Jeremiah 23:28

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.

KJV (with Strong's)

The prophet {H5030} that hath a dream {H2472}, let him tell {H5608} a dream {H2472}; and he that hath my word {H1697}, let him speak {H1696} my word {H1697} faithfully {H571}. What is the chaff {H8401} to the wheat {H1250}? saith {H5002} the LORD {H3068}.

Complete Jewish Bible

"If a prophet has a dream, let him tell it as a dream. But someone who has my word should speak my word faithfully. What do chaff and wheat have in common?" asks ADONAI.

Berean Standard Bible

Let 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.

American Standard Version

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.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jeremiah 23:28 delivers a profound divine mandate, sharply differentiating between the insubstantial, self-originated messages of false prophets and the enduring, life-giving revelation of God's authentic word. Through a potent agricultural metaphor, the Lord unequivocally declares the absolute disparity in value and substance between human invention—likened to worthless chaff—and His pure, authoritative truth—represented by nourishing wheat. The verse simultaneously issues a solemn charge for those entrusted with divine revelation to proclaim it with unwavering faithfulness and integrity, emphasizing the critical importance of discernment in an era of competing spiritual claims.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Jeremiah 23:28 is strategically placed within a significant prophetic discourse (chapters 21-29) where Jeremiah vigorously confronts the widespread problem of false prophets in Judah during the tumultuous decades preceding the Babylonian exile. Jeremiah, as God's true messenger, consistently delivered unpopular prophecies of impending judgment, exile, and the necessity of repentance, directly contradicting the comforting, yet deceptive, messages of peace and prosperity propagated by many contemporary prophets. This verse functions as a divine criterion, providing a clear standard for discerning genuine prophetic messages from fraudulent ones. It serves as a powerful preamble to the subsequent verse, which vividly portrays God's word as a transformative and destructive force, likened to a [fire and a hammer](/jeremiah/23-29 "Jeremiah 23:29 - God's Word as Fire and Hammer"), capable of breaking rocks in pieces.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The historical setting for Jeremiah 23:28 is the twilight of the Kingdom of Judah, roughly the late 7th to early 6th century BCE. This was a period of profound political instability, spiritual apostasy, and existential dread as powerful empires (Assyria, Egypt, Babylon) vied for regional dominance, with Babylon increasingly threatening Judah's sovereignty. In this climate of fear and uncertainty, false prophets flourished by offering palatable, optimistic messages that promised deliverance from foreign threats and prosperity, directly undermining Jeremiah's unpopular call for national repentance and submission to God's judgment. The agricultural imagery of "chaff to the wheat" would have been immediately comprehensible and deeply resonant within an agrarian society intimately familiar with the arduous threshing process. This common experience provided a powerful, relatable analogy for the spiritual discernment required to separate valuable truth from worthless deception.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully encapsulates several critical themes pervasive throughout Jeremiah's prophecy and the broader prophetic tradition. Primarily, it establishes a stark **distinction between true and false prophecy**, highlighting the crucial need for spiritual discernment in an era saturated with competing claims of divine revelation. Secondly, it champions the **absolute authority and purity of God's Word**, portraying it as the sole source of substantial, life-giving truth, in stark contrast to the emptiness and deception of human invention. This theme is echoed in other prophetic warnings against false messages, such as those found in [Deuteronomy 18](/deuteronomy/18 "Deuteronomy 18 - Warnings Against False Prophets"). Finally, the imperative to "speak my word faithfully" underscores the immense **responsibility of faithful proclamation** for those entrusted with God's message, demanding integrity, accuracy, and an unwavering commitment to delivering divine truth without adulteration or compromise. This reflects Jeremiah's own difficult and often solitary ministry of speaking God's unpopular truth to a resistant people.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **dream (Hebrew, _chălôwm'_):** From the root meaning "to bind" or "to be firm," leading to the idea of a dream as something that binds the mind. Here, it refers to a night vision, often claimed by prophets as a source of divine revelation. In Jeremiah's context, many such dreams were self-generated, deceptive, or lacked true divine origin, leading the people astray with false hopes and spiritual complacency.
* **word (Hebrew, _dâbâr'_):** This is a highly significant term, meaning a word, matter, thing, or affair. It encompasses not just spoken words but also the underlying reality, decree, or command. In this verse, "my word" (God's word) refers to the authoritative, substantive, and true revelation directly from the Lord, carrying His power, will, and inherent truth. It stands in direct opposition to the ephemeral and misleading "dream" of the false prophet.
* **faithfully (Hebrew, _ʼemeth'_):** Contracted from a root meaning "to be firm, stable," this word denotes stability, certainty, truth, and trustworthiness. To speak God's word "faithfully" means to speak it with truth, reliability, and integrity, without adding to it, taking away from it, or distorting its original intent. It implies a steadfast adherence to the divine message, reflecting God's own unchanging character.
* **chaff (Hebrew, _teben'_):** This term refers to the refuse, haum, or stalks of grain, specifically the lightweight, worthless husks separated from the valuable grain during threshing. It is easily blown away by the wind and possesses no nutritional value. In this powerful metaphor, it vividly represents the emptiness, insubstantiality, and ultimate worthlessness of the false prophets' messages, which offer no spiritual sustenance or lasting benefit.
* **wheat (Hebrew, _bâr'_):** Derived from a root meaning "to winnow," this refers to grain of any kind, specifically the valuable, nourishing kernels essential for sustenance. It is substantial, enduring, and life-sustaining. It symbolizes the pure, life-giving, and authoritative nature of God's word, which provides genuine spiritual nourishment, stands the test of time, and leads to true life.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream;"**: This clause is not an endorsement of all dreams as divine, but rather a challenging concession or a statement of fact. If a prophet genuinely believes their message comes from a dream, let them present it as such. However, the implication, especially in light of the subsequent contrast, is that such dreams, when not truly from God, are vastly inferior, unreliable, and ultimately misleading, lacking the substance of divine truth. It sets the stage for the crucial distinction that follows.
* **"and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully."**: This is the central divine command and the unwavering standard for true prophecy. For those who have received a genuine, direct revelation from God ("my word"), the imperative is to proclaim it with absolute integrity, truthfulness, and accuracy ("faithfully"). This highlights the immense privilege and profound responsibility of handling divine truth, demanding an uncompromised commitment to delivering God's message precisely as it was given, without personal embellishment or dilution.
* **"What [is] the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD."**: This rhetorical question, directly from the Lord, serves as the ultimate judgment and discernment principle. It implies an obvious and resounding answer: there is no comparison whatsoever. Chaff is worthless, insubstantial, and fleeting, easily dispersed; wheat is valuable, substantial, and essential for life. This powerful agricultural analogy visually and conceptually separates the empty, deceptive messages of false prophets from the substantial, pure, and life-giving word of God, underscoring their irreconcilable difference in origin, nature, and effect.

