The Meaning of Jeremiah 23:16 Explained

Jeremiah 23:16

KJV: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

YLT: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Ye do not hearken unto the words Of the prophets who are prophesying to you, They are making you vain things, A vision of their own heart they speak, Not from the mouth of Jehovah.

Darby: Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they lead you to vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, not out of the mouth of Jehovah.

ASV: Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thus saith  the LORD  of hosts,  Hearken  not unto the words  of the prophets  that prophesy  unto you: they make you vain:  they speak  a vision  of their own heart,  [and] not out of the mouth  of the LORD. 

What does Jeremiah 23:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Almighty Lord warned His people through Jeremiah not to listen to the false prophets who were leading them with empty hopes. They were claiming that their own invented prophecies came from the Lord, but they were speaking empty words; they were just windbags.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 23:1-40 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 23

1  He prophesies a restoration of the scattered flock
5  Christ shall rule and save them
9  Against false prophets;
33  and mockers of the true prophets

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 23:16 mean?

Thus says Yahweh of hosts not do listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you make worthless they you a vision of their own heart they speak Not from the mouth of Yahweh
כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת אַֽל־ תִּשְׁמְע֞וּ עַל־ דִּבְרֵ֤י הַנְּבִאִים֙ הַנִּבְּאִ֣ים לָכֶ֔ם מַהְבִּלִ֥ים הֵ֖מָּה אֶתְכֶ֑ם חֲז֤וֹן לִבָּם֙ יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ לֹ֖א מִפִּ֥י יְהוָֽה

כֹּֽה־  Thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֞ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֗וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
תִּשְׁמְע֞וּ  do  listen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
דִּבְרֵ֤י  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַנְּבִאִים֙  of  the  prophets 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
הַנִּבְּאִ֣ים  who  prophesy 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
לָכֶ֔ם  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
מַהְבִּלִ֥ים  make  worthless 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: הָבַל  
Sense: to act emptily, become vain, be vain.
חֲז֤וֹן  a  vision 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חָזׄון  
Sense: vision.
לִבָּם֙  of  their  own  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ  they  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
מִפִּ֥י  from  the  mouth 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.