Jeremiah 23

Promise of restoration

1 Watch out, you shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, declares the LORD.

2 This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, proclaims about the shepherds who "tend to" my people: You are the ones who have scattered my flock and driven them away. You haven't attended to their needs, so I will take revenge on you for the terrible things you have done to them, declares the LORD.

3 I myself will gather the few remaining sheep from all the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply.

4 I will place over them shepherds who care for them. Then they will no longer be afraid or dread harm, nor will any be missing, declares the LORD

Promise of a righteous and just king

5 The time is coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up a righteous descendant from David's line, and he will rule as a wise king. He will do what is just and right in the land.

6 During his lifetime, Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And his name will be The LORD Is Our Righteousness.

7 So the time is coming, declares the LORD, when no one will say, "As the LORD lives who brought up the Israelites from the land of Egypt."

8 Instead, they will say, "As the LORD lives who brought up the descendants of the people of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where he has banished them so that they can live in their own land."

Oracles against the prophets

9 As for the prophets: My heart inside me is broken; my body aches. I stagger like a drunk who has had too much wine to drink, because of the LORD and because of God's holy words.

10 Because the country teems with adulterers, because of them, yes, because their might isn't right and their way is evil, the land dries up, and the grazing areas in the wilderness wither.

11 Both prophet and priest are godless; I even find their evil in my temple, declares the LORD.

12 Therefore, they will find themselves on slippery ground and will be thrust into darkness, where they will collapse. I will bring disaster upon them, when their time comes, declares the LORD.

13 In the prophets of Samaria I saw something shocking: They prophesied by Baal and led astray my people Israel.

14 In the prophets of Jerusalem I saw something horrible: They commit adultery and tell lies. They encourage evildoers so that no one turns from their wickedness. In my eyes, they are no better than Sodom; its people are like Gomorrah

15 Therefore, this is what the LORD of heavenly forces proclaims concerning the prophets: I'm going to feed them bitter food and give them poison to drink. Wickedness has spread from the prophets of Jerusalem throughout the land.

16 The LORD proclaims: Don't listen to the prophets who are speaking to you; they are deceiving you. Their visions come from their own hearts, not from the LORD's mouth.

17 They keep saying to those who scorn God's message, "All will go well for you," and to those who follow their own willful hearts, "Nothing bad will happen to you."

18 But who has stood in the LORD's council to listen to God's word? Who has paid attention to his word and announced it?

19 Look! The LORD's angry storm breaks out; it whirls around the heads of the wicked

20 The LORD's fierce anger won't turn back until it accomplishes all that he has planned. In the days to come, you will understand what this means.

21 I didn't send the prophets, yet they ran anyway. I didn't speak to them, yet they prophesied anyway

22 If they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people; they would have turned them from their evil ways and deeds.

23 The LORD declares, Am I a God who is only nearby and not far off?

24 Can people hide themselves in secret places so I might not see them? Don't I fill heaven and earth?

25 I have heard the prophets prophesying lies in my name. They claim, "I've had a dream; I've had a dream!"

26 How long will deceitful prophecies dominate the minds of the prophets? Those prophets are treacherous.

27 They scheme to make my people forget me by their dreams that people tell each other, just as their ancestors forgot me because of Baal.

28 Let the prophet who has a dream declare it, but let the one who has my word proclaim it faithfully. What a difference between straw and wheat! declares the LORD.

29 Isn't my word like fire and like a hammer that shatters rock? declares the LORD.

30 Therefore, I'm against the prophets who steal my words from each other, declares the LORD.

31 I'm against the prophets who carelessly deliver oracles, declares the LORD.

32 I'm against the prophets who dream up lies and then proclaim them, declares the LORD. With their reckless lies, they lead my people astray. I didn't send them; I didn't commission them. They are completely useless to these people, declares the LORD.

33 When these people or a prophet or a priest asks you, "What is the LORD's message?" say to them, "What message? I will cast you off, declares the LORD."

34 I will punish anyone, including prophet or priest, who says, "This is the LORD's message."

35 This is what you should ask each other: "What has the LORD said?""What has the LORD declared?"

36 But you are no longer to mention the LORD's message, because everyone thinks they have received a message from the LORD. You destroy the very word of the living God, the LORD of heavenly forces, our God

37 So this is what you should say to the prophet: "What has the LORD said to you?""What has the LORD declared?"

38 But if you insist on saying, "This is the LORD's message," the LORD says to you: Because you have made this claim—this is the LORD's message—when I told you not to proclaim the LORD's message

39 I will lift you up and cast you out of my presence, together with the city that I gave to your ancestors.

40 I will make you an object of disgrace and enduring shame that no one will ever forget.

Jeremiah 23 Commentary

Chapter 23

The restoration of the Jews to their own land. (1-8) The wickedness of the priests and prophets of Judah, The people exhorted not to listen to false promises. (9-22) The pretenders to inspiration threatened. (23-32) Also the scoffers at true prophecy. (33-40)

