Jeremiah 6:14 kjv
They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
Jeremiah 6:14 nkjv
They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' When there is no peace.
Jeremiah 6:14 niv
They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace.
Jeremiah 6:14 esv
They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace.
Jeremiah 6:14 nlt
They offer superficial treatments
for my people's mortal wound.
They give assurances of peace
when there is no peace.
Jeremiah 6 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 6:14 | "They dress the wound of my people as though it were superficial..." | Jeremiah 8:11 (Echoes the same false healing) |
| Isaiah 56:10 | "...they are greedy dogs never enough..." | Critique of false shepherds |
| Micah 3:5 | "Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray..." | Condemnation of misleading prophets |
| Ezekiel 13:10 | "Because they have led my people astray, saying 'Peace,' when there is no peace..." | Direct parallel condemnation of false prophets |
| Luke 21:8 | "Jesus said, 'Take care that you are not deceived, for many will come in my name...'" | Warning against deception |
| 1 Thessalonians 5:3 | "For when they say, 'There is peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them..." | Similar theme of false security |
| Revelation 18:7 | "To the degree that she glorified herself and played the harlot, to the same degree give her torment and mourning..." | Judgment on a deceptive city |
| Jeremiah 5:30-31 | "A wonderful and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely..." | Description of societal decay and false prophecy |
| Jeremiah 23:17 | "They are saying constantly to those who despise the word of the LORD, 'It shall be well with you'..." | Another instance of false assurance |
| Isaiah 30:10 | "who say to the seers, 'Do not see,' and to the prophets, 'Do not prophesy to us what is right...'" | Rejection of God's truthful message |
| Proverbs 14:30 | "A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones." | Contrast of true and false well-being |
| Romans 2:5 | "But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath..." | The consequence of rejecting divine correction |
| Jeremiah 6:13 | "They have healed the wound of my daughter superficially by saying, 'Peace, Peace,' when there is no peace." | Previous verse establishing the theme |
| Psalm 55:21 | "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, yet war was in his heart..." | Deception in words |
| Matthew 7:15 | "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." | Warning against deceptive appearance |
| Acts 5:3-4 | "But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit...?'" | Deception against God |
| Galatians 2:11 | "But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned." | Confronting false practice/teaching |
| James 4:4 | "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?" | False peace through compromise |
| 1 Corinthians 10:21 | "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons." | Separation from conflicting loyalties |
| Romans 3:17 | "and the path of peace they have not known." | The absence of true peace |
Jeremiah 6 verses
Jeremiah 6 14 Meaning
They dress the wound of my people as though it were a superficial injury. They say, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace.
Jeremiah 6 14 Context
Jeremiah 6:14, part of Jeremiah's pronouncements against Judah, comes during a time of imminent invasion by the Babylonians. The prophet is addressing a nation that has repeatedly turned away from God, engaging in idolatry and social injustice. The people, and particularly their leaders and false prophets, are offering superficial comfort and assurances of safety, ignoring the gravity of their spiritual and national crisis. This false sense of security is a direct result of ignoring God's covenant and the warnings that accompany it. Jeremiah is contrasted with the false prophets who offer a cheap grace and a false peace, while Jeremiah delivers the harsh but true message of impending judgment.
Jeremiah 6 14 Word Analysis
- "They": Refers to the false prophets and leaders of Judah.
- "have healed" (רָפָ֔א - rapha'): Primarily means "to heal," "to mend," but can also be used metaphorically for "to repair" or "to cure." Here, it's used sarcastically; they claim to mend the brokenness of the people's sin and its consequences, but their healing is superficial.
- "the wound" (שְׁבִ֣יר - shevir): Means "breaking," "fracture," or "wound." It speaks of a deep damage, implying a serious condition needing genuine treatment.
- "of my people" (עַמִּ֖י - ammi): A term of endearment and possession for God's chosen nation, highlighting the tragedy that His people are being misled.
- "superficially" (לְשַׁלַּם - leshalam): Literally "to make whole," "to repair," or "to pay." In this context, it conveys a superficiality, a merely outward mending without addressing the root cause. It's a shallow plastering over a deep gash.
- "saying": This verb (אָמְרוּ - amru) points to proclamation and declaration, emphasizing the vocalization of their false message.
- "Peace" (שָׁל֑וֹם - shalom): A comprehensive word meaning "peace," "completeness," "well-being," "safety," and "prosperity." Their pronouncement of shalom is empty because it's not grounded in God's favor or righteous living.
- "peace": The repetition of "shalom" stresses the deliberate and insistent nature of their deception, an attempt to lull the people into a false sense of security.
- "when there is no peace" (וְאֵ֥ין - v'ein "and there is not"; שָׁל֑וֹם - shalom): A stark denial, a contradiction of their pronouncement, revealing the hollowness of their message and the reality of impending judgment and turmoil.
Word Group Analysis
- "They have healed the wound of my people superficially": This phrase captures the essence of religious deception. The leaders and prophets were providing a superficial comfort, a pseudo-healing that didn't address the sin causing the wound. They applied a bandage (a word of peace) to a festering spiritual disease.
- "saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace": This repetition of "shalom" emphasizes the intentionality of the falsehood. It's not an oversight but a calculated deception designed to pacify the people and divert them from repentance. The absolute "no peace" underscores the imminent reality of divine judgment that will shatter their false illusions.
Jeremiah 6 14 Bonus Section
The concept of "shalom" in the Hebrew Bible is far richer than just "peace." It encompasses a state of wholeness, completeness, and well-being in all areas of life – spiritual, physical, social, and material. When the false prophets cried "shalom," they were likely evoking this broader sense of security and prosperity, but detached it from the condition of faithfulness to God. Jeremiah’s message underscores that God's shalom is always contingent upon adherence to His covenant, and without it, only judgment can be expected. The repeated "peace" serves as a rhetorical device, highlighting the absurdity and deceitfulness of their claims in light of the evident consequences of Judah’s unfaithfulness, such as approaching enemy armies.
Jeremiah 6 14 Commentary
This verse is a powerful indictment of false prophets and leaders who offer superficial comfort and false assurances of safety to a people in spiritual crisis. They proclaim "Peace, peace," but this peace is not from God. It is a dangerous illusion created by ignoring sin and its consequences. True peace (shalom) in the biblical sense is not merely the absence of conflict, but a holistic state of well-being rooted in a right relationship with God, characterized by justice, righteousness, and obedience to His covenant. By plastering over the deep spiritual wounds of their people with hollow words, these leaders prevented genuine repentance and preparation for the inevitable judgment that their disobedience warranted.