Jeremiah 6:14

KJV

They have healed also the hurt [of the daughter] of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when [there is] no peace.

KJV (with Strong's)

They have healed {H7495} also the hurt {H7667} of the daughter {H1323} of my people {H5971} slightly {H7043}, saying {H559}, Peace {H7965}, peace {H7965}; when there is no peace {H7965}.

Complete Jewish Bible

they dress the wound of my people, but only superficially, saying, 'There is perfect shalom,' when there is no shalom.

Berean Standard Bible

They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.

American Standard Version

They have healed also the hurt of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jeremiah 6:14 delivers a scathing indictment against the false prophets and priests of Judah who offered superficial comfort and deceptive assurances of well-being to a people on the brink of divine judgment. Despite the nation's profound spiritual sickness, widespread idolatry, and social injustice, these leaders declared "Peace, peace," when, in reality, there was no true peace, only impending destruction. This verse exposes the dangerous consequences of spiritual malpractice, where deep wounds are treated with trivial remedies, preventing genuine repentance and reconciliation with God.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Jeremiah 6 stands as a pivotal chapter within the prophet's early ministry, intensifying the warnings of impending judgment first introduced in earlier chapters. It immediately follows a vivid description of Judah's deep-seated spiritual corruption and rebellion against God's law in [Jeremiah 5 - Judah's Corruption and Coming Judgment](/jeremiah/5 "Jeremiah 5 - Judah's Corruption and Coming Judgment"). The chapter graphically depicts Jerusalem as a besieged city, under threat from a northern foe (Babylon), yet the people remain unrepentant. Jeremiah 6:14 specifically targets the religious leadership, contrasting their false assurances with God's stern reality, setting the stage for the temple sermon in [Jeremiah 7 - The Temple Sermon and False Security](/jeremiah/7 "Jeremiah 7 - The Temple Sermon and False Security"), where Jeremiah directly confronts the people's misplaced confidence in the temple while living in rebellion. This verse is a direct condemnation of those who "lightly" treat the profound spiritual "hurt" of God's people, a theme reiterated throughout Jeremiah's prophetic message. The phrase "no peace" anticipates the coming devastation, highlighting the stark contrast between human delusion and divine reality.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous period in Judah, primarily under the reigns of Kings Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah (late 7th to early 6th century BC). This era was marked by political instability, the decline of Assyrian power, and the rising threat of Babylon. Spiritually, despite Josiah's reforms, idolatry and syncretism remained deeply entrenched, particularly after his death. The people, including many of their religious leaders, had adopted a superficial religiosity, believing that their covenant relationship with God or the presence of the Temple in Jerusalem guaranteed their safety, regardless of their moral and spiritual state. False prophets were prevalent, often prophesying "peace" and prosperity to gain popular favor, directly contradicting the true prophets like Jeremiah, who called for repentance and warned of judgment. This cultural milieu fostered a dangerous complacency, making the message of Jeremiah 6:14 particularly poignant as it exposed the self-deception and the leaders' complicity in it, leading the nation further down a path of destruction.
* **Key Themes:** Jeremiah 6:14 encapsulates several critical themes woven throughout the book of Jeremiah. Firstly, it highlights the theme of **False Security and Deception**, where the people are lulled into a dangerous complacency by misleading assurances of peace, preventing them from acknowledging their true spiritual peril. This contrasts sharply with God's repeated warnings of impending judgment, as seen in [Jeremiah 4:6 - A Warning of Disaster from the North](/jeremiah/4-6 "A Warning of Disaster from the North"). Secondly, the verse addresses **Superficial Healing**, emphasizing that the nation's deep spiritual wounds require radical repentance and transformation, not mere palliative words. The leaders' "slight" healing is a metaphor for their failure to address the root cause of sin, a theme echoed in [Jeremiah 8:11 - The False Prophets' Deception](/jeremiah/8-11 "The False Prophets' Deception"). Thirdly, it underscores the **Prophetic Responsibility** to speak God's unvarnished truth, even when it is unpopular or challenging, rather than offering comforting lies. Jeremiah's own ministry is a testament to this difficult calling, often facing persecution for his unpopular message (e.g., [Jeremiah 20:1-2 - Pashhur Persecutes Jeremiah](/jeremiah/20-1-2 "Pashhur Persecutes Jeremiah")). Finally, the verse points to the inevitability of **Divine Judgment** when warnings are unheeded and repentance is neglected, leading to the fulfillment of prophecies concerning the Babylonian exile, as described in [Jeremiah 25:8-11 - Seventy Years of Babylonian Captivity](/jeremiah/25-8-11 "Seventy Years of Babylonian Captivity").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Healed (Hebrew, _râphâʼ'_):** From H7495, this primitive root properly means "to mend (by stitching)" or figuratively "to cure." In this context, it refers to the attempt by the false prophets to "cure" or "mend" the people's spiritual condition. The irony is that their "healing" is superficial, failing to truly address the deep-seated spiritual sickness.
* **Hurt (Hebrew, _sheber'_):** From H7667, this word denotes "a fracture," "ruin," "breach," or "destruction." It vividly describes the profound spiritual and moral damage inflicted upon God's people due to their sin and rebellion. It is not a minor ailment but a deep, structural brokenness that requires comprehensive restoration.
* **Slightly (Hebrew, _qâlal'_):** From H7043, this root means "to be (causatively, make) light," literally or figuratively. In this context, it signifies that the healing offered was "lightly" done, or "trifling," "vile," and "easy." It emphasizes the superficial, inadequate, and dismissive nature of the false prophets' approach to a grave spiritual crisis, minimizing the severity of the people's condition.
* **Peace (Hebrew, _shâlôwm'_):** From H7965, this comprehensive term means "safe," "well," "happy," "friendly," and abstractly, "welfare," "health," "prosperity," and "peace." The repetition "Peace, peace" highlights the insistent, yet hollow, proclamation of a state of wholeness that simply did not exist. The false prophets promised *shalom* in its fullest sense, while the people were experiencing the opposite: spiritual brokenness and impending judgment.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly,"**: This clause identifies the perpetrators ("they," referring to the false prophets and priests) and their action: attempting to "heal" the profound "hurt" or brokenness of God's people. The crucial adverb "slightly" (or "superficially," "lightly") reveals the inadequacy and deception of their methods. They offered easy remedies, comforting words, and assurances of safety without demanding genuine repentance or addressing the root cause of the nation's spiritual disease. This "healing" was not restorative but merely a cover-up, preventing the necessary confrontation with sin and delaying the urgent need for divine intervention and genuine transformation.
* **"saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace."**: This second clause reveals the specific content of their deceptive "healing": the repeated proclamation of "Peace, peace." The repetition emphasizes the insistent, perhaps even hypnotic, nature of their false message, designed to lull the people into a false sense of security. The Hebrew word *shalom* (peace) encompasses wholeness, well-being, and prosperity, but the reality was a stark contradiction. Despite their declarations, God's judgment was imminent, the people were spiritually estranged, and true *shalom* was utterly absent. This highlights the profound irony and the dangerous delusion fostered by these leaders, leading the people further away from God's truth and into greater peril.

