Focused Passage

Jeremiah 23:16-22

False Shepherds, the Righteous Branch, and the Fire of the LORD's Word

The chapter moves from judgment on false shepherds, to the gathering of the remnant, to the promise of the righteous Branch, to a sustained indictment of false prophets who corrupt the people by speaking lies in the LORD's name.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

16 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.

17 They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD says that you will have peace,’ and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, ‘No harm will come to you.’

18 But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and obeyed it?

19 Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone out with fury, a whirlwind swirling down upon the heads of the wicked.

20 The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has fully accomplished the purposes of His heart. In the days to come you will understand this clearly.

21 I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied.

22 But if they had stood in My council, they would have proclaimed My words to My people and turned them back from their evil ways and deeds.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 16

Original words

This is what כֹּֽה־ H3541 Adverb the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָא֗וֹת H6635 Noun - common plural says אָמַ֞ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Do not אַֽל־ H408 Adverb listen תִּשְׁמְע֞וּ H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural to עַל־ H5921 Preposition the words דִּבְרֵ֤י H1697 Noun - masculine plural construct of the prophets הַנְּבִאִים֙ H5030 Article | Noun - masculine plural who prophesy הַנִּבְּאִ֣ים H5012 Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural to you לָכֶ֔ם Preposition | second person masculine plural They are filling you with false hopes מַהְבִּלִ֥ים H1891 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural . . . הֵ֖מָּה H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural - אֶתְכֶ֑ם H853 Direct object marker | second person masculine plural They speak יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ H1696 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural visions חֲז֤וֹן H2377 Noun - masculine singular construct from their own minds לִבָּם֙ H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural not לֹ֖א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle from the mouth מִפִּ֥י H6310 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 17

Original words

They keep saying אֹמְרִ֤ים H559 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural . . . אָמוֹר֙ H559 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute to those who despise Me לִֽמְנַאֲצַ֔י H5006 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular The LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular says that דִּבֶּ֣ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular you will have יִֽהְיֶ֣ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular peace שָׁל֖וֹם H7965 Noun - masculine singular [and] אָֽמְר֔וּ H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural to everyone וְ֠כֹל H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct who walks הֹלֵ֞ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular in the stubbornness בִּשְׁרִר֤וּת H8307 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of his own heart לִבּוֹ֙ H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular No לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle harm רָעָֽה׃ H7451 Adjective - feminine singular will come תָב֥וֹא H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular to you עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם H5921 Preposition | second person masculine plural
Verse 18

Original words

But כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction which of them מִ֤י H4310 Interrogative has stood עָמַד֙ H5975 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular in the council בְּס֣וֹד H5475 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular to see וְיֵ֖רֶא H7200 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular and hear וְיִשְׁמַ֣ע H8085 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker His word דְּבָר֑וֹ H1697 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Who מִֽי־ H4310 Interrogative has given heed הִקְשִׁ֥יב H7181 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular to His word דְּבָרִי H1697 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular and obeyed it וַיִּשְׁמָֽע׃ס H8085 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

Behold הִנֵּ֣ה׀ H2009 Interjection the storm סַעֲרַ֣ת H5591 Noun - feminine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular has gone out יָֽצְאָ֔ה H3318 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular with fury חֵמָה֙ H2534 Noun - feminine singular a whirlwind מִתְחוֹלֵ֑ל H2342 Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular . . . וְסַ֖עַר H5591 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular swirling down יָחֽוּל׃ H2342 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular upon עַ֛ל H5921 Preposition the heads רֹ֥אשׁ H7218 Noun - masculine singular construct of the wicked רְשָׁעִ֖ים H7563 Adjective - masculine plural
Verse 20

Original words

The anger אַף־ H639 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular will not לֹ֤א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle turn back יָשׁוּב֙ H7725 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular until עַד־ H5704 Preposition He has fully accomplished עֲשֹׂת֥וֹ H6213 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular . . . וְעַד־ H5704 Conjunctive waw | Preposition . . . הֲקִימ֖וֹ H6965 Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular the purposes מְזִמּ֣וֹת H4209 Noun - feminine plural construct of His heart לִבּ֑וֹ H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular In the days הַיָּמִ֔ים H3117 Article | Noun - masculine plural to come בְּאַֽחֲרִית֙ H319 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct you will understand תִּתְבּ֥וֹנְנוּ H995 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine plural this בָ֖הּ Preposition | third person feminine singular clearly בִּינָֽה׃ H998 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 21

Original words

I did not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle send שָׁלַ֥חְתִּי H7971 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker these prophets הַנְּבִאִ֖ים H5030 Article | Noun - masculine plural yet they וְהֵ֣ם H1992 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural have run with their message רָ֑צוּ H7323 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural I did not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle speak דִבַּ֥רְתִּי H1696 Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular to them אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם H413 Preposition | third person masculine plural yet they וְהֵ֥ם H1992 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural have prophesied נִבָּֽאוּ׃ H5012 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Verse 22

Original words

But if וְאִֽם־ H518 Conjunction they had stood עָמְד֖וּ H5975 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural in My council בְּסוֹדִ֑י H5475 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular they would have proclaimed וְיַשְׁמִ֤עוּ H8085 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural My words דְבָרַי֙ H1697 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker to My people עַמִּ֔י H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular and turned them back וִֽישִׁבוּם֙ H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural from their evil הָרָ֔ע H7451 Article | Adjective - masculine singular ways מִדַּרְכָּ֣ם H1870 Preposition-m | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural and וּמֵרֹ֖עַ H7455 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct deeds מַֽעַלְלֵיהֶֽם׃ס H4611 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.