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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not My word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that smashes a rock?"</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/23-29.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/2/24_Jer_23_29.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Jeremiah 23:29 - Lying Prophets" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Is not My word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that smashes a rock?" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; 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and like a hammer <i>that</i> breaketh the rock in pieces?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/jeremiah/23.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />“<i>Is</i> not My word like a fire?” says the LORD, “And like a hammer <i>that</i> breaks the rock in pieces?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/jeremiah/23.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />“Is My word not like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer <i>which</i> shatters a rock?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/23.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220Is not My word like fire?&#8221 declares the LORD, &#8220and like a hammer which shatters a rock?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/jeremiah/23.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/jeremiah/23.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />“Is not My word like fire?” declares Yahweh, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/jeremiah/23.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />“Is not My word like fire [that consumes all that cannot endure the test]?” says the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks the [most stubborn] rock [in pieces]?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/jeremiah/23.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />“Is not my word like fire”—this is the LORD’s declaration—“and like a hammer that pulverizes rock?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/jeremiah/23.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />&#8220Is not My word like fire"—this is the LORD&#8217s declaration—"and like a hammer that pulverizes rock?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/jeremiah/23.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Is not my word like fire? saith Jehovah; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/jeremiah/23.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />My words are a powerful fire; they are a hammer that shatters rocks. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/jeremiah/23.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Is not my word like as fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/jeremiah/23.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />"Isn't my word like fire or like a hammer that shatters a rock?" asks the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/jeremiah/23.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />My message is like a fire and like a hammer that breaks rocks in pieces. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/jeremiah/23.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />"My message is like fire or like a hammer that shatters rock, is it not?" declares the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/jeremiah/23.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />?Is not My word like fire,? declares the LORD, ?and like a hammer that smashes a rock??<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/jeremiah/23.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />My message is like a fire that purges dross! It is like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces! I, the LORD, so affirm it!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/jeremiah/23.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />'Isn't my word like fire?' says the LORD; 'and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/jeremiah/23.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Is not my word like a fire? saith the LORD? and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/jeremiah/23.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />“Isn’t my word like fire?” says Yahweh; “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/jeremiah/23.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />“Is it not thus? My word [is] as fire,” "" A declaration of YHWH. “And as a hammer—it breaks a rock in pieces.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/jeremiah/23.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> Is it not thus? My word is as a fire, An affirmation of Jehovah. And as a hammer -- it breaketh in pieces a rock.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/jeremiah/23.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />So is not my word as fire? says Jehovah; and as a hammer, it will break the rock in pieces.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/jeremiah/23.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Are not my words as a fire, saith the Lord: and as a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/jeremiah/23.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />Are not my words like a fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer crushing rock?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/jeremiah/23.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Is not my word like fire—oracle of the LORD— like a hammer shattering rock? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/jeremiah/23.