#### Literary Devices
Jeremiah 6:14 powerfully employs several literary devices to convey its urgent message. The most prominent is **Repetition**, specifically the emphatic "Peace, peace." This repetition is not merely for emphasis but serves to highlight the insistent, yet ultimately hollow, nature of the false prophets' pronouncements. It underscores their deceptive rhetoric, which sought to drown out the true prophetic warnings with a soothing, but false, mantra. Another significant device is **Irony**. The very act of "healing" the "hurt" is ironic because the healing is "slight" and ineffective, leading to a state of "no peace." Those who should be spiritual physicians are instead exacerbating the illness by offering superficial remedies that prevent genuine recovery. Furthermore, the verse uses **Metaphor**, comparing the spiritual brokenness of the people to a physical "hurt" or "fracture" that requires mending. The "healing" then becomes a metaphor for spiritual restoration, which the false prophets utterly fail to provide, opting instead for a mere patch-up job that leaves the underlying wound festering and ultimately leads to greater destruction.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 6:14 serves as a profound theological statement on the nature of sin, divine judgment, and the necessity of truth. It reveals that true peace (*shalom*) is not merely the absence of conflict but a holistic state of well-being rooted in a right relationship with God. When this relationship is fractured by sin, no amount of human assurance or superficial religious activity can restore genuine peace. The false prophets' declaration of "Peace, peace" was a direct affront to God's holiness and justice, implying that the people's sin was not serious enough to warrant judgment or that God would overlook their rebellion. This verse underscores the biblical principle that genuine reconciliation with God requires acknowledging the depth of one's "hurt" (sin), leading to repentance, rather than embracing comforting lies. It warns against any message that minimizes sin or offers an easy path to spiritual health without genuine transformation.

