Jeremiah 23:12

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery [ways] in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, [even] the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.

Complete Jewish Bible:

"Therefore their way will be slippery for them; they will be driven into darkness and fall there. For I will bring disaster upon them, their year of punishment," says ADONAI.

Berean Standard Bible:

“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.

American Standard Version:

Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery places in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein; for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith Jehovah.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

Wherefore their way^{H1870} shall be unto them as slippery^{H2519} ways in the darkness^{H653}: they shall be driven on^{H1760}, and fall^{H5307} therein: for I will bring^{H935} evil^{H7451} upon them, even the year^{H8141} of their visitation^{H6486}, saith^{H5002} the LORD^{H3068}.

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Commentary for Jeremiah 23:12

Jeremiah 23:12 is a part of the larger passage where the prophet Jeremiah is delivering a scathing message from the Lord against the false prophets of Judah. The historical context of this verse is set during a time of great spiritual and moral decline in Judah, approximately around the late 7th century to early 6th century BCE. During this period, the people of Judah were often led astray by prophets who promised peace and prosperity while ignoring the growing threat of Babylonian conquest and the need for repentance.

In this particular verse, the Lord is pronouncing a dire consequence for the false prophets and, by extension, for the people who follow them. The imagery used is vivid and foreboding: their way—the path they have chosen by heeding false prophets—is likened to a slippery slope in the darkness. This metaphor suggests a treacherous path where one wrong step could lead to a fall, symbolizing the inevitable moral and physical ruin that awaits them. The darkness implies a spiritual blindness or ignorance that compounds their danger.

The latter part of the verse, "they shall be driven on, and fall therein," conveys an unstoppable force that will lead to their downfall. The Lord declares that He will bring "evil" upon them, using a term that can also mean "disaster" or "calamity." This is a deliberate act of judgment, referred to as "the year of their visitation," signifying a time when God will visit His judgment upon them for their sins. The use of "visit" in this context is not a pleasant visitation but one of divine reckoning.

The themes of Jeremiah 23:12 include divine judgment, the perils of false prophecy, and the consequences of spiritual waywardness. It serves as a warning to the people of Judah, and by extension to all who might ignore God's true messengers and follow those who speak what they want to hear rather than the truth. The verse underscores the importance of heeding genuine prophecy and the sobering reality that turning away from God's path leads to ruin.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H1870
   There are 627 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דֶּרֶךְ
   Transliteration: derek
   Pronunciation: deh'-rek
   Description: from דָּרַךְ; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb; along, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).
   
2. Strong's Number: H2519
   There are 4 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חֲלַקְלַקָּה
   Transliteration: chălaqlaqqâh
   Pronunciation: khal-ak-lak-kaw'
   Description: by reduplication from חָלַק; properly, something very smooth; i.e. a treacherous spot; figuratively, blandishment; flattery, slippery.
   
3. Strong's Number: H653
   There are 90 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֲפֵלָה
   Transliteration: ʼăphêlâh
   Pronunciation: af-ay-law'
   Description: feminine of אָפֵל; duskiness, figuratively, misfortune; concrete, concealment; dark, darkness, gloominess, [idiom] thick.
   
4. Strong's Number: H1760
   There are 10 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דָּחָה
   Transliteration: dâchâh
   Pronunciation: daw-khaw'
   Description: or דָּחַח; (Jeremiah 23:12), a primitive root; to push down; chase, drive away (on), overthrow, outcast, [idiom] sore, thrust, totter.
   
5. Strong's Number: H5307
   There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָפַל
   Transliteration: nâphal
   Pronunciation: naw-fal'
   Description: a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative); be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for פָּלַל), lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be ([idiom] hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, [idiom] surely, throw down.
   
6. Strong's Number: H935
   There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בּוֹא
   Transliteration: bôwʼ
   Pronunciation: bo
   Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way.
   
7. Strong's Number: H7451
   There are 623 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רַע
   Transliteration: raʻ
   Pronunciation: rah
   Description: from רָעַע; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral); adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, [phrase] not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
   
8. Strong's Number: H8141
   There are 647 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁנֶה
   Transliteration: shâneh
   Pronunciation: shaw-neh'
   Description: (in plural or (feminine) שָׁנָה; from שָׁנָה; a year (as a revolution of time); [phrase] whole age, [idiom] long, [phrase] old, year([idiom] -ly).
   
9. Strong's Number: H6486
   There are 31 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פְּקֻדָּה
   Transliteration: pᵉquddâh
   Pronunciation: pek-ood-daw'
   Description: feminine passive participle of פָּקַד; visitation (in many senses, chiefly official); account, (that have the) charge, custody, that which...laid up, numbers, office(-r), ordering, oversight, [phrase] prison, reckoning, visitation.
   
10. Strong's Number: H5002
    There are 358 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: נְאֻם
    Transliteration: nᵉʼum
    Pronunciation: neh-oom'
    Description: from נָאַם; an oracle; (hath) said, saith.
    
11. Strong's Number: H3068
    There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יְהֹוָה
    Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
    Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
    Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.