Jeremiah 23:27

27 They swap dreams with one another, feed on each other's delusive dreams, trying to distract my people from me just as their ancestors were distracted by the no-god Baal.

Jeremiah 23:27 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 23:27

Which think to cause my people to forget my name
The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "my law". The word and worship of God; from which men are drawn off by false teachers, and are in a fair way to be brought to atheism, and to forget that there is a God; for when once men are turned from the word of God to believe lies, and from the pure worship of God to a false religion, there is no knowing where things will end; and, indeed, it was the design of these false prophets, a scheme and device of theirs, in which they hoped to succeed by their dreams; which,
says the Lord, they tell every man to his neighbour;
privately from house to house, as well as publicly, to take off the people from all thoughts of God and his worship: as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal:
or, by Baal F11; by means of Baal's prophets in Samaria before mentioned; who seduced Israel from the pure worship of God, and made them forget him; having the name of Baal more in their minds and mouths than the name of God. The Syriac version is, "as their fathers forgot my name, and worshipped Baal"; and so the Targum,

``as their fathers forsook the worship of my name, and swore by the name of idols.''

FOOTNOTES:

F11 (lebb) "per Baalem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Schmidt.

Jeremiah 23:27 In-Context

25 "I know what they're saying, all these prophets who preach lies using me as their text, saying 'I had this dream! I had this dream!'
26 How long do I have to put up with this? Do these prophets give two cents about me as they preach their lies and spew out their grandiose delusions?
27 They swap dreams with one another, feed on each other's delusive dreams, trying to distract my people from me just as their ancestors were distracted by the no-god Baal.
28 "You prophets who do nothing but dream - go ahead and tell your silly dreams. But you prophets who have a message from me - tell it truly and faithfully. What does straw have in common with wheat? Nothing else is like God's Decree.
29 Isn't my Message like fire?" God's Decree. "Isn't it like a sledgehammer busting a rock?
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.