* [Ezekiel 13:10](/ezekiel/13-10 "Ezekiel 13:10 - False Prophets Building a Flimsy Wall") - Echoes Jeremiah's condemnation of false prophets who "daub with untempered mortar," proclaiming peace when there is no peace, leading the people astray by building a flimsy wall of deception.
* [Romans 3:10-18](/romans/3-10-18 "Romans 3:10-18 - Humanity's Universal Sinfulness") - Describes the universal "hurt" of humanity, emphasizing that "there is none who understands; there is none who seeks for God. All have turned aside..." highlighting the deep spiritual sickness that only God can truly heal through His righteousness.
* [1 Thessalonians 5:3](/1_thessalonians/5-3 "1 Thessalonians 5:3 - Sudden Destruction for Those Who Say 'Peace and Safety'") - Warns of sudden destruction coming upon those who are saying, "Peace and safety!" when they are living in spiritual darkness, demonstrating a New Testament parallel to the false sense of security condemned in Jeremiah.

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 6:14 remains powerfully relevant for believers today, serving as a timeless warning against spiritual complacency and the dangers of superficiality in faith. In a world that often seeks quick fixes and comforting narratives, this verse calls us to a deeper discernment, urging us to critically evaluate the messages we receive, especially those concerning spiritual well-being. True spiritual health is not achieved by ignoring sin or by embracing platitudes, but by confronting our "hurt" honestly before God, allowing His Word to expose our true condition. This requires genuine repentance, a turning away from sin, and a turning towards God's transformative grace. We are called to cultivate a faith that is rooted in truth, even when that truth is challenging or uncomfortable, rather than settling for a false peace that ultimately leads to spiritual ruin. For leaders, it is a sober reminder of the immense responsibility to speak the full counsel of God, prioritizing biblical truth over popularity or the desire to appease, for the sake of the spiritual health of those they serve.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life might I be tempted to seek "peace" superficially, rather than addressing deeper spiritual "hurts" with genuine repentance?**
* **How can I cultivate greater discernment to recognize messages that offer a "slight" healing or a false sense of security, both from external sources and within my own heart?**
* **What does true biblical *shalom* look like in my life, and what steps can I take to pursue it authentically, grounded in my relationship with God and His truth?**
* **If I am a spiritual leader, how does this verse challenge me to speak God's truth boldly, even when it is unpopular, and to avoid offering "slight" healing to those I serve?**

### FAQ

**Who are "they" who have healed the hurt of God's people slightly?**

Answer: In the context of Jeremiah's prophecy, "they" primarily refers to the false prophets and corrupt priests of Judah. These individuals, who should have been guiding the people in truth and righteousness, instead offered deceptive assurances of peace and security. They contradicted God's true prophets, like Jeremiah, who warned of impending judgment due to the nation's widespread idolatry, moral corruption, and social injustice. Their message was designed to soothe and comfort, preventing the people from acknowledging their true spiritual state and the need for genuine repentance (see [Jeremiah 5:30-31 - Prophets Prophesy Falsely](/jeremiah/5-30-31 "Prophets Prophesy Falsely")).

