Jeremiah 23:24 kjv
Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:24 nkjv
Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?" says the LORD; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:24 niv
Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:24 esv
Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:24 nlt
Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?
Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?"
says the LORD.
Jeremiah 23 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 139:7-12 | Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there... | God's pervasive presence |
| Prov 15:3 | The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. | God's watchful oversight |
| Isa 66:1 | Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool... | God's sovereignty and presence |
| Jer 32:17-18 | Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? | God's omnipotence and omniscience |
| Amos 9:2-3 | Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down. | God's inescapable reach |
| Matt 10:29-30 | Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs... | God's detailed knowledge |
| Acts 17:27-28 | That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being... | God's immanence |
| Heb 4:13 | Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. | God's perfect knowledge |
| 1 Cor 1:20 | Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? | Challenging human schemes |
| 1 John 3:20 | For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. | God's knowledge of our hearts |
| Ps 33:14-15 | From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the dwellers of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works. | God's universal perspective |
| Josh 2:11 | And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of the LORD your God... | Recognition of God's power |
| Job 34:21-22 | For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. There is no darkness, nor the shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. | God's unfailing sight |
| Jer 7:11 | Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers to you?... | God seeing through hypocrisy |
| Ps 94:7-9 | Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither will the God of Jacob regard it. Understand, ye brutish among the people... | Rejection of God's awareness |
| Rom 11:33 | O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! | God's incomprehensible nature |
| Col 1:15-17 | Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth... all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. | Christ's omnipresence in creation |
| 1 Pet 3:12 | For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. | God's differential perception |
| Zech 4:10 | For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the stone of Zerubbabel with seven eyes... | God's comprehensive sight |
| Jer 16:17 | For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes. | God's perpetual observation |
Jeremiah 23 verses
Jeremiah 23 24 Meaning
Can any man hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.
This verse asserts God's omnipresence, His ability to be everywhere at once. It directly challenges the idea that one can escape God's notice or judgment by hiding. God's presence is not limited to a specific location; He permeates all of existence.
Jeremiah 23 24 Context
Jeremiah 23:24 is spoken in the context of Jeremiah's prophecies against the false prophets in Judah. These prophets were falsely assuring the people of peace and prosperity, directly contradicting God's judgment that was coming due to their sins, particularly idolatry and social injustice. Jeremiah was commissioned by God to pronounce a message of doom upon them, exposing their lies and their misguided attempts to conceal their actions or escape God's wrath. The verse highlights God's absolute knowledge and omnipresence, which render all attempts to hide from Him futile, especially the deceptive claims of the false prophets.
Jeremiah 23 24 Word Analysis
- Can (הַאִם - ha'im): A Hebrew particle introducing a question, often with a rhetorical force implying "Is it possible?" or "Surely not." It sets up a challenge.
- any: Refers to any person.
- man: Refers to humankind.
- hide: To conceal oneself, to keep secret, to keep from being seen or known. In Hebrew, massether comes from the root sathár, meaning to hide, conceal, preserve, or keep secret.
- himself: Emphasizes the action of concealment is by the individual's own effort.
- in secret: ba-mesutharoth (בַּמְּסֻתָּרוֹת). The plural form suggests hidden places, secret chambers, or covert actions, underscoring the intent to avoid detection.
- places: Refers to locations, whether physical or conceptual.
- so that: Indicates consequence or purpose.
- I: Refers to the LORD God.
- shall not see: lo' er'ennu (לֹא אֶרְאֶנּוּ). The verb "to see" (ra'ah) in Hebrew implies not just visual perception but also understanding, awareness, and even providential oversight. God's "seeing" encompasses full knowledge and attention.
- saith the LORD: A standard prophetic formula indicating the source of the message. LORD (Yhwh – יְהוָה), the covenant name of God, signifying His faithfulness and power.
- Do not: *halo' (הֲלוֹא) - a negative question particle.
- I: God again, emphasizing His unique nature.
- fill: male (מָלֵא). To be full, to fill, to complete. God's filling signifies His comprehensive presence and substance throughout creation.
- heaven: The celestial realm, God's dwelling place.
- and earth: The terrestrial realm, all of creation.
- saith the LORD: Repetition reinforcing the divine authority.
Word Group Analysis:
- "Can any man hide himself in secret places": This phrase encapsulates the human inclination to seek concealment from divine scrutiny, either through physical hiding, plausible deniability, or the belief that their actions are unnoticed by God. It questions the efficacy of such attempts.
- "so that I shall not see him?": Connects the act of hiding with the outcome of avoiding God's perception. The verb "see" implies more than just optical vision; it involves divine knowledge, judgment, and awareness.
- "Do not I fill heaven and earth?": This rhetorical question posits God's absolute omnipresence as the unanswerable argument against human attempts at hiding. If God universally permeates all existence, no corner is beyond His reach or knowledge. The immensity of His being renders human concealment absurd.
Jeremiah 23 24 Bonus Section
The concept of God filling heaven and earth, male (מָלֵא), aligns with theological understandings of God's immanence—His presence within creation. This is distinct from pantheism (God is all things) and panentheism (God is in all things and also transcends them). In Hebrew thought, God's presence could be localized (e.g., the Ark of the Covenant, the Temple), but His being inherently fills all of reality. The specific Hebrew phrasing highlights that God's presence is not a passive occupancy but an active, pervasive engagement with all creation. The "secret places" implies a spatial understanding of hiding, which God's universal presence negates.
Jeremiah 23 24 Commentary
The verse serves as a stark reminder of God's absolute omnipresence and omniscience. In the historical context of Jeremiah confronting false prophets, it underscores that their deceit and the people's misguided trust could not escape God's gaze. Their hidden sins and secret sins were fully known. This truth implies that accountability is inevitable, as no one can evade divine awareness or judgment. For believers, it offers assurance that God is intimately present in all circumstances, both in our times of trial and our moments of worship. It also acts as a solemn warning against living hypocritically, for our inner thoughts and outward actions are laid bare before the Creator.