Jeremiah 5:13

13 The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them.”

Jeremiah 5:13 in Other Translations

13 And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.

13 The prophets will become wind; the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them!'"

13 God’s prophets are all windbags who don’t really speak for him. Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves!’”

13 The prophets are all windbags. They speak nothing but nonsense.'"

13 The prophets become [only] wind, for the [Lord's] word is not in them. This will in fact happen to them.

Jeremiah 5:13 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 5:13

And the prophets shall become wind
Their prophecies shall vanish into air; they shall become of no effect; they shall never be accomplished: and the word is not in them;
not the word of the Lord; he never spoke by them; they speak of themselves; they never were inspired or commissioned by him to say what they do: thus shall it be done unto them; the same evils they say shall befall us shall come upon them; they shall perish by the sword or famine; we have reason to believe that our predictions are as good as theirs, and will be fulfilled: or, "thus let it be done to them" ^F25; as they have prophesied shall be done to us; and so are an imprecation. The Targum interprets the whole of the false prophets, as if they were the words of the Lord concerning them, which is,

``but the false prophets shall be for nothing, and their false prophecy shall not be confirmed; this revenge shall be taken of them;''

and so Kimchi interprets it of the prophets that prophesied peace to them, and said that the above mentioned should not come upon them; and Jarchi takes the last clause to be the words of the prophet to them that say the above words; namely, that thus it shall be done to them, what the Lord has said.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (Mhl hvey hk) "sic fiat illis"; so some in Vatablus; "sic eveniat ipsis", Cocceius.

Jeremiah 5:13 In-Context

11 The people of Israel and the people of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me,” declares the LORD.

12 They have lied about the LORD; they said, “He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine.

13 The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them.”

14 Therefore this is what the LORD God Almighty says: “Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes.

15 People of Israel,” declares the LORD, “I am bringing a distant nation against you— an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand.

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 14:15
• 2. S 2 Chronicles 36:16; S Job 6:26