Jeremiah 23:33 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 23:33 kjv
And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:33 nkjv
"So when these people or the prophet or the priest ask you, saying, 'What is the oracle of the LORD?' you shall then say to them, 'What oracle?' I will even forsake you," says the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:33 niv
"When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, 'What is the message from the LORD?' say to them, 'What message? I will forsake you, declares the LORD.'
Jeremiah 23:33 esv
"When one of this people, or a prophet or a priest asks you, 'What is the burden of the LORD?' you shall say to them, 'You are the burden, and I will cast you off, declares the LORD.'
Jeremiah 23:33 nlt
"Suppose one of the people or one of the prophets or priests asks you, 'What prophecy has the LORD burdened you with now?' You must reply, 'You are the burden! The LORD says he will abandon you!'
Jeremiah 23 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 18:20-22 | But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak... | Warning against false prophets and their fate. |
| Isa 5:18-19 | Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity... who say, "Let Him make speed and hasten His work..." | Mocking God's imminent judgment with cynicism. |
| Isa 13:1 | The burden against Babylon which Isaiah... saw. | Example of "burden" as a prophetic oracle of judgment. |
| Jer 6:14 | They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, "Peace, peace!" when there is no peace. | False prophets giving messages of false security. |
| Jer 8:10-11 | ...from prophet even to priest everyone deals falsely. | Pervasive corruption among religious leaders. |
| Jer 20:8 | For whenever I speak, I cry out; I shout, "Violence and plunder!" Because the word of the LORD has been... | Jeremiah's personal experience of carrying God's "burden." |
| Jer 25:10-11 | ...this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king... | Fulfillment of the "burden" of God's judgment. |
| Jer 27:7-8 | And all nations shall serve him and his son and his son’s son, until the time of his own land comes... | Nations facing the 'burden' of Babylonian servitude. |
| Jer 28:15-17 | Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, "Listen now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you... | Contrast with false prophets who do not bear true burdens. |
| Ezek 13:3 | Thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!" | God's condemnation of prophets prophesying from their own minds. |
| Hos 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject... | Consequences of a people and priests rejecting divine instruction. |
| Amos 1:1 | The words of Amos... which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah... | "Words" or "visions" from God delivered by true prophets. |
| Mal 2:7-8 | For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth... | The sacred duty of priests contrasted with their failure. |
| Prov 14:9 | Fools make a mock of sin, but among the upright there is favor. | Scoffing at serious matters, especially sin. |
| Prov 1:24-31 | Because I have called and you refused... I also will laugh at your calamity... | The divine consequences for rejecting wisdom and God's calls. |
| Psa 2:4 | He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. | God's divine response to human arrogance and mockery. |
| Psa 58:4-5 | Their venom is like the venom of a serpent; They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear... | Illustrating a hardened heart that rejects divine truth. |
| Matt 11:28-30 | Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you... | Contrast of the world's burdensome system with Christ's light yoke and true rest. |
| Luke 16:14-15 | Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. | Mocking spiritual truth by religious leaders. |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. | The principle of divine retribution for mocking God or His ways. |
| 2 Tim 3:16 | All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof... | The divine origin and authority of God's word, not to be trifled with. |
| 2 Pet 2:1 | But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you... | Warning about deceptive religious figures in any era. |
Jeremiah 23 verses
Jeremiah 23 33 meaning
Jeremiah 23:33 delivers a divine reprimand to the people, priests, and false prophets of Judah who sarcastically inquired about "the burden of the LORD." The phrase "burden of the LORD" (massa Yahweh), originally a term for a prophetic oracle, often one of judgment, had become a cynical jest among those rejecting Jeremiah's warnings. God declares that because they use this sacred term in mockery, He will cast them off, and they themselves will become the heavy burden, enduring the very judgment they scoffed at. It underscores God's seriousness concerning His word and the severe consequences for those who treat it with contempt.
