Jeremiah 23:15 kjv
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.
Jeremiah 23:15 nkjv
"Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: 'Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, And make them drink the water of gall; For from the prophets of Jerusalem Profaneness has gone out into all the land.' "
Jeremiah 23:15 niv
Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty says concerning the prophets: "I will make them eat bitter food and drink poisoned water, because from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land."
Jeremiah 23:15 esv
Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: "Behold, I will feed them with bitter food and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land."
Jeremiah 23:15 nlt
Therefore, this is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says concerning the prophets: "I will feed them with bitterness
and give them poison to drink.
For it is because of Jerusalem's prophets
that wickedness has filled this land."
Jeremiah 23 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 14:14 | "...The prophets prophesy falsely to you..." | False prophecy |
| Jeremiah 20:10 | "...Declare it, and let us declare it." | Jeremiah's calling to prophecy |
| Jeremiah 23:25 | "I have heard what the prophets have said..." | LORD hearing false prophecy |
| Jeremiah 23:30 | "...because of the prophets who steal my words..." | False prophets stealing divine words |
| Jeremiah 23:32 | "and even concerning the prophets of false dreams..." | False dreams of prophets |
| Jeremiah 27:10 | "Do not listen to your prophets, your diviners..." | Warning against false prophets |
| Ezekiel 13:2 | "Woe to the foolish prophets..." | Condemnation of foolish prophets |
| Ezekiel 13:3 | "...they prophesy their own evil plots." | Prophets speaking their own devices |
| Ezekiel 13:6 | "They have seen false visions and lying divinations..." | False visions and lying divinations |
| Ezekiel 13:10 | "Because they have misled my people by saying 'Peace'..." | Misleading people with false peace |
| Ezekiel 22:28 | "Her prophets have plastered them with untempered mortar..." | Prophets covering falsehood with lies |
| Micah 3:5 | "Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray..." | Condemnation of leading people astray |
| Micah 3:11 | "...the prophets prophesy for profit..." | Prophets prophesying for gain |
| Zechariah 11:17 | "Woe to the worthless shepherd..." | Judgment on worthless shepherds |
| Matthew 7:15 | "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing..." | Warning about false prophets |
| Matthew 15:14 | "Let them alone; they are blind guides..." | False prophets as blind guides |
| Acts 20:30 | "And from among yourselves men will rise up speaking twisted things..." | Rise of false teachers |
| 2 Peter 2:1 | "But there were also false prophets among the people..." | False prophets among God's people |
| 2 Peter 2:3 | "And in their greed they will exploit you with false words..." | Exploitation through false words |
| 1 John 4:1 | "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits..." | Discernment of spirits |
| Revelation 13:14 | "and by the signs that were permitted to be done in its presence..." | Deceiving signs and wonders |
| Deuteronomy 18:20 | "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded..." | Penalty for speaking presumptuously |
Jeremiah 23 verses
Jeremiah 23 15 Meaning
Jeremiah 23:15 states that prophetic pronouncements of impurity and sin originate from prophets of Samaria, leading people astray, and that these pronouncements are wicked and offensive to the LORD. It signifies a spiritual corruption within religious leadership, where false doctrines are spread, causing spiritual defilement and actively misleading the populace. This verse highlights divine disapproval of deceitful prophecy that promotes sin.
Jeremiah 23 15 Context
This verse is situated within Jeremiah's broader condemnation of false prophets during a tumultuous period for Judah, shortly before the Babylonian exile. The northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) had already fallen, and their religious practices, often syncretic and deviant from true Yahwism, served as a warning. Jeremiah’s prophecies against the false prophets in Jerusalem echo the failure of spiritual leadership in the north, indicating a pervasive corruption of the prophetic office throughout Israel. The contemporary audience would have recognized the association with Samaria as a signifier of deviation from God’s covenant and pure worship.
Jeremiah 23 15 Word Analysis
וּבִנְבִיאֶיהָ (u·vin·vi·’ei·ha): "and in her prophets." The Hebrew preposition 'ב' (be) combined with 'נְבִיאֶיהָ' (nevi'eha), meaning "her prophets." This identifies the source of the pronouncements as the prophetic office within the community being addressed.
שֶׁ֖קֶץ (sheʹqetz): "detestable thing" or "abomination." This Hebrew noun signifies something ceremonially unclean or inherently offensive to God. It carries strong negative connotations of impurity and revulsion.
וְתִּפְלָה (və·tif·laH): "and absurdity" or "folly." This term describes something nonsensical, foolish, or even grotesque. It points to the irrational and dangerous nature of the false prophecies.
מִשָּׁם (mish·sam): "from thence." This refers back to Samaria, linking the present corruption to the apostate religious practices of the former northern kingdom.
שָׁמְע֖וּ (sham·’u): "they have heard." Indicates the receptiveness of the people to these misleading pronouncements.
לְאָסוּר (lə·’a·sur): "to lead astray" or "to make stray." This verb (root from 'asar') signifies actively causing others to wander from the right path, often with malicious intent or through deceptive means.
רָעָה (ra·‘aH): "evil" or "wickedness." This adjective describes the moral character of the prophecies being uttered.
וְעָ֥שׂוּ (və·‘a·su): "and they do" or "and they have done." This verb indicates the active production and propagation of these evil things by the prophets.
תּוֹעֵבָֽה (to·‘e·vaH): "abomination." Similar to "sheqetz," this word emphasizes that the actions and pronouncements of these prophets are deeply offensive to the LORD.
Prophets of Samaria: The phrase implies prophets associated with or drawing their message from the idolatrous and syncretic religious traditions of the former Northern Kingdom.
Detestable thing and absurdity: These paired terms highlight both the inherent uncleanness and the irrationality of the false prophecies being disseminated.
Heard to lead astray: This collocation points to the communicative act of false prophecy and its immediate consequence: misleading the populace.
Wickedness and did abomination: This links the character of the prophecies ("wickedness") with the active role of the prophets in performing an abominable act.
Jeremiah 23 15 Bonus Section
The mention of Samaria serves as a stark historical and theological marker. Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, had long been a center of idolatry and a departure from the covenantal relationship with Yahweh following the division of the kingdom. Therefore, connecting these corrupt prophets to Samaria serves as an implicit accusation of engaging in practices akin to Baal worship and other syncretic abominations that characterized Israel's apostasy. This verse is a part of Jeremiah's ongoing critique of the spiritual bankruptcy of Judah's leadership, which ultimately contributed to the nation's downfall. The theme of false prophecy and its corrupting influence is a recurring motif throughout the Old Testament and is echoed in the New Testament's warnings against false teachers.
Jeremiah 23 15 Commentary
Jeremiah 23:15 exposes the spiritual pollution stemming from corrupt prophetic voices, specifically associating them with the flawed religious history of Samaria. These prophets spread "detestable things" (sheqetz) and "absurdity" (tiflah), which are not just wrong doctrines but inherently impure and offensive to God. Their hearing of these messages leads people not to truth but "to lead astray" (lasur), implying a deliberate turning of people from righteousness. The consequences of their pronouncements are severe: they are characterized as "wickedness" (ra'ah) and described as doing "abomination" (to'evah). This is not merely an error but a participation in what God fundamentally detests. The verse functions as a divine indictment against religious leaders who prostitute their office for deceit, turning people away from true worship and obedience through false and sinful messaging, echoing the historical failures of the Northern Kingdom.