Bible Strands
Isaiah 30:10
They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Rebellious Israelites, described as deceitful children unwilling to obey the LORD’s instruction, command the prophets and seers to cease their ministry. They issue this demand at a moment of national crisis when divine warning is most necessary.
The words — The Hebrew אָמְרוּ (a.me.Ru) translates to "they have said," marking a deliberate corporate rejection of prophetic authority. תִּרְא֔וּ (tir.'U) and תֶחֱזוּ (te.che.zu) both mean "you must see," emphasizing the people's explicit command to stop the seers from perceiving divine truth.
The thread — This dynamic of rejecting truth for comfort appears in Ezekiel 13:7, where false seers claim divine authority for lies, and in Romans 16:18, which notes that those serving their own appetites use smooth talk to deceive. Jeremiah 11:21 records a parallel attempt to silence a prophet through threats of death.
Why it lands — The text demands that readers confront their own preference for pleasant illusions over difficult truth. It requires a clear-eyed assessment of whether one will accept divine instruction or demand its removal.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Cross-references
- Ezekiel 13:7 Haven’t you seen a false vision and spoken a lying divination when you proclaim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ even though I have not spoken?
- Romans 16:18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
- Jeremiah 11:21 Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the people of Anathoth who are seeking your life and saying, “You must not prophesy in the name of the LORD, or you will die by our hand.”
- Amos 2:12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.
- Amos 7:13 But never prophesy at Bethel again, because it is the sanctuary of the king and the temple of the kingdom.”
- Jeremiah 23:17 They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD says that you will have peace,’ and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, ‘No harm will come to you.’
- Jeremiah 23:26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these prophets who prophesy falsehood, these prophets of the delusion of their own minds?
- Revelation 11:7 When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them.
- 1 Kings 21:20 When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.
- 1 Kings 22:27 and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’”