Logos Bible Study

Jeremiah 23:11–14

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23:11Moreover,35 the Lord says,36

“Both the prophets and priests are godless.

I have even found them doing evil in my temple!

23:12So the paths they follow will be dark and slippery.

They will stumble and fall headlong.

For I will bring disaster on them.

A day of reckoning is coming for them.”37

The Lord affirms it!38

23:13The Lord says,39 “I saw the prophets of Samaria40

doing something that was disgusting.41

They prophesied in the name of the god Baal

and led my people Israel astray.42

23:14But I see the prophets of Jerusalem43

doing something just as shocking.

They are unfaithful to me

and continually prophesy lies.44

So they give encouragement to people who are doing evil,

with the result that they do not stop their evildoing.45

I consider all of them as bad as the people of Sodom,

and the citizens of Jerusalem as bad as the people of Gomorrah.46

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Footnotes

  1. 35 The particle כִּי (ki) which begins this verse is parallel to the one at the beginning of the preceding verse. However, the connection is too distant to render it “for.” “Moreover” is intended to draw the parallel. The words “the Lord says” (Heb “Oracle of the Lord”) have been drawn up to the front to introduce the shift in speaker from Jeremiah, who describes his agitated state, to God, who describes the sins of the prophets and priests and his consequent judgment on them.
  2. 36 Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
  3. 37 For the last two lines see 11:23 and the notes there.
  4. 38 Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
  5. 39 The words “The Lord says” are not in the text, but it is clear from the content that he is the speaker. These words are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  6. 40 For location see ; ; ; ; .
  7. 41 According to 1074 תִּפְלָּה this word means “unseemly, unsavory.” The related adjective is used in Job 6:6 of the tastelessness of something that is unseasoned.
  8. 42 Heb “by Baal.” Prophesying in the name of the god Baal was a clear violation of Mosaic law and punishable by death (see Deut 13:1–5). For an example of the apostasy encouraged by prophets of Baal in the northern kingdom of Israel see 1 Kgs 18:16–40.
  9. 43 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
  10. 44 Or “they commit adultery and deal falsely.” The word “shocking” only occurs here and in 5:30 where it is found in the context of prophesying lies. This almost assures that the reference to “walking in lies” (Heb “in the lie”) is referring to false prophesy. Moreover the references to the prophets in 5:13 and in 14:13–15 are all in the context of false prophesy as are the following references in this chapter in 23:24, 26, 32 and in 28:15. This appears to be the theme of this section. This also makes it likely that the reference to adultery is not literal adultery, though two of the false prophets in Babylon were guilty of this (29:23). The reference to “encouraging those who do evil” that follows also makes more sense if they were preaching messages of comfort rather than messages of doom. The verbs here are infinitive absolutes in place of the finite verb, probably used to place greater emphasis on the action (cf. Hos 4:2 in a comparable judgment speech.)
  11. 45 Heb “So they strengthen the hands of those doing evil so that they do not turn back from their evil.” For the use of the figure “strengthen the hands” meaning “encourage” see Judg 9:24; Ezek 13:22 (and cf. 304 חָזַק Piel.2). The vav consecutive on the front of the form gives the logical consequence equivalent to “so” in the translation.
  12. 46 Heb “All of them are to me like Sodom and its [Jerusalem’s] inhabitants like Gomorrah.” The rhetoric of this passage is very forceful. Like Amos who focuses attention on the sins of the surrounding nations to bring out more forcefully the heinousness of Israel’s sin, God focuses attention on the sins of the prophets of Samaria to bring out the even worse sin of the prophets of Jerusalem. (The oracle is directed at them, not at the prophets of Samaria. See the announcement of judgment that follows.) The Lord has already followed that tack with Judah in Jeremiah 2 (cf. 2:11). Moreover, he here compares the prophets and the evil-doing citizens of Jerusalem, whom they were encouraging through their false prophesy, to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah who were proverbial for their wickedness (Deut 32:32; Isa 1:10).

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“Both prophet and priest are ungodly;

even in my house I have found their evil,

declares the Lord.

Therefore their way shall be to them

like slippery paths in the darkness,

into which they shall be driven and fall,

for I will bring disaster upon them

in the year of their punishment,

declares the Lord.

In the prophets of Samaria

I saw an unsavory thing:

they prophesied by Baal

and led my people Israel astray.

But in the prophets of Jerusalem

I have seen a horrible thing:

they commit adultery and walk in lies;

they strengthen the hands of evildoers,

so that no one turns from his evil;

all of them have become like Sodom to me,

and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Both prophet and priest are godless;

even in my temple I find their wickedness,”

declares the Lord.

“Therefore their path will become slippery;

they will be banished to darkness

and there they will fall.

I will bring disaster on them

in the year they are punished,”

declares the Lord.

“Among the prophets of Samaria

I saw this repulsive thing:

They prophesied by Baal

and led my people Israel astray.

And among the prophets of Jerusalem

I have seen something horrible:

They commit adultery and live a lie.

They strengthen the hands of evildoers,

so that not one of them turns from their wickedness.

They are all like Sodom to me;

the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

because both prophet and priest are ungodly,

even in my house I have found their evil.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

Therefore, their way will seem

like slippery paths in the gloom.

They will be driven away and fall down there,

for I will bring disaster on them,

the year of their punishment.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

Among the prophets of Samaria

I saw something disgusting:

They prophesied by Baal

and led my people Israel astray.

Among the prophets of Jerusalem also

I saw a horrible thing:

They commit adultery and walk in lies.

They strengthen the hands of evildoers,

and none turns his back on evil.

They are all like Sodom to me;

Jerusalem’s residents are like Gomorrah.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

“Even the priests and prophets

are ungodly, wicked men.

I have seen their despicable acts

right here in my own Temple,”

says the Lord.

“Therefore, the paths they take

will become slippery.

They will be chased through the dark,

and there they will fall.

For I will bring disaster upon them

at the time fixed for their punishment.

I, the Lord, have spoken!

“I saw that the prophets of Samaria were terribly evil,

for they prophesied in the name of Baal

and led my people of Israel into sin.

But now I see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse!

They commit adultery and love dishonesty.

They encourage those who are doing evil

so that no one turns away from their sins.

These prophets are as wicked

as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah once were.”

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“For both prophet as well as priest are godless,

even in my temple I have found their wickedness,” declares Yahweh.

“Therefore their way will be to them like the slippery places,

they will be pushed in the darkness,

and they will fall into it,

for I will bring disaster on them in the year of their punishment,” declares Yahweh.

“Now in the prophets of Samaria I saw a disgusting thing.

They prophesied by Baal and they caused my people Israel to err.

And in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible.

They commit adultery, and they walk in lies,

and they make strong the hands of evildoers,

so that they have not turned back each from his wickedness.

All of them have become to me like Sodom,

and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

For both prophet and priest are profane;

Yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord.

Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness:

They shall be driven on, and fall therein:

For I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the Lord.

And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria;

They prophesied in Baal,

And caused my people Israel to err.

I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing:

They commit adultery, and walk in lies:

They strengthen also the hands of evildoers,

That none doth return from his wickedness:

They are all of them unto me as Sodom,

And the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

Public Domain