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Is not my word like fire, says the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/jeremiah/23.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Behold, my words issue like a fire, says the LORD, and like a hammer which breaks the rock in pieces.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/jeremiah/23.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Behold, my words are going forth like fire, says LORD JEHOVAH, and like iron that cuts rock<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/jeremiah/23.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Is not My word like as fire? Saith the LORD; And like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/jeremiah/23.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Behold, are not my words as fire? saith the Lord; and as an axe cutting the rock?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/jeremiah/23-29.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5k55c51ZGhs?start=6960" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/23.htm">Lying Prophets</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">28</span>Let the prophet who has a dream retell it, but let him who has My word speak it truthfully. For what is straw compared to grain?” declares the LORD. <span class="reftext">29</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: hă·lō·w (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">“Is not</a> <a href="/hebrew/3541.htm" title="3541: ḵōh (Adv) -- Thus, here. From the prefix k and huw'; properly, like this, i.e. By implication, thus; also here; or now."></a> <a href="/hebrew/1697.htm" title="1697: ḏə·ḇā·rî (N-msc:: 1cs) -- Speech, word. From dabar; a word; by implication, a matter or thing; adverbially, a cause.">My word</a> <a href="/hebrew/784.htm" title="784: kā·’êš (Prep-k, Art:: N-cs) -- A fire. A primitive word; fire.">like fire,”</a> <a href="/hebrew/5002.htm" title="5002: nə·’um- (N-msc) -- Utterance. From na'am; an oracle.">declares</a> <a href="/hebrew/3068.htm" title="3068: Yah·weh (N-proper-ms) -- The proper name of the God of Israel. From hayah; self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.">the LORD,</a> <a href="/hebrew/6360.htm" title="6360: ū·ḵə·p̄aṭ·ṭîš (Conj-w, Prep-k:: N-ms) -- A forge hammer. Intensively from an unused root meaning to pound; a hammer.">“and like a hammer</a> <a href="/hebrew/6327.htm" title="6327: yə·p̄ō·ṣêṣ (V-Piel-Imperf-3ms) -- To be dispersed or scattered. A primitive root; to dash in pieces, literally or figuratively.">that smashes</a> <a href="/hebrew/5553.htm" title="5553: sā·la‘ (N-ms) -- A crag, cliff. From an unused root meaning to be lofty; a craggy rock, literally or figuratively.">a rock?”</a> </span><span class="reftext">30</span>“Therefore behold,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words they attribute to Me.”…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/4-12.htm">Hebrews 4:12</a></span><br />For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/55-11.htm">Isaiah 55:11</a></span><br />so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_timothy/3-16.htm">2 Timothy 3:16-17</a></span><br />All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, / so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/119-105.htm">Psalm 119:105</a></span><br />Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/1-18.htm">1 Corinthians 1:18</a></span><br />For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ephesians/6-17.htm">Ephesians 6:17</a></span><br />And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/4-4.htm">Matthew 4:4</a></span><br />But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/john/6-63.htm">John 6:63</a></span><br />The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_peter/1-23.htm">1 Peter 1:23</a></span><br />For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/1-16.htm">Romans 1:16</a></span><br />I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/24-32.htm">Luke 24:32</a></span><br />They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/james/1-21.htm">James 1:21</a></span><br />Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_thessalonians/2-13.htm">1 Thessalonians 2:13</a></span><br />And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is also now at work in you who believe.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/19-7.htm">Psalm 19:7-11</a></span><br />The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple. / The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. / The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/32-2.htm">Deuteronomy 32:2</a></span><br />Let my teaching fall like rain and my speech settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass, like showers on tender plants.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Is not my word like as a fire? said the LORD; and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?</p><p class="hdg">like as.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/5-14.htm">Jeremiah 5:14</a></b></br> Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/20-9.htm">Jeremiah 20:9</a></b></br> Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But <i>his word</i> was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not <i>stay</i>.