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Jeremiah 23:27 meaning

God’s people must remain vigilant against false teachings that distort the truth and draw them away from a sincere relationship with the LORD.

“They intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal.” (v.27) In this verse, the LORD confronts false prophets who propagate misleading “dreams” and cause the people of Judah to lose sight of who God truly is. Jeremiah, a prophet active from about 627 BC until shortly after 586 BC, spoke these words during tumultuous times when the kingdom of Judah was on the brink of disaster. The people’s worship of Baal—a Canaanite deity traditionally associated with fertility, storms, and agriculture—had infiltrated Judah’s spiritual life so deeply that it replaced the rightful reverence for the LORD. The prophet condemns this lapse in faith, pointing out how distorted messages and false dreams keep people lost in a false reality and disconnected from the one true God.

By emphasizing “just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal” (v.27), Jeremiah highlights that this perilous trend of idolatry was not new; previous generations had also turned away from the LORD to serve false gods. This repeated pattern underlines the stronghold that Baal worship had, both geographically within the land of Canaan and historically across multiple generations. The nation’s spiritual identity was meant to be grounded in God alone, yet false narratives—both ancient and current—blurred the lines between truth and deception. For Jeremiah, the risk lay in allowing these untruths to overshadow the covenant relationship that defined Israel’s purpose among the nations Deuteronomy 7:6).

The warning in “They intend to make My people forget My name” (v.27) also echoes forward to the New Testament, where believers are cautioned about teachers who would distort the message of Christ 2 Peter 2:1). The fundamental issue remains: forgetting God’s name signifies a loss of genuine relationship, throwing open the door to the influence of false ideologies. Jeremiah’s passionate call reminds us to remain steadfast in the truth of God’s revelation rather than follow seductive dreams or deceptive teachings.

Jeremiah 23:27