Jeremiah 5:13 describes false prophets who spoke comforting messages that had no true word from God behind them, so their speech had no lasting effect. God, through the prophet Jeremiah, says those who preach such messages will be like wind that blows away without substance. The verse is a warning about the difference between sounding spiritual and actually speaking what God has said.
Jeremiah was a prophet in Judah during the years before Jerusalem fell to Babylon, around the late seventh and early sixth centuries BC. In this passage he is reporting the words of the LORD about the religious leaders and people who dismissed his warnings and assured the nation that disaster would not come.
The prophets will become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them.”
Jeremiah 5:13 (WEB)
What Jeremiah 5:13 Means
The phrase “the prophets will become wind” uses an image familiar to anyone who has stood in an open field. Wind moves air loudly for a moment, but it leaves nothing behind. The prophets in view spoke a great deal, yet their words carried no weight because they were not grounded in God’s actual message. Their talk would end up as nothing more than breath.
The second half, “the word is not in them,” explains the cause. These speakers were not carrying a word from the LORD. They may have been sincere, or they may have been telling people what they wanted to hear, but the verse does not treat their message as genuine revelation. The closing line, “thus it will be done to them,” signals that God would bring about the outcome their empty words had invited.
The verse does not teach that every person who speaks about faith is empty, nor does it promise a specific timeline for judgment on any group today. It speaks to a particular situation in which religious voices misled the nation. Its main lesson is that spiritual speech has value only when it truly reflects God’s word.
The Context of Jeremiah 5:13
The book of Jeremiah is traditionally attributed to the prophet himself, though it was likely compiled and shaped over time by those who preserved his oracles. The audience here is the people of Judah and Israel, whom God describes as having dealt treacherously with him. The surrounding verses show a nation that had turned from the LORD and had grown comfortable believing no harm would reach them.
Just before verse 13, the people deny that the LORD will act, saying that evil will not come upon them and that they will not face sword or famine. Verse 14 follows with God declaring that because they speak this word, his own words will become fire in Jeremiah’s mouth and will devour the people. Reading verse 13 in this setting shows that the false prophets were confirming a comfortable lie, and that God’s response was a reversal that would expose their message as hollow.
Key Phrases in Jeremiah 5:13
2 Timothy 3:16
Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness…
(WEB)
This verse affirms that all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching and correction. It helps explain why the word of God is the standard by which any spiritual message should be tested, just as Jeremiah’s opponents were measured against God’s genuine word.
Matthew 7:15
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
(WEB)
Jesus warns about false prophets who come in sheep’s clothing, which connects closely with Jeremiah’s concern for leaders who speak without God’s authority. Both passages call listeners to discernment rather than simple acceptance of anyone claiming to speak for God.
A Short Prayer From Jeremiah 5:13
Lord, you are the source of every true word, and I want my life to be built on what you have actually spoken. Help me listen carefully to your truth in Scripture and to test every voice against it. Keep my words honest and humble, so that what I say reflects your faithfulness and not my own comfort. Where I have spoken carelessly or echoed what people wanted to hear, forgive me and turn my heart back to you. Let my speech carry substance that lasts, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