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/luke/24-32.htm">Luke 24:32</a></b></br> And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/jeremiah/23-28.htm">Affirmation</a> <a href="/isaiah/30-14.htm">Bits</a> <a href="/jeremiah/19-11.htm">Breaketh</a> <a href="/jeremiah/19-11.htm">Breaks</a> <a href="/jeremiah/23-28.htm">Declares</a> <a href="/jeremiah/22-7.htm">Fire</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-4.htm">Hammer</a> <a href="/jeremiah/5-6.htm">Pieces</a> <a href="/jeremiah/21-13.htm">Rock</a> <a href="/psalms/141-7.htm">Shatters</a> <a href="/jeremiah/18-7.htm">Smashing</a> <a href="/jeremiah/23-28.htm">Word</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/jeremiah/23-30.htm">Affirmation</a> <a href="/jeremiah/38-12.htm">Bits</a> <a href="/jeremiah/28-10.htm">Breaketh</a> <a href="/lamentations/4-4.htm">Breaks</a> <a href="/jeremiah/23-30.htm">Declares</a> <a href="/jeremiah/29-22.htm">Fire</a> <a href="/jeremiah/50-23.htm">Hammer</a> <a href="/jeremiah/25-34.htm">Pieces</a> <a href="/jeremiah/48-28.htm">Rock</a> <a href="/daniel/2-40.htm">Shatters</a> <a href="/jeremiah/31-28.htm">Smashing</a> <a href="/jeremiah/23-33.htm">Word</a><div class="vheading2">Jeremiah 23</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/23-1.htm">He prophesies a restoration of the scattered flock.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">5. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/23-5.htm">Christ shall rule and save them.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">9. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/23-9.htm">Against false prophets;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">33. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/23-33.htm">and mockers of the true prophets.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/23.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/jeremiah/23.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>“Is not My word like fire,” declares the LORD,</b><br>The imagery of fire in the Bible often symbolizes purification, judgment, and the presence of God. In the context of Jeremiah, God's word is portrayed as a purifying force, capable of burning away falsehood and sin. Fire also represents the power and authority of God's word, as seen in other scriptures like <a href="/hebrews/12-29.htm">Hebrews 12:29</a>, which describes God as a consuming fire. This metaphor emphasizes the transformative and purifying nature of divine truth, which can refine and cleanse the hearts of believers.<p><b>“and like a hammer that smashes a rock?”</b><br>The hammer symbolizes strength and the ability to break down resistance. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, a hammer was a tool of construction and destruction, signifying the power to build up or tear down. This metaphor highlights the word of God as a force that can break through the hardest of hearts and the most stubborn of false teachings. The imagery of a rock being smashed suggests the breaking down of strongholds and barriers, similar to how God's word can dismantle false ideologies and bring about spiritual renewal. This is echoed in <a href="/hebrews/4-12.htm">Hebrews 4:12</a>, where the word of God is described as sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/jeremiah.htm">Jeremiah</a></b><br>A major prophet in the Old Testament, called by God to deliver His messages to the people of Judah. He is known for his prophecies of judgment and restoration.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_lord.htm">The LORD (Yahweh)</a></b><br>The covenant name of God, who speaks through Jeremiah, emphasizing His authority and power.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/j/judah.htm">Judah</a></b><br>The southern kingdom of Israel, which was often the recipient of Jeremiah's prophecies due to its persistent idolatry and disobedience.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/f/false_prophets.htm">False Prophets</a></b><br>Individuals in Jeremiah's time who claimed to speak for God but led the people astray with lies and false assurances of peace.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_word_of_god.htm">The Word of God</a></b><br>The divine message delivered through prophets like Jeremiah, characterized as powerful and transformative.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_power_of_god's_word.htm">The Power of God's Word</a></b><br>God's word is not passive; it actively works to purify, refine, and transform lives, much like fire.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_authority_of_scripture.htm">The Authority of Scripture</a></b><br>Just as a hammer breaks rock, God's word has the authority to break down strongholds and barriers in our lives.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_purifying_nature_of_god's_word.htm">The Purifying Nature of God's Word</a></b><br>Like fire, God's word purifies and refines, removing impurities and leading us to holiness.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_call_to_listen_and_obey.htm">The Call to Listen and Obey</a></b><br>We are called to heed God's word, recognizing its power and authority in our lives.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/d/discernment_against_false_teachings.htm">Discernment Against False Teachings</a></b><br>Just as Jeremiah warned against false prophets, we must discern and hold fast to the true word of God.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_jeremiah_23.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 23</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/are_prophetic_dreams_divinely_sourced.htm">Do prophetic dreams originate from a divine source?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_is_sacred_in_matthew_7_6.htm">What is sacred in Matthew 7:6?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_does_jeremiah_6_26-30_stress_total_ruin.htm">Why does the message in Jeremiah 6:26-30 emphasize complete destruction when other prophetic texts suggest partial judgment, possibly indicating an inconsistency in prophetic outlooks?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/does_jer._4_29_align_with_ancient_tactics.htm">Jeremiah 4:29: Could the swift flight at the sound of horsemen and archers fit with known military tactics or records from that era?