And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them:
And they came in {H935}, and possessed {H3423} it; but they obeyed {H8085} not thy voice {H6963}, neither walked {H1980} in thy law {H8451}; they have done {H6213} nothing of all that thou commandedst {H6680} them to do {H6213}: therefore thou hast caused all this evil {H7451} to come {H7122} upon them:
They entered and took possession of it; but they did not pay attention to your voice, did not live according to your Torah, and did nothing of all you ordered them to do. Therefore you made this complete disaster befall them -
They came in and possessed it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law. They failed to perform all that You commanded them to do, and so You have brought upon them all this disaster.
and they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them.
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Ezra 9:7
Since the days of our fathers [have] we [been] in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, [and] our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as [it is] this day. -
Psalms 78:54
And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, [even to] this mountain, [which] his right hand had purchased. -
Psalms 78:55
He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. -
Daniel 9:10
Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. -
Daniel 9:14
Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God [is] righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. -
Lamentations 1:18
The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. -
Psalms 44:2
[How] thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; [how] thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
Commentary on Jeremiah 32:23 (KJV)
Jeremiah 32:23 is a poignant lament within the prophet Jeremiah's prayer to God, offered while he was imprisoned during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. This verse encapsulates the tragic history of Israel's disobedience after receiving God's gracious gift of the Promised Land.
Context
This verse is part of a longer prayer (Jeremiah 32:17-25) offered by Jeremiah after he obediently purchased a field in Anathoth, an act commanded by God as a sign of future restoration, even as immediate destruction loomed. In his prayer, Jeremiah recounts God's mighty acts and faithfulness in bringing Israel into the land of Canaan, fulfilling His promise to their fathers. However, he swiftly transitions to the nation's consistent failure to uphold their end of the covenant. Verse 23 specifically highlights the core issue: despite possessing the land, they failed to obey God's voice and walk in His law, leading directly to the "evil" (calamity or judgment) they were experiencing.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The Hebrew word for "evil" here is ra' (רָע), which can mean moral evil, but in this context, it refers to calamity, disaster, or punishment. It's crucial to understand that God "caused all this evil" not as a perpetrator of moral wickedness, but as a righteous judge executing just punishment for sustained rebellion and breaking of His covenant. This concept is vital for understanding God's actions in judgment throughout the Bible.
Related Scriptures
The initial act of possessing the land is detailed in books like Joshua 21:43. The foundational commands and warnings against disobedience are found in the Pentateuch, particularly in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. The spiritual truth that the "wages of sin is death" (or separation/calamity) is echoed in the New Testament, as seen in Romans 6:23.
Practical Application
Jeremiah 32:23 serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of obedience to God's word in our own lives. Just as Israel faced consequences for their consistent rebellion, our choices have spiritual ramifications. This verse encourages introspection: are we truly walking in God's law and obeying His voice, or are we, like ancient Israel, neglecting His commands? It highlights that God is just and that His warnings are not idle threats but expressions of His righteous character. While the Old Covenant had specific terms, the New Covenant also calls for a life of faith and obedience, empowered by the Holy Spirit, leading to blessing and spiritual flourishing rather than the "evil" of separation from God.