Jeremiah 23 begins with God's condemnation of wicked pastors who scatter His flock, promising to raise a righteous Branch from David who will reign justly and save His people. The chapter then vehemently denounces false prophets and priests, whose lies and profaneness lead the people astray, declaring that God will punish them severely. Finally, God forbids the people from misusing the phrase "The burden of the LORD," warning of severe consequences for those who pervert His words.
Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who tend My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your deeds, declares the LORD.
Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands to which I have banished them, and I will return them to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and multiply.
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
So behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of Egypt.’
Instead they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought and led the descendants of the house of Israel up out of the land of the north and all the other lands to which He had banished them.’ Then they will dwell once more in their own land.”
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.
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.
“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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.’
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.
They suppose the dreams that they tell one another will make My people forget My name, just as their fathers forgot My name through the worship of Baal.
“Indeed,” declares the LORD, “I am against those who prophesy false dreams and retell them to lead My people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent them or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people,” declares the LORD.
“Now when this people or a prophet or priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the LORD?’ you are to say to them, ‘What burden? I will forsake you, declares the LORD.’
But refer no more to the burden of the LORD, for each man’s word becomes the burden, so that you pervert the words of the living God, the LORD of Hosts, our God.
But if you claim, ‘This is the burden of the LORD,’ then this is what the LORD says: Because you have said, ‘This is the burden of the LORD,’ and I specifically told you not to make this claim,
And I will bring upon you everlasting shame and perpetual humiliation that will never be forgotten.”
Study Notes for Jeremiah 23
Verse 1
The term 'pastors' (shepherds) refers to the political and spiritual leaders of Judah (kings, princes, priests) who have failed to guide and protect God’s people, leading instead to their destruction and exile.
Verse 2
The scattering of the flock refers directly to the defeat and deportation of the people of Judah by foreign powers, which God views as the direct consequence of the leaders' negligence.
Verse 3
This verse offers the first promise of restoration. God himself will gather the 'remnant' (those who survive exile) and return them to the land, ensuring they will thrive again.
Verse 5
This is a key Messianic prophecy. The 'Branch' (Hebrew: *Tzemach*) is a royal, Davidic title, promising a future king who will rule with perfect justice and restore the kingdom permanently.
Verse 6
The name 'THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS' (Yahweh Tsidkenu) links the future king directly to God’s own righteous character, guaranteeing security and justice for both Judah and Israel.
Verse 7
The future restoration (the 'New Exodus' from Babylon/exile) will be so magnificent that it will eclipse the memory of the original Exodus from Egypt, becoming the primary historical reference point for God’s saving power.
Verse 9
Jeremiah expresses profound, almost physical agony over the moral decay and false messages of the prophets, emphasizing that his distress is rooted in the holiness and revealed word of God.
Verse 11
The corruption extends to the highest levels; both prophet and priest are 'profane' (unholy). Wickedness is found even in 'my house,' referring specifically to the Temple in Jerusalem.
Verse 14
The prophets of Jerusalem are accused of both sexual immorality ('adultery') and doctrinal corruption ('walk in lies'). Their depravity is so great that God compares them to the utterly destroyed cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Verse 17
The core message of the false prophets was 'peace' (*shalom*). This message, often called 'smooth things,' was dangerous because it assured the people of safety despite their continued rebellion and sin.
Verse 18
A true prophet must have 'stood in the counsel of the LORD' (Hebrew: *sod*). This refers to the divine assembly or council where God reveals his plans, emphasizing the necessity of direct, verified revelation.
Verse 21
God stresses that the false prophets act entirely on their own initiative and desire, lacking any divine authorization, thereby demonstrating the fraudulence of their claims.
Verse 23
The rhetorical question emphasizes God's immediate presence ('at hand') but also his transcendence and power ('afar off'), refuting the idea that the false prophets can hide their lies.
Verse 24
This verse affirms God's omnipresence (He fills heaven and earth), establishing the theological foundation for his ability to judge all secret deeds and words spoken by the false prophets.
Verse 28
The rhetorical question 'What is the chaff to the wheat?' powerfully contrasts the worthlessness of human invention (dreams) with the substantial, life-giving nature of God's genuine word.
Verse 29
God's word is metaphorically described as 'fire' (purifying and consuming) and a 'hammer' (shattering and breaking resistance), emphasizing its irresistible power and efficacy.
Verse 33
The Hebrew word *massa* ('burden') was used for a solemn prophetic oracle. The people began using it sarcastically or lightly to mock Jeremiah’s warnings, treating God's weighty message as trivial.
Verse 36
By forbidding the use of 'The burden of the LORD,' God indicates that the people have so corrupted the language of prophecy that their own foolish words will now become the 'burden' that crushes them.
Verse 39
The ultimate punishment for mocking God's word is being 'utterly forget[ten].' This is a terrifying reversal of the covenant relationship, signifying complete rejection and final judgment.
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