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/jeremiah/23.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(29) <span class= "bld">Is not my word like as a fire? . . .</span>--The prophet speaks out of the depths of his own experience. The true prophetic word burns in the heart of a man, and will not be restrained (<a href="/jeremiah/5-14.htm" title="Why thus said the LORD God of hosts, Because you speak this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.">Jeremiah 5:14</a>; <a href="/jeremiah/20-9.htm" title="Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.">Jeremiah 20:9</a>; <a href="/psalms/39-3.htm" title="My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spoke I with my tongue,">Psalm 39:3</a>), and when uttered it consumes the evil, and purifies the good. It will burn up the chaff of the utterances of the false prophets. (Comp. <a href="/context/1_corinthians/3-12.htm" title="Now if any man build on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;">1Corinthians 3:12-13</a>.) As the hammer breaks the rock, so it shatters the pride and stubbornness of man, is mighty to the pulling down of strongholds (<a href="/2_corinthians/10-4.htm" title="(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)">2Corinthians 10:4</a>), and the heart of him who hears it as it should be heard is broken and contrite. What these words paint in the language of poetry, St. Paul describes without imagery in <a href="/context/1_corinthians/14-24.htm" title="But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believes not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:">1Corinthians 14:24-25</a>. (Comp. also <a href="/hebrews/4-12.htm" title="For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.">Hebrews 4:12</a>.) . . . <div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/jeremiah/23.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 29.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Is not my word like as a fire</span>? As in vers. 19, 20, so here, the prophet contrasts the message of the false prophets with that of the true. The former flatter their hearers with promises of peace; the latter speak a stern but potent word, which burns like a fire, and crushes like a hammer. Observe, the prophet does not define the activity of the fire as he does that of the hammer; for the fire has a twofold effect - protection to God's friends and destruction to his enemies. On the figure of the hammer, comp. Jeremiah 1:23; 51:20. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/jeremiah/23-29.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Is not</span><br /><span class="heb">הֲל֨וֹא</span> <span class="translit">(hă·lō·w)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">My word</span><br /><span class="heb">דְבָרִ֛י</span> <span class="translit">(ḏə·ḇā·rî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1697.htm">Strong's 1697: </a> </span><span class="str2">A word, a matter, thing, a cause</span><br /><br /><span class="word">like fire,</span><br /><span class="heb">כָּאֵ֖שׁ</span> <span class="translit">(kā·’êš)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-k, Article | Noun - common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_784.htm">Strong's 784: </a> </span><span class="str2">A fire</span><br /><br /><span class="word">declares</span><br /><span class="heb">נְאֻם־</span> <span class="translit">(nə·’um-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5002.htm">Strong's 5002: </a> </span><span class="str2">An oracle</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the LORD,</span><br /><span class="heb">יְהוָ֑ה</span> <span class="translit">(Yah·weh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3068.htm">Strong's 3068: </a> </span><span class="str2">LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and like a hammer</span><br /><span class="heb">וּכְפַטִּ֖ישׁ</span> <span class="translit">(ū·ḵə·p̄aṭ·ṭîš)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6360.htm">Strong's 6360: </a> </span><span class="str2">A forge hammer</span><br /><br /><span class="word">that smashes</span><br /><span class="heb">יְפֹ֥צֵֽץ</span> <span class="translit">(yə·p̄ō·ṣêṣ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6327.htm">Strong's 6327: </a> </span><span class="str2">To be dispersed or scattered</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a rock?”</span><br /><span class="heb">סָֽלַע׃</span> <span class="translit">(sā·la‘)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5553.htm">Strong's 5553: </a> </span><span class="str2">A craggy rock</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/jeremiah/23-29.htm">Jeremiah 23:29 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/jeremiah/23-29.htm">Jeremiah 23:29 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/jeremiah/23-29.htm">Jeremiah 23:29 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/23-29.htm">Jeremiah 23:29 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/jeremiah/23-29.htm">Jeremiah 23:29 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/jeremiah/23-29.htm">Jeremiah 23:29 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/jeremiah/23-29.htm">Jeremiah 23:29 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/jeremiah/23-29.htm">Jeremiah 23:29 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/jeremiah/23-29.htm">Jeremiah 23:29 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/jeremiah/23-29.htm">Jeremiah 23:29 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/jeremiah/23-29.htm">OT Prophets: Jeremiah 23:29 Isn't my word like fire? 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