Jeremiah 23:22 kjv
But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
Jeremiah 23:22 nkjv
But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.
Jeremiah 23:22 niv
But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.
Jeremiah 23:22 esv
But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.
Jeremiah 23:22 nlt
If they had stood before me and listened to me,
they would have spoken my words,
and they would have turned my people
from their evil ways and deeds.
Jeremiah 23 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 23:18 | Who has stood in the council of the Lord, and has seen and heard His word? Who has attended to His word and heard it? | Jeremiah 23:18 (Echoes theme) |
| Jer 14:14 | The prophets prophesy falsely to you; I did not send them or command them or speak to them. They prophesy to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. | Jeremiah 14:14 (False prophets) |
| Ezek 13:3 | Thus says the Lord God: "Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! | Ezekiel 13:3 (Foolish prophets) |
| Ezek 13:6 | They see falsehood and lying divination, saying, ‘The Lord says,’ but the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill his word. | Ezekiel 13:6 (False claims) |
| Acts 20:27 | For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. | Acts 20:27 (Paul's faithfulness) |
| 1 Cor 2:10 | these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. | 1 Corinthians 2:10 (Spirit reveals) |
| Deut 18:18 | I will raise up for them a prophet from among their brothers, like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. | Deuteronomy 18:18 (God's prophets) |
| John 10:27 | My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. | John 10:27 (Sheep hear Christ) |
| John 8:47 | Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.” | John 8:47 (Hearing God's words) |
| 1 Thes 2:13 | And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. | 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (Receiving God's word) |
| 2 Tim 3:16 | All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, | 2 Timothy 3:16 (Scripture inspired) |
| Heb 4:12 | For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. | Hebrews 4:12 (Power of God's word) |
| Rom 10:14 | How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? | Romans 10:14 (Hearing the gospel) |
| Isa 55:11 | so shall my word that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I intend and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. | Isaiah 55:11 (Word's effectiveness) |
| Jer 7:28 | and you shall say to them, “This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, or accept discipline; truth has perished; it has been cut off from their lips. | Jeremiah 7:28 (Disobedience) |
| Deut 6:4-5 | Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. | Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (Shema, obedience) |
| Ps 119:105 | Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light on my path. | Psalm 119:105 (Guidance of God's word) |
| John 1:1, 14 | In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. | John 1:1, 14 (The Word incarnate) |
| Matt 7:21 | Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. | Matthew 7:21 (Doing God's will) |
| 2 Pet 1:20 | knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation, | 2 Peter 1:20 (Prophecy's source) |
Jeremiah 23 verses
Jeremiah 23 22 Meaning
The Lord asks the question if the prophets have "stood in my counsel." This implies if they have truly understood and conveyed God's divine plan and pronouncements. The latter part of the verse states, "and have heard my word, and have marked and heard my word," emphasizing the prophets' supposed reception of divine communication. The question posed is rhetorical, pointing to their failure in truly hearing, understanding, and relaying God's message faithfully. It highlights a deep disconnect between their claimed prophetic role and their actual adherence to God's truth.
Jeremiah 23 22 Context
Jeremiah 23 addresses the failures of the prophets and kings of Judah. The preceding verses (1-6) condemn the false shepherds who scatter God's flock, promising judgment. Verse 22 serves as a crucial point of accusation against these unfaithful prophets. Jeremiah, as a true prophet of God, is contrasting his own obedience and faithful reception of God's message with the deceitful practices of the false prophets. The historical context is Judah's continued spiritual and political decline, leading up to the Babylonian exile. The false prophets were reassuring the people with false peace, contradicting God's warnings of impending judgment due to sin.
Jeremiah 23 22 Word analysis
- וְאִם־ (wə'im) - And if. This conjunction introduces a conditional clause, setting up the critical question that follows. It links this statement to previous declarations, emphasizing the severity of the inquiry.
- הָֽיוּ (hāyû) - they were / have been. This is the perfect tense of the verb "to be," indicating a state or existence in the past that has implications for the present. It speaks to their continuous, yet failed, stance.
