Jeremiah 23:16

16 Thus says the LORD of Hosts, Don't listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you: they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:16 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 23:16

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, hearken not unto the words of
the prophets that prophesy unto you
Do not hear them; stop your ears at what they say; give no credit to them. The Targum is,

``do not receive the words of the false prophets that prophesy unto you:''

they make you vain;
they filled their heads with vain and empty things, and their hearts with vain hopes, which deceived them; so the Targum,

``they deceive you;''

they taught them vain things, and made them vain and sinful in their lives and conversations; and therefore were not to be hearkened to: they speak a vision of their own heart, [and] not out of the mouth of
the Lord;
what they imagined they saw was a device of their own hearts, and what was agreeable to them, which must be bad enough; a produce of their own brains; an invention of their own; mere doctrines of men, and not such as come from the mouth of God, are his revealed will, and according to his word; and therefore not to be hearkened to; for nothing is to be heard and received, in matters of religion, but what is according to the revelation of God's will in his word; see ( Isaiah 8:20 ) . The Targum is,

``they speak to you the wickedness of their hearts, and not by the word of the Lord.''

Jeremiah 23:16 In-Context

14 In the prophets of Yerushalayim also I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies; and they strengthen the hands of evil-doers, so that none does return from his wickedness: they are all of them become to me as Sedom, and the inhabitants of it as `Amorah

15 Therefore thus says the LORD of Hosts concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Yerushalayim is ungodliness gone forth into all the land.

16 Thus says the LORD of Hosts, Don't listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you: they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

17 They say continually to those who despise me, the LORD has said, You shall have shalom; and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, No evil shall come on you.

18 For who has stood in the council of the LORD, that he should perceive and hear his word? who has marked my word, and heard it?