Jeremiah 23:17

17 They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, ¹'It shall be well with you'; and to everyone who ²stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ³'No disaster shall come upon you.'"

Jeremiah 23:17 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 23:17

They say still unto them that despise me
That despised the word, worship, and ordinances of the Lord; with such mockers and scoffers at religion, such abandoned creatures, they associated themselves; finding that their prophecies and doctrines met with approbation and success among them. The Septuagint version is, "they say to them that put away the word of the Lord"; reject it, and cast it behind their backs; see ( Acts 13:46 ) ; the Lord hath said, ye shall have peace;
all manner of prosperity; that they should dwell in their own land, and not go into captivity, and enjoy the good things of it in peace and prosperity; this they pretended they had from the Lord; which was an aggravation of their sins; not only to tell a lie, but to tell it in the name of the Lord, and in direct opposition to what the true prophets said from the mouth of the Lord, particularly Jeremiah: and they say unto everyone that walketh after the imagination of his
own heart;
which is evil, and that continually, ( Genesis 6:5 ) ; whose course of life is after the lusts of his own wicked heart; and a worse guide than these a man cannot well have: and this is a true character and description of an unregenerate man, who walks after the flesh, and not after the Spirit; after his own carnal heart, and the dictates of it; and not according to the will and word of God: and yet to such, to whom the Lord says, "there is no peace", the false prophets said, no evil shall come upon you;
no evil of punishment for the evil of sin, as the prophets of the Lord had threatened; such as the sword, famine, pestilence, and captivity.

Jeremiah 23:17 In-Context

15 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: "Behold, I will feed them with bitter food and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land."

16 Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.

17 They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, 'It shall be well with you'; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, 'No disaster shall come upon you.'"

18 For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened?

19 Behold, the storm of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked.

Cross References

• 1. [Zechariah 10:2]; See Jeremiah 6:14
• 2. See Jeremiah 3:17
• 3. Jeremiah 5:12; Micah 3:11