Jeremiah 23 23

Jeremiah 23:23 kjv

Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?

Jeremiah 23:23 nkjv

"Am I a God near at hand," says the LORD, "And not a God afar off?

Jeremiah 23:23 niv

"Am I only a God nearby," declares the LORD, "and not a God far away?

Jeremiah 23:23 esv

"Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away?

Jeremiah 23:23 nlt

Am I a God who is only close at hand?" says the LORD.
"No, I am far away at the same time.

Jeremiah 23 verses

Jeremiah 23 23 Meaning

The Lord, as the divine interrogator, poses a rhetorical question. He asks if He is a God who is near, intimately present, or distant, existing far off. The implied answer, understood within the covenantal relationship, is that He is indeed near. This emphasizes God's immanence and His attentive oversight of His people and His creation.

Jeremiah 23 23 Context

Jeremiah 23 addresses the failure of Israel's leaders (shepherds) who have misled and harmed the flock. God declares judgment upon them. The preceding verses (21-22) highlight the hypocrisy of these false prophets who ran and prophesied without being sent by God, and their messages contributed to the people straying. Verse 23, therefore, is God asserting His absolute sovereignty and omnipresence in contrast to the limited, localized, and deceptive nature of the false prophets. It is a divine reassurance that though the leaders may be distant or unconcerned, God's watchful eye and active presence are ever-present, a stark refutation of any belief that He is unaware or absent. This comes within the broader context of impending Babylonian exile, a severe judgment.

Jeremiah 23 23 Word Analysis

• Am (אָנִי – ani): This is the first-person singular pronoun "I".
  • Significance: Directly introduces God speaking in the first person, emphasizing His direct address and self-declaration.
• I (אֵל – 'el): This word signifies "God". It's in the singular form but implies the unique and singular God of Israel.
  • Significance: Affirms God's divine nature and identity as the supreme being.
• a God (אֱלֹהִים – 'elohim): Though plural in form, when used with singular verbs and pronouns, it refers to the one God of Israel.
  • Significance: Underscores God's majesty and multifaceted nature, as well as His singular covenantal relationship with His people.
• at hand (קָרוֹב – qarov): Literally means "near" or "close".
  • Significance: Refers to God's proximity, accessibility, and immediate presence to those who call upon Him, particularly in His covenantal relationship.
• says (נְאֻם – ne'um): Literally "utterance" or "saying". It's often translated as "declares" or "says."
  • Significance: Introduces God's direct pronouncement, conveying authority and certainty.
• the LORD (יְהוָה – YHWH): The personal covenant name of God.
  • Significance: His covenant name binds Him to His promises and His people, making His presence and actions deeply significant.
• and (וְ – wə): A common conjunction.
  • Significance: Connects two contrasting ideas about God's presence.
• not (לֹא – lo'): Negation.
  • Significance: Used here to establish the contrast.
• a God ('elohim): Repeated.
• afar off (רָחוֹק – raḥoq): Literally "far" or "distant."
  • Significance: Refers to God's transcendence, existing in a realm beyond immediate human grasp, yet not His absence.

Words Group Analysis

• Am I a God at hand... and not a God afar off? (אָנִי אֵל קָרוֹב נְאֻם יְהוָה וְלֹא אֱלֹהִים רָחוֹק – ani 'el qarov ne'um YHWH wəlo' 'elohim raḥoq): This rhetorical question contrasts God's closeness with His infinitude. It's not an either/or but a "both/and" reality. He is intimately present with His people, yet also transcendent, filling all of creation. The question is posed to underline His all-encompassing nature.

Jeremiah 23 23 Bonus Section

This verse is foundational to understanding divine omnipresence in a personal, covenantal way. It counters any idea of a deistic God who created the universe and then withdrew, leaving it to operate on its own. The emphasis on "at hand" for those who call on Him echoes promises in the Old Testament and is powerfully fulfilled in the New Testament with the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The very name Immanuel ("God with us" – Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23) encapsulates this aspect of God being "at hand." The coming of the Holy Spirit further signifies God’s intimate, internal presence with believers (John 14:16-17, Romans 8:9-11).

Jeremiah 23 23 Commentary

This verse serves as a crucial divine self-revelation regarding God's presence. It’s an assertion against the limited spiritual understanding of those who failed to grasp God’s true nature, particularly the false prophets and complacent Israelites who might have felt abandoned or that God was distant. God is not confined to a place, nor is He merely an abstract, far-removed deity. He is simultaneously immanent (near) and transcendent (far). His closeness is expressed in His covenantal care, His listening ear to prayer, and His abiding presence with His people (as seen in Immanuel, "God with us"). His farness speaks to His sovereignty, His majesty, and His ability to act throughout all of creation. He is fully present with those who seek Him wholeheartedly and also fully aware and in control of events transpiring even in the farthest reaches. The people could not escape His judgment because He was everywhere, nor could they ultimately despair of His help, for He was also intimately near to the faithful.