Jeremiah 23:17

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."

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, 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.