וְהַנְּבִיאִים֙ יִֽהְי֣וּ לְר֔וּחַ וְהַדִּבֵּ֖ר אֵ֣ין בָּהֶ֑ם כֹּ֥ה יֵעָשֶׂ֖ה לָהֶֽם׃
Contextual Introduction
Jeremiah 5:13 is part of a scathing prophetic denunciation against false prophets in Yehudah. The people have dismissed YHWH’s warnings and now, in ironic reversal, YHWH declares that the prophets themselves are empty—like wind, without true speech. The verse is grammatically compact yet loaded with poetic devices: metaphor, negation, and passive judgment. It captures the idea that false prophecy is not only ineffectual but will result in divine retribution.
Grammatical Focus: Nominal Clauses, Metaphorical לְ, and Passive Imperfect
1. וְהַנְּבִיאִים֙ יִֽהְי֣וּ לְר֔וּחַ – Nominal Clause with Metaphorical Predicate
– וְהַנְּבִיאִים֙ (“and the prophets”) is the subject.
– יִֽהְי֣וּ is Qal imperfect 3mp from הָיָה (“to be”), indicating a future or inevitable state.
– לְר֔וּחַ (“as wind”) uses the preposition לְ to mark the predicate in a metaphoric nominal clause: “will become wind” or “will be as wind.”
This phrase poetically condemns the prophets as insubstantial, fleeting, and without substance.
2. וְהַדִּבֵּ֖ר אֵ֣ין בָּהֶ֑ם – Negative Existence with Internal Parallelism
– וְהַדִּבֵּ֖ר (“and the word” or “speech”) is the subject.
– אֵ֣ין בָּהֶ֑ם (“there is not in them”) is a negative existential clause. The אֵין construction indicates absence, and בָּהֶ֑ם (“in them”) identifies the object of negation.
Together: “And the word is not in them.” That is, these prophets speak, but no true word of YHWH dwells within them.
3. כֹּ֥ה יֵעָשֶׂ֖ה לָהֶֽם – Passive Imperfect with Indeterminate Subject
– כֹּ֥ה (“thus”) introduces a summary declaration.
– יֵעָשֶׂ֖ה is Niphal imperfect 3ms from עָשָׂה (“to do”), here passive: “it will be done.”
– לָהֶֽם (“to them”) is the indirect object—“thus shall it be done to them.”
This concludes the verse with an ominous promise of judgment, lacking specifics—highlighting the inevitability of divine justice against deceit.
Theological and Literary Implications
The metaphor יִֽהְי֣וּ לְר֔וּחַ evokes prophetic emptiness—wind is motion without substance. These prophets claim to speak for YHWH, but in truth, they are devoid of the דָּבָר (“word”), which in Jeremiah is synonymous with divine authority and presence.
The judgment יֵעָשֶׂ֖ה לָהֶֽם is grammatically ambiguous—YHWH does not say what will happen, only that justice will occur. This open-ended threat allows the surrounding context to fill in the consequences.
Versions and Comparative Observations
The Septuagint: καὶ οἱ προφῆται ἐγένοντο ὡς ἄνεμος, καὶ λόγος Κυρίου οὐκ ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖς· τάδε ἔσται αὐτοῖς—mirroring the Hebrew’s syntax and metaphor.
The Vulgate: et prophetae facti sunt quasi ventus, et responsum non fuit in eis: haec ergo evenient illis—preserving the structure of futility and judgment.
Jeremiah frequently plays on the contrast between true prophecy (from YHWH) and falsehood (from human imagination), and this verse exemplifies it through form and function.
When Prophecy Is Just Wind: Syntax of a Hollow Voice
Jeremiah 5:13 masterfully indicts false prophets using grammatical simplicity and poetic force. Through metaphor, negation, and passive threat, the verse exposes the tragedy of spiritual leaders without divine truth. Here, the wind is not spirit—it is void. The judgment is not loud—it is sure. The grammar does not just speak of justice—it breathes it.