- בְּסוֹדִי (bəsōḏî) - in my secret council / in my counsel.
- בְּ (bə) - preposition meaning "in," "at," "with."
- סוֹד (sōḏ) - Hebrew word for counsel, secret, assembly, intimacy, council chamber. It refers to God's private deliberations and decisions.
- ִי (î) - suffix "my."The phrase emphasizes being privy to God's inner circle and His divine plans. It highlights intimacy with God's will.
- וַֽיִּרְא֔וּ (wayyir'û) - and they saw. The conjunction "and" (וַ) followed by the imperfect verb indicates a sequential action. The root "to see" (רָאָה - rā'â) here implies not just visual perception, but also understanding and discernment.
- וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ (wayyišmə‘û) - and they heard. Similar to "wayyir'û," this indicates sequential hearing and comprehension. The root "to hear" (שָׁמַע - šāma‘) signifies listening and obeying, not just auditory reception.
- אֶת־ (’eṯ) - a direct object marker.
- דְּבָרִ֑י (dəḇārî) - my word.
- דְּבָר (dəḇār) - Hebrew word for word, speech, command, matter, thing.
- ִי (î) - suffix "my."It refers to God's spoken message, His pronouncements.
- וַיַּקְשִׁ֖יבוּ (wayyaqšîḇû) - and they attended / inclined. The verb קָשַׁב (qāšáḇ) means to listen attentively, to give heed, to incline the ear. This signifies deliberate and focused listening.
- וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ (wayyišmə‘û) - and they heard. A repetition of the earlier word, reinforcing the importance of both attentive listening and reception.
- אֶת־ (’eṯ) - a direct object marker.
- דְּבָרִ֥י (dəḇārî) - my word. Again, emphasizing God's specific communication.
Grouped words analysis:
- "stood in my counsel": This is a strong metaphor for possessing intimate knowledge of and alignment with God's divine will and plans. True prophets would be those God invited into this inner circle of knowledge.
- "saw and heard my word": This pairing emphasizes a comprehensive understanding – perceiving God's message visually (perhaps through visions or understanding its implications) and audibly, and processing it correctly.
- "marked and heard my word": "Marked" (using קָשַׁב, qāšáḇ) implies an active, focused, and intentional engagement with God's word, distinguishing it from passive listening. The repetition of "heard" underscores that true reception involves both attention and assimilation.
Jeremiah 23 22 Bonus section
The question posed by God ("Have they stood in my council...") is also a standard rhetorical device used to expose deception by asking if the accused have engaged in the most fundamental aspect of their claimed role. For a prophet, this fundamental aspect is hearing and understanding God's mind and word. This verse also lays the groundwork for understanding Jesus Christ as the ultimate Prophet, through whom God's entire counsel is revealed (Acts 20:27), and in whom all God's promises are "Yes" (2 Cor 1:20). The concept of God's "council" or "secret" (sod) is also found in the Old Testament, often referring to divine deliberation or intimate fellowship (e.g., Psalm 25:14). The emphasis on "hearing" God's word is a constant theme throughout Scripture, highlighting the importance of active listening and obedience.
Jeremiah 23 22 Commentary
The verse is a piercing indictment of the false prophets in Jeremiah's time. They claimed divine authority, yet they had never genuinely experienced God's intimate counsel nor diligently processed His authentic words. They had not stood in the divine "meeting" or listened with full intention to what God truly intended to reveal and command. Instead, they were fabricating their own messages, often delivering comforting lies to a people yearning for ease. Jeremiah contrasts their presumptuous claims with the prophetic calling described by God – to be in His confidence, to receive His Word accurately, and to then relay it faithfully. This is a fundamental test of true prophecy: not eloquence or popularity, but an accurate and obedient reception and proclamation of God's Word, derived from His council. It implies that their message was detached from divine source and thus ineffective and deceptive.