#### Literary Devices
Jeremiah 23:28 employs several potent **literary devices** to convey its message with striking clarity and force. The most prominent is the **Rhetorical Question**: "What is the chaff to the wheat?" This question is not posed to elicit information but to make an emphatic statement, implying an obvious and undeniable answer—that there is an absolute qualitative difference between the two. This device powerfully highlights the vast disparity between false prophecy and divine truth. Closely related is the use of **Metaphor** and **Analogy**, where "chaff" and "wheat" serve as extended comparisons for the worthless, insubstantial messages of false prophets and the valuable, life-giving, and enduring word of God, respectively. This agrarian imagery would have been instantly understood by the original audience, making the abstract distinction tangible and relatable. Furthermore, the verse employs **Juxtaposition** and **Contrast**, placing "dream" (often associated with human invention or deception in this context) directly against "my word" (divine revelation), and "chaff" against "wheat," to underscore the fundamental opposition and irreconcilable nature of these two sources of spiritual communication. Finally, the concluding phrase, "saith the LORD," functions as a **Divine Oracle Formula**, lending ultimate authority, weight, and divine imprimatur to the entire statement, affirming that this discernment principle originates directly from God Himself.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 23:28 stands as a foundational text for understanding the nature of divine revelation and the critical importance of spiritual discernment. Theologically, it asserts God's absolute sovereignty over truth, declaring that His word is distinct, pure, and possesses inherent life-giving power, unlike any human-derived message. It underscores that God is the ultimate source of truth, and any message not originating from Him, or not faithfully representing Him, is ultimately worthless and destructive. The verse also highlights the moral imperative for those who claim to speak for God to do so with unwavering integrity, reflecting the character of the God of truth. This theological principle of distinguishing between divine substance and human emptiness remains vitally important for believers across all generations, calling us to cling to the unchanging truth of God's revelation as our sole standard for faith and practice.

* [Psalm 1:4](/psalms/1-4 "Psalm 1:4 - The Wicked are Like Chaff")
* [Deuteronomy 18:20-22](/deuteronomy/18-20-22 "Deuteronomy 18:20-22 - Testing a Prophet")
* [1 John 4:1](/1_john/4-1 "1 John 4:1 - Test the Spirits")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 23:28 offers timeless guidance for navigating a world saturated with competing claims to truth and spiritual authority. In an age of abundant information, diverse spiritual voices, and pervasive misinformation, this verse compels us to cultivate a profound commitment to discerning genuine divine revelation from human fabrication, deception, or mere opinion. It challenges us to critically evaluate all messages—whether from religious leaders, social media influencers, or even our own subjective experiences—against the unchanging, objective standard of God's revealed Word, the Bible. For those who teach, preach, or share their faith, it serves as a solemn reminder of the immense privilege and profound responsibility of handling God's truth. We are called to "speak my word faithfully," which demands diligent study, honest interpretation, courageous proclamation of the full counsel of God, and an unwavering commitment to its purity, without compromise or fear of human disapproval. Our spiritual nourishment, growth, and ultimate well-being depend on our ability to prioritize the "wheat" of God's truth over the "chaff" of fleeting human philosophies or deceptive narratives.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How do I actively discern between genuine spiritual truth and human invention or deception in my daily life, particularly in the information age?**
* **In what specific ways am I called to "speak God's word faithfully" within my sphere of influence, and what personal or external challenges might I face in doing so?**
* **How does my engagement with Scripture reflect its supreme value as the "wheat" of God's truth, and am I prioritizing it over other sources of information or wisdom that may be less substantial?**

