary spiritual crisis to a long-standing history of covenant unfaithfulness and the disastrous consequences that inevitably ensued.

#### Literary Devices
Jeremiah 23:27 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message with force and clarity. The most prominent is **Analogy** or **Simile**, explicitly stated with "as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal." This comparison draws a direct and damning link between the current generation's spiritual amnesia, induced by false prophets, and the historical apostasy of their ancestors. It emphasizes the cyclical nature of Israel's unfaithfulness and the persistent allure of idolatry, highlighting that the consequences of forgetting God's true identity are always severe and lead to covenant breach. There is also a strong sense of **Contrast** implicit in the verse: the true God (whose "name" is to be remembered and honored) is starkly contrasted with the false, lifeless deity Baal, and God's authentic, powerful word (which the false prophets do not speak) is contrasted with their fabricated, empty "dreams." The **Repetition** of "my name" emphasizes the central theological concern: the preservation of God's unique identity, character, and authority, and the people's remembrance of Him as the one true God. Finally, the phrase "to cause my people to forget my name" uses **Causative Language** to stress the active, deliberate, and morally culpable role of the false prophets in leading the people astray, portraying them not as passive conveyors of error but as active agents of spiritual sabotage and covenant violation.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 23:27 is a profound theological statement on the nature of divine revelation, the danger of spiritual deception, and the enduring importance of knowing God truly. It underscores that forgetting God's "name"—His character, attributes, and covenant faithfulness—is the precursor to apostasy. The false prophets' "dreams" represent any message, teaching, or worldview that claims spiritual authority but ultimately diverts people from the true God, whether through overt idolatry or subtle distortions of truth. This spiritual amnesia is not benign; it leads directly to a broken relationship with God, mirroring Israel's historical pattern of turning to Baal and experiencing divine judgment. The verse thus serves as a timeless warning against spiritual complacency and the critical need for discernment in evaluating all claims of divine truth, reminding believers that genuine knowledge of God is foundational to faithful living.

* [Deuteronomy 13:1-5](/deuteronomy/13-1 "Deuteronomy 13:1-5 - Testing the Prophet")
* [1 John 4:1](/1_john/4-1 "1 John 4:1 - Test the Spirits")
* [Hosea 2:13](/hosea/2-13 "Hosea 2:13 - Forgetting God for Baals")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 23:27 offers a sober and urgent call to contemporary believers to cultivate spiritual discernment and maintain an unwavering focus on God's revealed truth. In an age saturated with information and diverse spiritual claims, the temptation to be swayed by "dreams" that lack divine authority remains potent. Whether these take the form of popular cultural narratives, charismatic but unbiblical teachings, or even subtle theological deviations, their ultimate effect can be to cause us to "forget" the true nature of God—His holiness, His justice, His grace, His sovereignty, and His exclusive claim on our worship. To combat this spiritual amnesia, we must diligently immerse ourselves in God's written Word, allowing it to shape our understanding of Him and His will, and to serve as the plumb line for all truth claims. We are called to be vigilant guardians of truth, not only for ourselves but also for our communities, actively remembering God's faithfulness and His unchanging character, lest we, like ancient Israel, drift into modern forms of idolatry, exchanging the glory of the incorruptible God for counterfeits that promise peace but deliver destruction.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "dreams" or popular narratives in our contemporary culture might be subtly causing people to "forget God's name" or distort His true character?**
* **How can we actively cultivate a deeper remembrance of God's character and covenant faithfulness in our daily lives and in our communities?**
* **What are some practical steps we can take to develop greater spiritual discernment and test the messages we encounter against the truth of God's Word?**

### FAQ
**What does "forget my name" mean in a biblical context?**

Answer: In the Bible, a "name" (Hebrew: *shem*) is far more than just a label; it represents the essence, character, authority, and reputation of a person. To "forget God's name" means to lose sight of His true identity, His attributes (like holiness, justice, love, faithfulness), His covenant relationship with His people, and His revealed will. It implies a spiritual amnesia that leads to a breakdown of the relationship with God and often results in turning to other gods or idols, as seen in the reference to Baal. It's a profound spiritual detachment and a failure to acknowledge God for who He truly is, leading to practical disobedience and idolatry.

**Who were the "false prophets" Jeremiah was speaking against?**

Answer: The "false prophets" were individuals in Judah who claimed to speak on behalf of the Lord but were, in fact, speaking their own imaginations, dreams, or popular sentiments. They often delivered messages of peace and prosperity when God was, through Jeremiah, announcing judgment and calling for repentance ([Jeremiah 6:14](/jeremiah/6-14 "Jeremiah 6:14 - False Peace")). They lacked true divine inspiration and often contradicted God's actual commands, leading the people into sin and away from the covenant. Jeremiah's book is filled with God's strong condemnation of these individuals, distinguishing their deceptive words from His own powerful and true word, which is like a fire and a hammer that breaks rocks in pieces ([Jeremiah 23:28-29](/jeremiah/23-28 "Jeremiah 23:28-29 - The Word of God vs. Dreams")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 23:27, with its stark warning against false prophets causing people to forget God's name, finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in Jesus Christ. He is the **true Prophet** whom God promised to raise up, one who speaks only the words of God and perfectly reveals the Father's character and name ([Deuteronomy 18:15](/deuteronomy/18-15 "Deuteronomy 18:15 - The Prophet Like Moses"); [John 14:9](/john/14-9 "John 14:9 - Jesus Reveals the Father")). Unlike the false prophets who spoke their own dreams and led people to forget God for Baal, Jesus came to make the Father's name known and glorified, praying, "I have manifested Your name to the people whom You gave Me out of the world" ([John 17:6](/john/17-6 "John 17:6 - Jesus Prays for His Disciples") and [John 17:26](/john/17-26 "John 17:26 - Jesus Prays for Future Believers")). Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus perfectly embodied and revealed the Father's love, justice, and faithfulness, ensuring that those who believe in Him will never truly "forget" God. He delivers us from the power of idolatry, turning us "from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come" ([1 Thessalonians 1:9-10](/1_thessalonians/1-9 "1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 - Turning from Idols to God")). Moreover, the new covenant established in Christ promises that God's law will be written on our hearts, preventing the spiritual amnesia that plagued Israel, as God declares, "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts... No longer will they teach their neighbor... 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me" ([Jeremiah 31:33-34](/jeremiah/31-33 "Jeremiah 31:33-34 - The New Covenant"); [Hebrews 8:10-12](/hebrews/8-10 "The Superiority of the New Covenant")). Thus, in Christ, the danger of forgetting God's name is overcome by the Spirit's work of remembrance and revelation, securing an eternal knowledge of the Father through the Son.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Judges 8:33

And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.

Judges 8:34

And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:

Judges 3:7

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

Acts 13:8

But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

2 Kings 21:3

For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

Deuteronomy 13:1

¶ If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

Deuteronomy 13:5

And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn [you] away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.