Verses 1-8 Woe be to those who are set to feed God's people, but take no concern to do them good! Here is a word of comfort to the neglected sheep. Though only a remnant of God's flock is left, he will find them out, and they shall be brought to their former habitations. Christ is spoken of as a branch from David's family. He is righteous himself, and through him all his people are made righteous. Christ shall break the usurped power of Satan. All the spiritual seed of believing Abraham and praying Jacob shall be protected, and shall be saved from the guilt and dominion of sin. In the days of Christ's government in the soul, the soul dwells at ease. He is here spoken of as "the Lord our Righteousness." He is so our Righteousness as no creature could be. His obedience unto death is the justifying righteousness of believers, and their title to heavenly happiness. And their sanctification, as the source of all their personal obedience is the effect of their union with him, and of the supply of this Spirit. By this name every true believer shall call him, and call upon him. We have nothing to plead but this, Christ has died, yea, rather is risen again; and we have taken him for our Lord. This righteousness which he has wrought out to the satisfaction of law and justice, becomes ours; being a free gift given to us, through the Spirit of God, who puts it upon us, clothes us with it, enables us to lay hold upon it, and claim an interest in it. "The Lord our Righteousness" is a sweet name to a convinced sinner; to one that has felt the guilt of sin in his conscience; seen his need of that righteousness, and the worth of it. This great salvation is far more glorious than all former deliverances of his church. May our souls be gathered to Him, and be found in him.

Verses 9-22 The false prophets of Samaria had deluded the Israelites into idolatries; yet the Lord considered the false prophets of Jerusalem as guilty of more horrible wickedness, by which the people were made bold in sin. These false teachers would be compelled to suffer the most bitter part of the Lord's indignation. They made themselves believe that there was no harm in sin, and practised accordingly; then they made others believe so. Those who are resolved to go on in evil ways, will justly be given up to believe strong delusions. But which of them had received any revelation of God, or understood any thing of his word? There was a time coming when they would reflect on their folly and unbelief with remorse. The teaching and example of the true prophets led men to repentance, faith, and righteousness. The false prophets led men to rest in forms and notions, and to be quiet in their sins. Let us take heed that we do not follow unrighteousness.

Verses 23-32 Men cannot be hidden from God's all-seeing eye. Will they never see what judgments they prepare for themselves? Let them consider what a vast difference there is between these prophecies and those delivered by the true prophets of the Lord. Let them not call their foolish dreams Divine oracles. The promises of peace these prophets make are no more to be compared to God's promises than chaff to wheat. The unhumbled heart of man is like a rock; if not melted by the word of God as a fire, it will be broken to pieces by it as a hammer. How can they be long safe, or at all easy, who have a God of almighty power against them? The word of God is no smooth, lulling, deceitful message. And by its faithfulness it may certainly be distinguished from false doctrines.

Verses 33-40 Those are miserable indeed who are forsaken and forgotten of God; and men's jesting at God's judgments will not baffle them. God had taken Israel to be a people near to him, but they shall now be cast out of his presence. It is a mark of great and daring impiety for men to jest with the words of God. Every idle and profane word will add to the sinner's burden in the day of judgment, when everlasting shame will be his portion.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or branch
• [b]. Or of Our Righteousness, possibly a play on the name Zedekiah
• [c]. Or I
• [d]. Heb uncertain; or my bones shake
• [e]. LXX; MT a curse
• [f]. Heb uncertain
• [g]. Heb uncertain
• [h]. Or burden
• [i]. LXX, Syr, Vulg; MT forget you

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 23

This chapter contains threatenings to the Jewish governors, and to their priests and prophets, on account of their manifold sins; intermixed with gracious promises to the Lord's people, and particularly with a famous promise of the Messiah. The pastors or governors of Israel are charged with scattering and driving away the Lord's flock, for which they are threatened, Jer 23:1,2; and a promise is made of the gathering of the remnant of them, and of setting up other shepherds over them, under whom they should increase, and be comfortable, Jer 23:3,4; particularly the Messiah is promised; as David's righteous Branch; as a prosperous and righteous King; as the author of righteousness to his people, under whom they should have salvation and safety, Jer 23:5,6; so that in comparison of this salvation, the deliverance out of Egypt should not be spoken of, Jer 23:7,8; and then follows a sad complaint of the priests and prophets; of their profaneness, their adultery, swearing, lying, hypocrisy, and deception of the people; for all which they are severely threatened, Jer 23:9-15; wherefore the people are exhorted not to hearken to them, promising them peace and safety; whereas, by attending to the word of God, it might easily be seen that a storm of wrath was gone forth, and was ready to break, and would fall upon the head of the wicked, to the executing of the thoughts and purposes of God's heart, Jer 23:16-20; and the Lord declares he had not sent these prophets, as might be known from their not turning the people from their evil ways, Jer 23:21,22; whose conduct and behaviour could not be hid from the sight of the Lord, nor their prophecies from his ears, which were no other than dreams, and the deceits of their own hearts; and there was as great a difference between them and the word of the Lord, as between chaff and wheat; seeing his word in his hand is of great virtue and efficacy, whereas there was none in theirs, Jer 23:23-29; wherefore the Lord declares himself to be against these prophets, for stealing his word from their neighbour; for making use of his name, when they were not sent by him; and for causing the people to err by their lies, Jer 23:30-32; and both people, priest, and prophet, are severely threatened for jeering and scoffing at the word of the Lord, calling it the burden of the Lord; which phrase they are forbid to use in a sneering way; and should they persist in it, they are told that God would forsake and forget them, and cast them out, and everlastingly punish them, Jer 23:39,40.