### FAQ
**Does Jeremiah 23:28 condemn all dreams as a source of divine revelation?**

Answer: No, Jeremiah 23:28 does not condemn all dreams as a legitimate source of divine revelation. Throughout the Old Testament, God did indeed communicate with His people through dreams, as seen in instances like God speaking to Abimelech in a dream ([Genesis 20:3](/genesis/20-3 "Genesis 20:3 - God Speaks to Abimelech in a Dream")), Joseph's prophetic dreams ([Genesis 37:5](/genesis/37-5 "Genesis 37:5 - Joseph's Dream")), and Nebuchadnezzar's dream interpreted by Daniel ([Daniel 2:1](/daniel/2-1 "Daniel 2:1 - Nebuchadnezzar's Dream")). The issue in Jeremiah's context was not the medium of dreams itself, but rather the *source* and *content* of the dreams claimed by false prophets. These dreams were often self-generated, deceptive, or designed to flatter the people and offer false security, rather than to deliver God's true message of repentance and judgment. The verse highlights the stark contrast between such human-originating dreams and God's authentic, faithful word, emphasizing the truthfulness and divine origin of the message, not the specific medium through which it was received.

**What does it mean for a modern believer to "speak God's word faithfully"?**

Answer: For a modern believer, to "speak God's word faithfully" means to communicate biblical truth accurately, consistently, and with unwavering integrity. This imperative applies not only to formal teaching or preaching roles but also to everyday conversations, personal witness, and how one lives out their faith. It involves diligent study of Scripture to understand its original meaning and context, avoiding misinterpretation, eisegesis (reading one's own ideas into the text), or selective emphasis. It also means proclaiming the full counsel of God, including challenging truths and inconvenient commands, without watering down, omitting, or distorting parts that might be unpopular or culturally unpalatable. Ultimately, it means allowing God's word to profoundly shape one's own life and character first, so that the message is conveyed with authenticity, conviction, and a humble reliance on the Holy Spirit, reflecting the very character of the God who speaks.

**How does the "chaff to the wheat" analogy apply to contemporary spiritual messages?**

Answer: The "chaff to the wheat" analogy remains profoundly relevant for evaluating contemporary spiritual messages and teachings. "Wheat" represents messages that are substantial, life-giving, biblically sound, and lead to genuine spiritual nourishment, growth, and transformation. These messages align with the revealed character of God, promote holiness, call for repentance and faith, and endure the test of time and trials. "Chaff," on the other hand, symbolizes messages that are superficial, lacking in biblical depth, self-serving, emotionally manipulative, or designed merely to entertain, affirm without challenging, or offer quick fixes. These messages may sound spiritual or even appealing, but they lack the inherent power to truly transform lives or bring people into a deeper, authentic relationship with God. Like chaff, they are easily blown away by the winds of cultural change, personal difficulty, or intellectual scrutiny, offering no lasting substance or eternal value. Believers are called to exercise keen spiritual discernment, diligently holding every message up to the light of God's unchanging and authoritative Word.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 23:28 finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is the very embodiment of God's faithful Word. While false prophets offered fleeting dreams and empty promises that could not truly satisfy, Jesus declared, "[I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst](/john/6-35 "John 6:35 - Jesus, the Bread of Life")" and "[I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever](/john/6-51 "John 6:51 - Jesus, the Living Bread")." He is the true "wheat"—the nourishing, life-giving substance that sustains eternal life for all who partake of Him. Unlike the chaff that is blown away by every wind of doctrine, Jesus' words are eternal, unshakeable, and possess inherent divine authority: "[Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away](/matthew/24-35 "Matthew 24:35 - The Permanence of Jesus' Words")." He faithfully spoke His Father's word, declaring, "[For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak](/john/12-49 "John 12:49 - Jesus Speaks the Father's Words")." Jesus Himself is the ultimate standard by which all prophetic claims are measured, the perfect Word made flesh. At His glorious return, He will perfectly fulfill the imagery of separating the "wheat" (His true followers, the righteous) from the "chaff" (those who rejected Him or offered false teachings), gathering the former into His eternal barn and burning the latter with unquenchable fire, as powerfully foretold by [John the Baptist](/matthew/3-12 "John the Baptist on Jesus' Coming") and echoed in Jesus' own parables of judgment.

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

2 Corinthians 2:17

For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

1 Timothy 1:12

¶ And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

1 Corinthians 3:12

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

1 Corinthians 3:13

Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

Matthew 24:45

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

Luke 12:42

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom [his] lord shall make ruler over his household, to give [them their] portion of meat in due season?

Proverbs 14:5

¶ A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.