Jeremiah 23:1-8

The Coming Messiah: the Righteous Branch

1 "¹Woe to the shepherds who are ²destroying and scattering the ³sheep of My pasture!" declares the LORD.

2 Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: "You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to ⁴attend to you for the ⁵evil of your deeds," declares the LORD.

3 "Then I Myself will ⁶gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where * I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply.

4 "I will also raise up ⁷shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will ⁸not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, ⁹nor will any be missing," declares the LORD

5 "Behold, the ¹⁰days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I will raise up for David a righteous ¹¹Branch; And He will ¹²reign as king and act wisely And ¹³do justice and righteousness in the land.

6 "In His days Judah will be saved, And ¹⁴Israel will dwell securely; And this is His ¹⁵name by which He will be called, 'The ¹⁶LORD our righteousness.'

7 "¹⁷Therefore behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when they will no longer say, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,'

8 ¹⁸but, 'As the LORD lives, who ¹⁹brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where * I had driven them.' Then they will live on their own soil."

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Jeremiah 23:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 19

1. Ezekiel 13:3; Ezekiel 34:2; Zechariah 11:17
2. Isaiah 56:9-12; Jeremiah 10:21; Jeremiah 50:6
3. Ezekiel 34:31
4. Exodus 32:34
5. Jeremiah 21:12; Jeremiah 44:22
6. Is 11:11, 12, 16; Jeremiah 31:7, 8; Jeremiah 32:37
7. Jeremiah 3:15; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 34:23
8. Jeremiah 30:10; Jeremiah 46:27, 28
9. John 6:39; John 10:28; 1 Peter 1:5
10. Jeremiah 33:14
11. Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 11:1-5; Isaiah 53:2; Jeremiah 30:9; Jeremiah 33:15, 16; Zechariah 3:8; Zechariah 6:12, 13
12. Isaiah 9:7; Isaiah 52:13; Luke 1:32, 33
13. Psalms 72:2; Isaiah 9:7; Isaiah 32:1; Daniel 9:24
14. Deuteronomy 33:28; Jeremiah 30:10; Zechariah 14:11
15. Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:21-23
16. Isaiah 45:24; Jeremiah 33:16; Daniel 9:24; Romans 3:22; 1 Corinthians 1:30
17. Isaiah 43:18, 19; Jeremiah 16:14, 15
18. Jeremiah 16:15
19. Isaiah 43:5, 6; Ezekiel 34:13; Amos 9:14, 15

Footnotes 4

[a]. Lit "shepherding"
[b]. Or "shepherd"
[c]. Lit "Sprout"
[d]. Or "succeed"