What does “peace, peace, when there is no peace” mean in Jeremiah 8:11?

Response

Jeremiah served as a prophet of God, warning about the impending judgment on Jerusalem. However, he faced opposition from the king and the priests who refused to accept his message. They viewed Jeremiah’s call for surrender to Babylon as an act of treason. False prophets, claiming divine authority, contradicted Jeremiah’s warnings. While Jeremiah predicted bloodshed, destruction, and judgment with the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon, the false prophets falsely promised a peaceful future for the city.

The phrase “peace, peace, when there is no peace” appears in Jeremiah 6:14, Jeremiah 8:11, Ezekiel 13:10, and Ezekiel 16, conveying the same message within the same historical context.

Jeremiah can be likened to a doctor delivering a grim prognosis to a patient. His diagnosis was clear: without significant intervention, the patient would perish. In contrast, the false prophets offered a different perspective, dismissing Jeremiah’s warnings and assuring the people that everything would be fine. Instead of advocating for radical changes and urgent action, the priests and false prophets suggested minor remedies. The passage in Jeremiah 6:13–14, reiterated in Jeremiah 8:10b–11, illustrates this:

“From the least to the greatest,

all are eager for profit;

both prophets and priests,

all practice deceit.

They treat the wound of my people

as if it were insignificant.

‘Peace, peace,’ they proclaim,

when there is no peace.”

By proclaiming “Peace, peace,” the priests and false prophets rejected the impending judgment, offering false reassurances to the people. They denied the severity of the situation and misled the populace. Their stance implied that Jerusalem and Judah had not committed grave sins and that God was not displeased with them.

During the time of the prophets, God was pleased with His people and desired to bless them. They proclaimed “peace, peace!” However, their promised peace did not materialize. The book of Jeremiah confirms this, and ultimately, Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon, just as God had foretold.

The prophet Ezekiel conveys a similar message: “Because [the false prophets] mislead my people by proclaiming ‘Peace’ when there is no peace, and because they cover a flimsy wall with whitewash, tell those who cover it with whitewash that it will collapse. Torrential rain will come, hailstones will fall, and violent winds will break out” (Ezekiel 13:10-11). In the same passage, God declares, “So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and those who covered it with whitewash. I will declare, ‘The wall is gone, along with those who whitewashed it—the prophets of Israel who prophesied peace to Jerusalem, envisioning peace where there was none,’ declares the Sovereign Lord” (verses 15–17).

Even today, there are false prophets and religious leaders who make empty promises of peace where there is none. The message of peace and prosperity may be appealing. Some contemporary preachers and teachers claim that the Christian life is solely about peace and prosperity, but that is not a promise from God. Others overlook or minimize the gravity of sin and suggest that God is unconcerned with their actions. Some even reject the idea of eternal judgment for unrepentant sinners, despite God’s clear warnings to the contrary. These are current instances of false prophets offering peace where there is none.

Paul instructs Timothy to “preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For a time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around the

Many teachers cater to the desires of their audience. They will reject the truth and instead embrace myths” (2 Timothy 4:2-4). People prefer good news and often resist the idea that suffering may be part of God’s plan in this life or that judgment awaits after death. Christians are tasked with delivering unwelcome news because acknowledging the bad news is necessary before the good news can have an impact.

God condemned the people Isaiah was sent to serve as “rebellious, deceitful, and unwilling to listen to the Lord’s teachings” «that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: », (Isaiah 30:9). These individuals have shut their ears to God’s Word, seeking only “peace” even in the absence of true peace. They demand from God’s messengers, “Don’t tell us what is right; tell us what we want to hear. Don’t challenge us with the Holy One of Israel!” (verses 10–11).