Jeremiah 23:24

24 Or can a person hide himself in secret places and I cannot see him?" {declares} Yahweh. "[Do] I not fill up the heaven and the earth?" {declares} Yahweh.

Jeremiah 23:24 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 23:24

Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see
him? saith the Lord
If a man should hide himself in the most secret and hidden places of the earth, and do his works in the most private manner, so that no human eye can see him, he cannot hide himself or his actions from the Lord, who can see from heaven to earth, and through the darkest and thickest clouds, and into the very bowels of the earth, and the most hidden and secret recesses and caverns of it. The darkness and the light are both alike to him; and also near and distant, open and secret places: do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord;
not only with inhabitants, and with other effects of his power and providence; but with his essence, which is everywhere, and is infinite and immense, and cannot be contained in either, or be limited and circumscribed by space and place; see ( 1 Kings 8:27 ) . The Targum is,

``does not my glory fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord;''
both of them are full of his glory; and every person and thing in either must be seen and known by him; and so the false prophets and their lies; in order to convince of the truth of which, all this is said, as appears by the following words.

Jeremiah 23:24 In-Context

22 But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words [to] my people, and they would have caused them to turn from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.
23 [Am] I a God from near," {declares} Yahweh, "and not a God from far?
24 Or can a person hide himself in secret places and I cannot see him?" {declares} Yahweh. "[Do] I not fill up the heaven and the earth?" {declares} Yahweh.
25 "I have heard what the prophets who prophesy lies have said in my name, {saying}, 'I have dreamed! I have dreamed!'
26 {How long} [will] this be in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceitfulness of their hearts,

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Literally "a declaration of"
  • [b]. Literally "a declaration of"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.