Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Jeremiah 23
Jeremiah 23:1-2"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord.
This passage opens with God's direct condemnation of Judah's leaders, using the metaphor of shepherds who harm their sheep. It establishes the core problem: those in power have failed in their duty to care for God's people.Jeremiah 23:5-6“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
Here lies the heart of the chapter's hope. God promises a future Messianic King who will perfectly embody justice and righteousness, providing the security and salvation the current leaders cannot.Jeremiah 23:28-29Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord. Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
God draws a sharp line between empty human dreams and His powerful, authentic word. He compares His word to fire that purifies and a hammer that shatters falsehood, showing its ultimate authority and effectiveness.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Kingdom on the Brink
Jeremiah 23 is set during a time of intense political and spiritual crisis in the kingdom of Judah. The nation is on the brink of collapse, threatened by the superpower of Babylon. The recent kings of Judah, the 'shepherds' mentioned here, have been weak and wicked, making disastrous political alliances and leading the people away from God. This chapter serves as God's official indictment against this failed leadership, explaining why judgment is not only coming but is also deserved.
A Crisis of Truth
Alongside the political corruption, there was a deep spiritual sickness. False prophets were rampant in Jerusalem, telling the king and the people exactly what they wanted to hear: that God would protect them and that peace was assured, regardless of their sin. Jeremiah's message of judgment and repentance was deeply unpopular, and this chapter captures his heartbreak and God's anger toward these spiritual leaders who were actively encouraging evil and offering a false sense of security.
A Prophecy of Judgment and Hope
Jeremiah 23 unfolds as a divine courtroom speech. God, through Jeremiah, first calls the nation's political leaders - the shepherds - to account for their negligence. Then, the focus shifts to the spiritual leaders - the prophets - exposing their lies and contrasting their empty words with the power of God's true message. Throughout this declaration of judgment, a powerful promise of a future, perfect King emerges as the ultimate solution.
Woe to the Bad Shepherds, Hope in the Righteous King (Jeremiah 23:1-8)
1 "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" declares the Lord.
2 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord.
3 Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply.
4 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.
5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
7 "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, 'As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,'"
8 but 'As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' Then they shall dwell in their own land."
Commentary:
God condemns Judah's corrupt kings but promises to provide a future, perfect King - the Messiah - to save His people.
Jeremiah's Anguish Over Corrupt Prophets (Jeremiah 23:9-15)
9 Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the Lord and because of his holy words.
10 For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up.
11 "Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil, declares the Lord."
12 Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness, into which they shall be driven and fall, for I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment, declares the Lord.
13 In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.
14 But in 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 from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah."
15 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets: "Behold, I will feed them with bitter food and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land."
Commentary:
Jeremiah is heartbroken by the moral depravity of Jerusalem's prophets, whom God compares to Sodom and promises to judge.
The Source of True and False Prophecy (Jeremiah 23:16-22)
16 Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.
17 They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, 'It shall be well with you'; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, 'No disaster shall come upon you.'
18 For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened?
19 Behold, the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intents of his heart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly.
21 "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied."
22 But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.
Commentary:
God warns the people not to listen to false prophets who invent messages of false hope, because a true prophet speaks from God's council and calls people to turn from evil.
God's All-Seeing Eye and All-Powerful Word (Jeremiah 23:23-32)
23 "Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away?"
24 Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.
25 I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’
26 How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart,
27 who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal?
28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord.
29 Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who steal my words from one another.
31 “Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who use their tongues and declare, ‘declares the Lord.’
32 Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the Lord, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the Lord.
Commentary:
God, who is everywhere and sees everything, declares His word is powerful like fire and a hammer, while the dreams of false prophets are worthless like straw.
The Burden of the Lord (Jeremiah 23:33-40)
33 "When one of this people, or a prophet or a priest asks you, 'What is the burden of the Lord?' you shall say to them, 'You are the burden, and I will cast you off, declares the Lord.'"
34 "And as for the prophet, priest, or one of the people who says, 'The burden of the Lord,' I will punish that man and his household."
35 Thus shall you say, each one to his neighbor and each one to his brother, ‘What has the Lord answered?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’
36 But 'the burden of the Lord' you shall mention no more, for the burden is every man's own word, and you pervert the words of the living God, the Lord of hosts, our God.
37 Thus shall you say to the prophet, 'What has the Lord answered you?' and 'What has the Lord spoken?'
38 But if you say, 'The burden of the Lord,' thus says the Lord, 'Because you have said these words, "The burden of the Lord," when I sent to you, saying, "You shall not say, 'The burden of the Lord,'"
39 therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave to you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence,
40 And I will bring upon you everlasting reproach and perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.
Commentary:
God rebukes the people for mockingly asking about the 'burden of the Lord' and declares that they themselves are the burden He will cast away.
