King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 27:9 Mean?

Jeremiah 27:9 in the King James Version says “Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to yo... — study this verse from Jeremiah chapter 27 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: dreamers: Heb. dreams

Jeremiah 27:9 · KJV


Context

7

And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.

8

And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

9

Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: dreamers: Heb. dreams

10

For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.

11

But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.


Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers—God lists five categories of false spiritual advisors leading nations astray. Prophets (nevi'eikhem, נְבִיאֵיכֶם) who claimed divine revelation; diviners (qosemeikhem, קֹסְמֵיכֶם) who practiced prohibited divination (Deuteronomy 18:10); dreamers (chalomoteikhem, חֲלֹמֹתֵיכֶם) who interpreted dreams apart from God; enchanters (me'oneneikhem, מְעֹנְנֵיכֶם) who practiced sorcery; and sorcerers (kashefeikhem, כַּשָּׁפֵיכֶם) who claimed magical powers. The comprehensive list demonstrates how thoroughly false spirituality had infiltrated these nations.

The message they proclaimed—Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon—was exactly what people wanted to hear: resistance would succeed, independence would be restored, Babylon would fall quickly. This pleasant lie was far more popular than Jeremiah's hard truth. The warning applies beyond ancient paganism: any spiritual authority contradicting God's revealed word must be rejected, regardless of popularity, apparent power, or comforting message. Jesus warned of false prophets performing signs yet leading people astray (Matthew 24:24). Paul commanded testing all prophecy against Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). The standard is not whether a message feels encouraging but whether it aligns with God's revealed truth.

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Historical & Cultural Context

These occult practices were common throughout the Ancient Near East. Babylonian religion featured elaborate divination systems including hepatoscopy (examining animal livers), astrology, and dream interpretation. The nations allied with Judah likely consulted their own religious specialists who encouraged rebellion. Archaeological discoveries including the Mari prophetic texts and Mesopotamian omen literature demonstrate how pervasive these practices were. God had explicitly forbidden Israel from such practices (Deuteronomy 18:9-14), yet they persisted in consulting them. King Saul's consultation of the medium at Endor (1 Samuel 28) illustrates Israel's repeated failure to trust God's word alone. The exile was partly designed to purge this syncretistic tendency from God's people.

Reflection Questions

  1. What modern equivalents might exist to these ancient forms of false spiritual guidance?
  2. How can we discern between true prophetic insight and messages that simply tell us what we want to hear?
  3. Why is it dangerous to seek spiritual guidance from sources other than God's revealed word in Scripture?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 23 words
וְ֠אַתֶּם1 of 23
H859

thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you

אַל2 of 23
H408

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

תִּשְׁמְע֨וּ3 of 23

Therefore hearken

H8085

to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)

אֶל4 of 23
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

נְבִיאֵיכֶ֜ם5 of 23

not ye to your prophets

H5030

a prophet or (generally) inspired man

וְאֶל6 of 23
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

קֹֽסְמֵיכֶ֗ם7 of 23

nor to your diviners

H7080

properly, to distribute, i.e., determine by lot or magical scroll; by implication, to divine

וְאֶל֙8 of 23
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

חֲלֹמֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם9 of 23

nor to your dreamers

H2472

a dream

וְאֶל10 of 23
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

עֹֽנְנֵיכֶ֖ם11 of 23

nor to your enchanters

H6049

figuratively, to act covertly, i.e., practise magic

וְאֶל12 of 23
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

כַּשָּׁפֵיכֶ֑ם13 of 23

nor to your sorcerers

H3786

a magician

אֲשֶׁר14 of 23
H834

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc

הֵ֞ם15 of 23
H1992

they (only used when emphatic)

לֵאמֹ֔ר16 of 23

unto you saying

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

אֲלֵיכֶם֙17 of 23
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

לֵאמֹ֔ר18 of 23

unto you saying

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

לֹ֥א19 of 23
H3808

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

תַעַבְד֖וּ20 of 23

Ye shall not serve

H5647

to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc

אֶת21 of 23
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

מֶ֥לֶךְ22 of 23

the king

H4428

a king

בָּבֶֽל׃23 of 23

of Babylon

H894

babel (i.e., babylon), including babylonia and the babylonian empire


Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jeremiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jeremiah 27:9 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Jeremiah 27:9 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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