**What does "peace, peace; when there is no peace" mean?**

Answer: The repetition of "peace, peace" (Hebrew: *shalom, shalom*) emphasizes the insistent and pervasive nature of the false message being proclaimed. *Shalom* is a rich biblical concept encompassing wholeness, well-being, prosperity, health, and security, not merely the absence of conflict. The phrase means that despite these confident declarations of comprehensive well-being, the reality was starkly different. The nation was spiritually broken, morally corrupt, and facing imminent divine judgment and invasion from Babylon. The false prophets were promising a state of *shalom* that God Himself was withholding due to the people's unrepentant sin, thus creating a dangerous illusion that prevented them from seeking true reconciliation with God (compare with [Jeremiah 8:11-12 - The Falsehood of the Prophets](/jeremiah/8-11-12 "The Falsehood of the Prophets")).

**How does Jeremiah 6:14 apply to believers today?**

Answer: Jeremiah 6:14 serves as a timeless warning against spiritual superficiality and the dangers of embracing comforting lies over uncomfortable truths. For believers today, it calls for discernment in evaluating spiritual messages and leaders, ensuring that counsel is rooted in God's unchanging Word rather than popular sentiment or easy answers. It reminds us that true peace and spiritual healing come only through genuine repentance, confronting our sin honestly, and seeking God's transformative grace, rather than patching over deep issues with superficial remedies. It underscores the importance of a faith that is deep, authentic, and willing to face difficult truths for the sake of true spiritual health and a right relationship with God (see [2 Timothy 4:3-4 - People Will Gather Teachers to Suit Their Own Desires](/2_timothy/4-3-4 "People Will Gather Teachers to Suit Their Own Desires")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 6:14, with its stark portrayal of superficial healing and false peace, finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "hurt" of God's people, which the false prophets could only treat "slightly" with empty words, is the deep, pervasive wound of sin that afflicts all humanity. While the prophets of Jeremiah's day offered a hollow *shalom*, Jesus Christ is revealed as the true [Prince of Peace](/isaiah/9-6 "Isaiah 9:6 - Jesus, the Prince of Peace"), the one who genuinely brings *shalom* to a broken world. His advent was heralded as the one who would guide our feet into the [way of peace](/luke/1-79 "Luke 1:79 - The Way of Peace"). Unlike the superficial remedies of the false prophets, Jesus' healing is profound and complete, addressing the root cause of humanity's alienation from God through His atoning sacrifice on the cross. He did not say "Peace, peace" when there was no peace; rather, He secured true peace through His shed blood, reconciling humanity to God (see [Colossians 1:20 - Reconciliation Through Christ](/colossians/1-20 "Colossians 1:20 - Reconciliation Through Christ")). The peace He offers is not merely the absence of conflict but a profound spiritual wholeness, a peace that [surpasses all understanding](/philippians/4-7 "Philippians 4:7 - The Peace of God"). Through faith in Him, the "hurt" of sin is not merely patched up but truly healed, leading to a new covenant relationship where believers experience genuine reconciliation and an enduring peace that the world cannot give or take away (compare [John 14:27 - Jesus' Gift of Peace](/john/14-27 "Jesus' Gift of Peace")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Ezekiel 13:10

¶ Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and [there was] no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered [morter]:

Jeremiah 23:17

They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.

Jeremiah 4:10

Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.

Lamentations 2:14

Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

Jeremiah 14:13

Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.

2 Peter 2:18

For when they speak great swelling [words] of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, [through much] wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

2 Peter 2:19

While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.