Focused Passage

Jeremiah 23:9-15

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

9 As for the prophets: My heart is broken within me, and all my bones tremble. I have become like a drunkard, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD, because of His holy words.

10 For the land is full of adulterers—because of the curse, the land mourns and the pastures of the wilderness have dried up—their course is evil and their power is misused.

11 “For both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the LORD.

12 “Therefore their path will become slick; they will be driven away into the darkness and fall into it. For I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment,” declares the LORD.

13 “Among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.

14 And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns his back on wickedness. They are all like Sodom to Me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”

15 Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says concerning the prophets: “I will feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 9

Original words

As for the prophets לַנְּבִאִ֞ים H5030 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural My heart לִבִּ֣י H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular is broken נִשְׁבַּ֧ר H7665 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular within me בְקִרְבִּ֗י H7130 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular and all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct my bones עַצְמוֹתַ֔י H6106 Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular tremble רָֽחֲפוּ֙ H7363 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural I have become הָיִ֙יתִי֙ H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular like a drunkard כְּאִ֣ישׁ H376 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular . . . שִׁכּ֔וֹר H7910 Adjective - masculine singular like a man וּכְגֶ֖בֶר H1397 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular overcome עֲבָ֣רוֹ H5674 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular by wine יָ֑יִן H3196 Noun - masculine singular because of מִפְּנֵ֣י H6440 Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular because of וּמִפְּנֵ֖י H6440 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct His holy קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃ H6944 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular words דִּבְרֵ֥י H1697 Noun - masculine plural construct
Verse 10

Original words

For כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction the land הָאָ֔רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular . . . כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction is full of מָלְאָ֣ה H4390 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular adulterers מְנָֽאֲפִים֙ H5003 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural because of מִפְּנֵ֤י H6440 Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct the curse אָלָה֙ H423 Noun - feminine singular the land הָאָ֔רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular mourns אָבְלָ֣ה H56 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular and the pastures נְא֣וֹת H4999 Noun - feminine plural construct of the wilderness מִדְבָּ֑ר H4057 Noun - masculine singular have dried up יָבְשׁ֖וּ H3001 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural their course מְרֽוּצָתָם֙ H4794 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural is וַתְּהִ֤י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular evil רָעָ֔ה H7451 Adjective - feminine singular and their power וּגְבוּרָתָ֖ם H1369 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural is misused לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle . . . כֵֽן׃ H3651 Adjective - masculine singular
Verse 11

Original words

For כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction both גַם־ H1571 Conjunction prophet נָבִ֥יא H5030 Noun - masculine singular and גַם־ H1571 Conjunction priest כֹּהֵ֖ן H3548 Noun - masculine singular are ungodly חָנֵ֑פוּ H2610 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural even גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction in My house בְּבֵיתִ֛י H1004 Preposition | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular I have found מָצָ֥אתִי H4672 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular their wickedness רָעָתָ֖ם H7451 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 12

Original words

Therefore לָכֵן֩ H3651 Adverb their path דַרְכָּ֜ם H1870 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural . . . לָהֶ֗ם Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine plural will become יִֽהְיֶ֨ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular slick כַּחֲלַקְלַקּוֹת֙ H2519 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine plural they will be driven away יִדַּ֖חוּ H1760 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural into the darkness בָּֽאֲפֵלָ֔ה H653 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular and fall וְנָ֣פְלוּ H5307 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural into it בָ֑הּ Preposition | third person feminine singular For כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction I will bring אָבִ֨יא H935 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular disaster רָעָ֛ה H7451 Adjective - feminine singular upon them עֲלֵיהֶ֥ם H5921 Preposition | third person masculine plural in the year שְׁנַ֥ת H8141 Noun - feminine singular construct of their punishment פְּקֻדָּתָ֖ם H6486 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 13

Original words

Among the prophets וּבִנְבִיאֵ֥י H5030 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct of Samaria שֹׁמְר֖וֹן H8111 Noun - proper - feminine singular I saw רָאִ֣יתִי H7200 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular an offensive thing תִפְלָ֑ה H8604 Noun - feminine singular They prophesied הִנַּבְּא֣וּ H5012 Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person common plural by Baal בַבַּ֔עַל H1168 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular and led My people עַמִּ֖י H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker Israel יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ס H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular astray וַיַּתְע֥וּ H8582 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker
Verse 14

Original words

And among the prophets וּבִנְבִאֵ֨י H5030 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct of Jerusalem יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם H3389 Noun - proper - feminine singular I have seen רָאִ֣יתִי H7200 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular a horrible thing שַׁעֲרוּרָ֗ה H8186 Adjective - feminine singular They commit adultery נָא֞וֹף H5003 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute and walk וְהָלֹ֤ךְ H1980 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute in lies בַּשֶּׁ֙קֶר֙ H8267 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular They strengthen וְחִזְּקוּ֙ H2388 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural the hands יְדֵ֣י H3027 Noun - feminine dual construct of evildoers מְרֵעִ֔ים H7489 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural so that no לְבִ֨לְתִּי־ H1115 Preposition-l one אִ֖ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular turns his back שָׁ֔בוּ H7725 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural on wickedness מֵרָֽעָת֑וֹ H7451 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular They are הָֽיוּ־ H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural all כֻלָּם֙ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural like Sodom כִּסְדֹ֔ם H5467 Preposition-k | Noun - proper - feminine singular to Me לִ֤י Preposition | first person common singular the people of Jerusalem וְיֹשְׁבֶ֖יהָ H3427 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular are like Gomorrah כַּעֲמֹרָֽה׃ס H6017 Preposition-k | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 15

Original words

Therefore לָכֵ֞ן H3651 Adverb this is what כֹּֽה־ H3541 Adverb the LORD יְהוָ֤ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָאוֹת֙ H6635 Noun - common plural says אָמַ֨ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular concerning עַל־ H5921 Preposition the prophets הַנְּבִאִ֔ים H5030 Article | Noun - masculine plural . . . הִנְנִ֨י H2005 Interjection | first person common singular I will feed מַאֲכִ֤יל H398 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular them אוֹתָם֙ H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural wormwood לַֽעֲנָ֔ה H3939 Noun - feminine singular and give them poisoned רֹ֑אשׁ H7219 Noun - masculine singular water מֵי־ H4325 Noun - masculine plural construct to drink וְהִשְׁקִתִ֖ים H8248 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural for כִּ֗י H3588 Conjunction - מֵאֵת֙ H854 Preposition-m | Direct object marker from the prophets נְבִיאֵ֣י H5030 Noun - masculine plural construct of Jerusalem יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם H3389 Noun - proper - feminine singular ungodliness חֲנֻפָּ֖ה H2613 Noun - feminine singular . . . לְכָל־ H3605 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct has spread יָצְאָ֥ה H3318 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular throughout the land הָאָֽרֶץ׃פ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular

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.