Jeremiah 23 33 Context
Jeremiah 23:33 is embedded within a broader prophetic discourse (Jeremiah 23) primarily addressing the nation's corrupt leadership, including evil shepherds (kings and rulers, vv. 1-8) and, especially, the false prophets and priests (vv. 9-40). Jeremiah consistently contrasted these deceptive figures with true prophets, who faithfully delivered God's challenging and often unpopular word. The immediate context for verse 33 specifically confronts the people's and their leaders' irreverent attitude toward divine messages of impending judgment, frequently delivered by Jeremiah. They had taken the sacred phrase "burden of the LORD" (מַשָּׂא יְהוָה, massa Yahweh), typically a solemn prophetic oracle of judgment, and used it cynically, mocking Jeremiah's warnings. This verse introduces God's forceful declaration that He would reverse their mockery, making them and their cities the actual "burden" to be cast off, directly leading into the more detailed explanation in vv. 34-40.
Jeremiah 23 33 Word analysis
- And when: Introduces a condition, signaling a direct response from God to a specific scenario, highlighting the imminence of the divine judgment for their actions.
- this people: Refers to the disobedient and apostate nation of Judah in Jeremiah's time, especially those in Jerusalem who continually rejected God's truth, carrying a tone of divine disappointment and coming judgment.
- or prophet: (Hebrew: navi) Here denotes the false prophets who deceived the people with messages of peace, neglecting their duty to speak God's truth and thus contributing to the nation's spiritual blindness.
- or priest: (Hebrew: kohen) Refers to the corrupt priestly class who were meant to teach the Law and uphold God's standards but instead compromised their calling, leading the people astray by their actions and words.
- ask you: Indicates a direct, intentional challenge or inquiry directed at Jeremiah, signifying their defiant stance rather than a genuine seeking of truth.
- ‘What is the burden: (Hebrew: Ma-massa - מה־משא) This is the core of their mockery. Massa means "load" or "burden" but is a technical prophetic term for an "oracle," often one predicting divine judgment. Their question cynically dismisses Jeremiah's prophecies as tiresome, heavy pronouncements from God.
- of the LORD?’: (Hebrew: Yahweh) Attaching God's covenant name to their cynical question makes their mockery a direct affront to God's divine authority and His revealed word, demonstrating their ultimate contempt.
- And when this people, or prophet, or priest, ask you: This group highlights the widespread and comprehensive nature of the scorn against God's word, demonstrating that disbelief permeated all levels of society—from the general populace to the very spiritual leaders entrusted with divine truth. Their collective inquiry signals a systemic rebellion against divine authority.
- ‘What is the burden of the LORD?’: This specific phrase encapsulates their cynical defiance. They are not merely questioning but deriding God's pronouncements, treating divine prophecy as an annoying and tiresome weight rather than a solemn message from the Almighty, revealing a deeply irreverent attitude towards sacred revelation.
Jeremiah 23 33 Bonus section
The power of Jeremiah 23:33 lies in the brilliant divine wordplay on massa (מַשָּׂא). This single Hebrew term can mean both a physical "load" or "burden" and a "prophetic oracle" or "utterance," often carrying a heavy message of judgment. By sarcastically asking "What is the burden of the LORD?", the people intended to belittle Jeremiah's prophecies as tiresome and negative. However, in the subsequent verses (23:34-40), God reclaims and redefines the term, stating that the people and their cities are, in fact, the "burden" to Him, and He will cast them off. This turning of their contemptuous question back upon them is a profound example of God's sovereignty, demonstrating that human scorn cannot undermine divine truth but will only serve to realize the very judgment they mock. It underscores the danger of theological irony and highlights the immutable nature of God's word, regardless of how lightly humans may treat it.
Jeremiah 23 33 Commentary
Jeremiah 23:33 is God's fierce rebuke of a nation that had trivialized His prophetic warnings. When the people, false prophets, and priests mockingly inquired, "What is the burden of the LORD?" they were using a sacred term (massa) meant for a solemn oracle of judgment as a flippant jest, dismissing Jeremiah's urgent messages of impending doom. God's response is devastatingly direct: He promises to turn their sarcasm into their stark reality. Because they considered His word a "burden" to be ridiculed, God declares that they will become His burden, something He will cast off and forsake, causing them to literally bear the weight of their own mockery. This verse serves as a powerful warning against irreverence towards divine truth; God takes seriously how His word is received and responded to, and those who scorn it will inevitably face its solemn consequences.