The Meaning of Jeremiah 23:32 Explained

Jeremiah 23:32

KJV: Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.

YLT: Lo, I am against the prophets of false dreams, An affirmation of Jehovah, And they recount them, and cause my people to err, By their falsehoods, and by their instability, And I -- I have not sent them, Nor have I commanded them, And they are not at all profitable to this people, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Darby: Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith Jehovah, and that tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies and by their boasting; and I have not sent them, nor commanded them; and they profit not this people at all, saith Jehovah.

ASV: Behold, I am against them that prophesy lying dreams, saith Jehovah, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; neither do they profit this people at all, saith Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, I [am] against them that prophesy  FALSE  dreams,  saith  the LORD,  and do tell  them, and cause my people  to err  by their lies,  and by their lightness;  yet I sent  them not, nor commanded  them: therefore they shall not profit  this people  at all,  saith  the LORD. 

What does Jeremiah 23:32 Mean?

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 23:32 mean?

Behold I [am] against those who prophesy dreams FALSE says Yahweh and tell them and cause to err - My people by their lies and by their recklessness and yet I not did send them or command them therefore at all not they shall profit people this Yahweh
הִ֠נְנִי עַֽל־ נִבְּאֵ֞י חֲלֹמ֥וֹת שֶׁ֙קֶר֙ נְאֻם־ יְהוָ֔ה וַֽיְסַפְּרוּם֙ וַיַּתְע֣וּ אֶת־ עַמִּ֔י בְּשִׁקְרֵיהֶ֖ם וּבְפַחֲזוּתָ֑ם וְאָנֹכִ֨י לֹֽא־ שְׁלַחְתִּ֜ים וְלֹ֣א צִוִּיתִ֗ים וְהוֹעֵ֛יל לֹֽא־ יוֹעִ֥ילוּ לָֽעָם־ הַזֶּ֖ה יְהוָֽה

הִ֠נְנִי  Behold  I  [am] 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
עַֽל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
נִבְּאֵ֞י  those  who  prophesy 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
חֲלֹמ֥וֹת  dreams 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: חֲלֹום  
Sense: dream.
שֶׁ֙קֶר֙  FALSE 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁקֶר  
Sense: lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַֽיְסַפְּרוּם֙  and  tell  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine plural
Root: סָפַר 
Sense: to count, recount, relate.
וַיַּתְע֣וּ  and  cause  to  err 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: תָּעָה  
Sense: to err, wander, go astray, stagger.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עַמִּ֔י  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
בְּשִׁקְרֵיהֶ֖ם  by  their  lies 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שֶׁקֶר  
Sense: lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood.
וּבְפַחֲזוּתָ֑ם  and  by  their  recklessness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פַּחֲזוּת  
Sense: recklessness, extravagance, frivolity.
וְאָנֹכִ֨י  and  yet  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
שְׁלַחְתִּ֜ים  did  send  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
צִוִּיתִ֗ים  command  them 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
וְהוֹעֵ֛יל  therefore  at  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: יָעַל  
Sense: (Hiphil) to gain, profit, benefit, avail.
יוֹעִ֥ילוּ  they  shall  profit 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָעַל  
Sense: (Hiphil) to gain, profit, benefit, avail.
לָֽעָם־  people 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַזֶּ֖ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.