Deep Dive

Jeremiah 29:23

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For they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking lies in My name, which I did not command them to do. I am He who knows, and I am a witness, declares the LORD.”

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 23

The contest between Jeremiah and the false prophets was carried on before by preaching, here by writing; there we had sermon against sermon, here we have letter against letter, for some of the false prophets are now carried away into captivity in Babylon, while Jeremiah remains in his own country. Now here is, I. A letter which Jeremiah wrote to the captives in Babylon, against their prophets that they had there (Jer 29:1-3), in which letter, 1. He endeavours to reconcile them to their captivity, to be easy under it and to make the best of it (Jer 29:4-7). 2. He cautions them not to give any credit to their false prophets, who fed them with hopes of a speedy release (Jer 29:8, Jer 29:9). 3. He assures them that God would restore them in mercy to their own land again, at the end of 70 years (Jer 29:10-14). 4. He foretels the destruction of those who yet continued, and that they should be persecuted with one judgment after another, and sent at last into captivity (Jer 29:15-19). 5. He prophesies the destruction of two of their false prophets that they had in Babylon, that both soothed them up in their sins and set them bad examples (Jer 29:20-23), and this is the purport of Jeremiah's letter. II. Here is a letter which Shemaiah, a false prophet in Babylon, wrote to the priests at Jerusalem, to stir them up to persecute Jeremiah (Jer 29:24-29), and a denunciation of God's wrath against him for writing such a letter (Jer 29:30-32). Such struggles as these have there always been between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 23

עָשָׂה (ʻâsâh, H6213) — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application נְבָלָה (nᵉbâlâh, H5039) — foolishness, i.e. (morally) wickedness; concretely, a crime; by extension, punishment יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisrâʼêl, H3478) — Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity נָאַף (nâʼaph, H5003) — to commit adultery; figuratively, to apostatize רֵעַ (rêaʻ, H7453) — an associate (more or less close) אִשָּׁה (ʼishshâh, H802) — a woman דָבַר (dâbar, H1696) — perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a… שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, H8267) — an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial) דָּבָר (dâbâr, H1697) — a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause שֵׁם (shêm, H8034) — an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority,… צָוָה (tsâvâh, H6680) — (intensively) to constitute, enjoin יָדַע (yâdaʻ, H3045) — to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses,… עֵד (ʻêd, H5707) — concretely, a witness; abstractly, testimony; specifically, a recorder, i.e. prince נְאֻם (nᵉʼum, H5002) — an oracle

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Cross-references

Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.

Jeremiah 23:14rank 5

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.”

Hebrews 4:13rank 5

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Malachi 3:5rank 5

“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Proverbs 5:21rank 3

For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.

Jeremiah 29:21rank 3

This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you lies in My name: “I will deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.

Jeremiah 16:17rank 3

For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes.

Zephaniah 3:4rank 2

Her prophets are reckless, faithless men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to the law.

Malachi 2:14rank 2

Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.

Jeremiah 13:27rank 2

Your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution on the hills and in the fields— I have seen your detestable acts. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”

Jeremiah 23:21rank 2

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

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