Jeremiah 23

This chapter concludes the oracles concerning the royal house of Judah that begin in Jeremiah 21. Continuing the rebuke of Judah's kings in Jeremiah 22, it opens by condemning the "shepherds" who failed to care for the people. From verse 9 it turns to an indictment of the false prophets.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 Woe is pronounced on the shepherds who scattered the flock. God promises to gather the remnant, bring them back to their folds, and set up new shepherds over them.
• Verses 5–8 God declares that He will raise up a "righteous Branch" from David. This king will execute judgment and justice and will be called "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." The people will no longer swear by the LORD who brought Israel out of Egypt, but by the LORD who brought them out of the north country.
• Verses 9–15 The prophet laments that his heart is broken and his bones shake. He declares that both prophet and priest are profane. The prophets of Samaria prophesied by Baal, and the prophets of Jerusalem committed adultery and strengthened the hands of evildoers. They are therefore no different from Sodom and Gomorrah.
• Verses 16–22 The people are told not to listen to prophets who speak a vision of their own heart, saying, "Ye shall have peace." These prophets have never stood in the counsel of the LORD; they ran, though He did not send them.
• Verses 23–32 God fills heaven and earth. The words of prophets who appeal to their dreams are chaff, while the word of the LORD is wheat. His word is like fire and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.
• Verses 33–40 Everlasting reproach is pronounced on those who carelessly use the phrase "the burden of the LORD."

Key Verses

• Jeremiah 23:5–6 "I will raise unto David a righteous Branch," whose name shall be "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." This is a classic passage of messianic expectation.
• Jeremiah 23:24 "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" This verse is frequently cited in discussions of God's omnipresence.
• Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not my word like as a fire?" This verse is widely used to describe the power of God's word. For details, see Jeremiah 23:29.

People and Places

• The shepherds: A metaphor for the kings and leaders of Judah who ruled the people.
• Prophets and priests: Religious leaders indicted for false prophecy and wicked deeds.
• David: Mentioned as the ancestor of the royal line from which the righteous Branch will come.
• Samaria and Jerusalem: The centers of the prophets of the northern and southern kingdoms, respectively.
• Sodom and Gomorrah: Bywords for wickedness that came under judgment.
• Egypt and the north country: Egypt is the scene of the former deliverance; the north country is the starting point of the future return.

Points for Reflection

• The "Branch" of verses 5–6 is read as a messianic prophecy. Christianity understands it as referring to the coming of Jesus Christ, while Judaism reads it as referring to a future king of the Davidic line. Many commentators see the name "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" as a wordplay on the name of the reigning king Zedekiah (meaning "the LORD is my righteousness"). The same promise appears again in Jeremiah 33.
• The Hebrew word rendered "burden" in verses 33–40 is understood to mean both "burden" and "oracle" (a message given by God). The passage plays on this double meaning.
• The shepherd imagery connects with Ezekiel 34 and, in the New Testament, with John 10, which speaks of the Good Shepherd.

In the Korean Church

• Verse 29 is frequently cited in sermons emphasizing the power of the Word.
• Verses 16–32 serve as a sermon text calling believers to discern false prophecy and heresy.
• In churches that follow a lectionary (a table of Scripture readings arranged according to the church year), verses 1–6 are read on Christ the King Sunday, among other occasions.