Jeremiah 29:8

¶ 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.

For thus saith {H559} the LORD {H3068} of hosts {H6635}, the God {H430} of Israel {H3478}; Let not your prophets {H5030} and your diviners {H7080}, that be in the midst {H7130} of you, deceive {H5377} you, neither hearken {H8085} to your dreams {H2472} which ye cause to be dreamed {H2492}.

For this is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el, says: 'Don't let your prophets who are living among you and your diviners deceive you, and don't pay attention to the dreams you urge them to dream.

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 them.

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.

Commentary

Jeremiah 29:8 KJV delivers a crucial warning from God to the Jewish exiles living in Babylon. This verse emphasizes the danger of spiritual deception and the importance of discerning true divine messages from false ones.

Historical and Cultural Context

This verse is part of a significant letter sent by the prophet Jeremiah from Jerusalem to the Jewish captives already living in exile in Babylon. The people, including leaders, priests, and other prophets, had been deported by King Nebuchadnezzar after the first siege of Jerusalem in 597 BC. Amidst their captivity, many were desperate for hope and sought quick solutions for their return. This desperation made them vulnerable to false prophets and diviners who promised a swift end to the exile, contradicting God's true message through Jeremiah that the exile would last seventy years. The Lord's instruction here is a direct counter to these misleading voices.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Warning Against Deception: The primary message is God's direct command not to be deceived by those who claim to speak for Him but deliver false promises. This underscores God's concern for the spiritual well-being of His people, protecting them from harmful illusions.
  • Divine Authority: The phrase "thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel" firmly establishes the ultimate authority and source of truth. It reminds the exiles that genuine guidance comes only from the sovereign God, not from human desires or fraudulent claims.
  • Discernment of Truth: The verse highlights the critical need for discernment. The exiles were to distinguish between genuine prophecy from God and the deceptive messages of false prophets and pagan diviners, who often appealed to what the people wanted to hear.
  • Self-Induced Delusion: The phrase "neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed" suggests that the people themselves might have been complicit in their deception, actively seeking or interpreting dreams in a way that confirmed their own desires, rather than submitting to God's difficult truth.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV uses two distinct terms for those who mislead: "prophets" (Hebrew: nĕvi'im, נְבִיאִים) and "diviners" (Hebrew: qosemim, קֹסְמִים). While nĕvi'im typically refers to those who claim to speak for God, here it specifically denotes false prophets who were speaking "a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD" (Jeremiah 23:16). The qosemim were practitioners of divination, often associated with pagan or forbidden methods of seeking knowledge, such as omens, astrology, or necromancy, which God strictly condemned in Deuteronomy 18:10-12. The unusual phrasing "dreams which ye cause to be dreamed" (KJV) or "your dreams which you yourselves encourage" (NIV) implies a human agency in fostering these deceptive hopes, perhaps through wishful thinking or seeking out those who would confirm their biases.

Practical Application

The warning in Jeremiah 29:8 is timeless. In any age, people can be tempted to seek comforting lies over challenging truths, especially during difficult times. This verse calls believers today to:

  • Test all spiritual claims: Just as the exiles needed to discern, so do we. We must compare all messages, prophecies, and teachings against the unchanging standard of God's written Word (1 John 4:1).
  • Beware of self-deception: Our own desires and biases can lead us to embrace ideas that are not from God. It's crucial to seek God's will with an open heart, even if it's not what we initially want to hear.
  • Trust in God's ultimate plan: Like the exiles who needed to settle in for a long stay in Babylon, we are called to trust God's timing and purposes, even when they differ from our immediate expectations or desires.

This verse serves as a powerful reminder for spiritual vigilance and reliance on the true voice of the Lord.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Ephesians 5:6 (7 votes)

    Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

  • Jeremiah 5:31 (6 votes)

    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?

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:9 (5 votes)

    [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:11 (5 votes)

    And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

  • Jeremiah 28:15 (4 votes)

    Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

  • 2 Peter 2:2 (4 votes)

    And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

  • 2 Peter 2:3 (4 votes)

    ¶ And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.