Core Truths in a Time of Crisis
The Accountability of Leadership
Jeremiah 23 makes it clear that God holds leaders, both political and spiritual, to a high standard. They are pictured as shepherds responsible for the flock. When they exploit, neglect, or mislead the people for their own gain, God promises to intervene and bring justice.
The Messianic Hope
In the face of Judah's failed kings, God presents the ultimate solution: a future King from David's line. This 'Righteous Branch' will not be another flawed human ruler. Instead, it will embody God's perfect justice and righteousness, becoming the source of His people's salvation.
The Power and Purity of God's Word
The chapter draws a sharp distinction between human opinion and divine revelation. The words of false prophets are like worthless straw, but God's true word is like nourishing wheat, purifying fire, and a rock-shattering hammer. It is active, powerful, and accomplishes God's purposes.
The Danger of False Comfort
The false prophets were popular because they told people what they wanted to hear: 'It shall be well with you.' This chapter warns that messages of peace that ignore sin are not from God. True words from God often challenge and convict in order to lead to genuine repentance and life.
Guidance for Today from Jeremiah 23
Jeremiah 23:5-6 provides a beautiful preview of Jesus. It identifies Him as the promised righteous King from David's line who will rule with perfect justice. His name, 'The Lord is our righteousness,' reveals that Jesus is not a good teacher. He is God Himself, and our right standing with God is found only in Him.
This chapter encourages you to be discerning about the voices you listen to. Just as God contrasted His word with the lies of false prophets (Jeremiah 23:28), you should measure the teachings you hear against the truth of Scripture. Seek out leaders who humbly point you to God's word and challenge you to live rightly, rather than those who affirm what you want to hear.
In a world where leaders often disappoint and systems can be unjust, the promise of the 'Righteous Branch' offers deep security. Your hope isn't in any human leader or institution. It is in King Jesus, whose rule is perfectly just and whose care for you is unfailing (Jeremiah 23:4). This allows you to live with confidence, knowing that true justice will ultimately prevail under His reign.
God's Answer to Failed Leadership
Jeremiah 23 declares that God sees and judges leaders who harm His people. He will not tolerate shepherds who scatter the flock or prophets who speak lies for personal gain. But His judgment is not the end. It clears the way for His ultimate solution. The message is one of unwavering hope: God Himself will provide the perfect King, the righteous Branch, who will gather, protect, and rule His people in perfect justice and peace.
What This Means for Us Today
Jeremiah's prophecy is an invitation to look beyond flawed human leaders to the one perfect Shepherd, Jesus Christ. It calls us to discern truth from comforting lies and to place our ultimate trust in the King who is our righteousness. We find our security in the unshakable promise of His just and eternal reign, not in the shifting words of the world.
- Whose voices are you allowing to shape your understanding of God and the world?
- In what area of your life do you need to trust in the leadership of Jesus, the Righteous Branch, instead of your own efforts?
- How can you speak God's truth with both the compassion and the clarity that Jeremiah modeled?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter provides specific judgments against the individual kings (shepherds) of Judah, setting the stage for the general condemnation in chapter 23.
Following the critique of false leaders, this chapter uses the imagery of good and bad figs to distinguish between the remnant God will restore and those He will reject.
Connections Across Scripture
This is a powerful parallel passage where God also condemns Israel's selfish shepherds and promises to step in, seek out His lost sheep, and be their Good Shepherd.
Jesus directly fulfills the hope of Jeremiah 23 by declaring, 'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.'
This New Testament passage echoes Jeremiah's warning, cautioning that a time will come when people will reject sound doctrine and seek out teachers who tell them what they want to hear.
Discussion Questions
- Jeremiah 23 contrasts God's word with the 'visions of their own minds' from false prophets. In what ways do we see this same conflict between God's truth and popular opinion today?
- The name 'The Lord is our righteousness' (Jeremiah 23:6) was a promise for the future. How does knowing Jesus as our righteousness change how we face our personal failures and successes?
- The false prophets were popular because they told people, 'No disaster shall come upon you' (Jeremiah 23:17). Why is a message of comfort without a call to repentance so dangerous, and how can we spot it in teachings today?
Glossary
places
figures
theological concepts
Shepherds
A metaphor for kings and other leaders who were responsible for the care and guidance of God's people.
Remnant
The small group of faithful people whom God promises to preserve and restore after a period of judgment.
Righteous Branch
A messianic title for a future king from David's line who would rule with perfect justice and righteousness.
The Lord is our righteousness
The symbolic name given to the future Messianic King, indicating that He would be the source of the people's right standing with God.