31
Look, I amהִנְנִיagainst the prophets,עַל הַנְּבִיאִםdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH,יְהוָהwho takeהַלֹּקְחִיםtheir tonguesלְשׁוֹנָםand declare,וַיִּנְאֲמוּ‘He declares.’נְאֻם
Jeremiah 23:31
Study it in the app“Look, I am against the prophets, declares YHWH, who take their tongues and declare, ‘He declares.’”
With the Hebrew beneath
Jeremiah 23:31, word by word
- against the prophetsנְּבִיאִםneviim
prophet
Someone who speaks for YHWH.
Where else “neviim” appears- declaresנְאֻםneum
declaration
Solemn words God himself speaks: "oracle of YHWH".
Where else “neum” appears- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- who takeלֹּקְחִיםlokchim
take
To grasp something in the hand to carry or use it.
Where else “lokchim” appears- their tonguesלְשׁוֹנָleshona
tongue
The organ in the mouth used to taste and speak; hence, what one says.
Where else “leshona” appears- and declareיִּנְאֲמוּyinamu
declare
To declare, to say solemnly "declares YHWH"; used of those who say that formula on their own authority.
Where else “yinamu” appears
Translation note
They use the formula “declares (YHWH)” (נְאֻם) without YHWH having spoken.
The context
30Therefore, look, I am against the prophets, declares YHWH, who steal my words each from his neighbor.
31 · This verse (above)
32Look, I am against those who prophesy dreams of falsehood, declares YHWH, and tell them and lead astray my people by their falsehoods and by their recklessness; and I did not send them and did not command them, and they do not profit this people at all, declares YHWH.