Breakdown of Jeremiah 23:12

"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,…" — What’s easily missed is that God isn't just predicting a fall, but that the very path these leaders are on, the one they think is leading them somewhere good, will become treacherous and dark. It…

Jeremiah 23:12 Meaning Explained

All verses

Jeremiah 23:12

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.

English Standard Version (ESV)

What’s easily missed is that God isn't just predicting a fall, but that the very path these leaders are on, the one they think is leading them somewhere good, will become treacherous and dark. It’s a double disaster: their own foolish choices combined with God actively making their chosen path unstable and impossible to navigate safely.

What Jeremiah 23:12 means

Jeremiah is denouncing the false prophets and priests who have misled the people into sin and false security. He’s just described their deceptive messages, and now he declares the inevitable consequence: their entire path, which they thought was leading them to prosperity, will become like treacherous, dark terrain where they will inevitably stumble and fall. God himself will bring about this disaster during their appointed time of reckoning.

The Deception of Sin's Path

When we're caught up in sin, it often feels like we're making progress, but Jeremiah reveals a starkly different reality. What looks like a path can quickly become a trap.

Jeremiah uses a powerful metaphor here: 'slippery paths in the darkness.' This isn't just about a difficult journey; it's about deception.

A Path That Betrays

Illusion of Progress: The false prophets and unfaithful people thought they were on a solid road, perhaps even a prosperous one. But God says their 'way'—their actions, their teachings, their lifestyle—was like ground that looks firm but offers no stability.
Hidden Danger: The 'darkness' adds another layer. It blinds them to the true nature of their path. They can't see the hidden hazards, the precipices, or the sheer slipperiness of the ground beneath them. This darkness is both literal (in some contexts of judgment) and spiritual, blinding them to God's truth and their own sin.
Inescapable Ruin: The combination of slipperiness and darkness means they are 'driven on, and fall therein.' They can't stop, they can't see, and they can't stand. Their chosen path leads directly to destruction, not because they intended to fall, but because the path itself is designed for ruin.

God's Appointed Time for Justice

God's patience can feel like an absence of action, but Jeremiah reminds us that 'the year of their visitation' is a terrifying certainty for those who defy Him.

The latter part of the verse reveals the divine hand behind the inevitable fall: 'for I will bring disaster upon them, in the year of their punishment, declares the LORD.' This isn't random misfortune; it's a sovereign act of judgment.

The Inevitable Reckoning

Divine Initiative: The Lord declares, 'I will bring disaster.' The slippery path and the darkness are not accidental. God Himself is the one who will unleash the judgment. He isn't merely allowing them to fall; He is actively bringing them to ruin.

Understand the original words

Original language

disasterרָעָה

ra'ah · Hebrew Noun

A generic term for God's judgment, calamity, or misfortune brought upon people or nations due to their sin and persistent rebellion.

punishmentפְּקֻדָּה

pequddah · Hebrew Noun

The time appointed by God for retribution or the execution of justice for persistent disobedience and covenant breaking.

Historical context

Written: During Jeremiah's prophetic ministry, primarily in the late 7th and early 6th centuries BC.
Author: Jeremiah, a prophet traditionally understood to have written this book.
Location: Likely written from Jerusalem, a central point of Jeremiah's ministry.
Genre: Prophecy with strong poetic imagery, using metaphors of slippery paths and darkness to convey judgment.

Historical background

This verse speaks directly to the impending judgment on Judah, specifically the destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent exile. The imagery of slippery paths in darkness vividly portrays the inevitable and catastrophic fall awaiting the nation due to their unfaithfulness and the deceit of false prophets, all within God's appointed 'year of punishment'.

Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Deportations
The Neo-Assyrian Empire deports large populations from the northern Kingdom of Israel, leading to the scattering of the ten tribes and significant cultural disruption. This event serves as a backdrop for understanding prophetic warnings about exile.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon deports a portion of the Judean elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile and a significant turning point for Judah.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and another large group of Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. Jerusalem's temple is desecrated.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent temple, carrying off most of the remaining population into exile. This is the catastrophic culmination of Judah's unfaithfulness.

Key themes

01God's Certain Judgment
02Deceptive Paths
03Divine Accountability

Cross-references

Psalm 35:6

This passage uses a similar imagery of slippery paths and darkness, emphasizing God's intervention to bring down the wicked, mirroring Jeremiah's vision of the false prophets' inevitable downfall.

Proverbs 4:19

This verse directly contrasts the path of the righteous with the wicked, describing the latter's way as 'slippery,' which aligns with Jeremiah's description of the false prophets' doomed course.

Isaiah 8:22

This verse speaks of distress and darkness, with people stumbling and falling due to affliction, echoing the sense of inescapable disaster and confusion that Jeremiah predicts for the false prophets.

Luke 19:44

Jesus uses the concept of 'the time of your visitation' in reference to Jerusalem's destruction, directly linking this prophetic phrase to a time of divine judgment and reckoning for those who reject God's way.

Scholarly commentary

Jeremiah 23:12: "Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD."

Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.

Propterea erit via eorum ipsis tanquam lubricitates, in caligine impinge…

calvin

Jeremiah 23:12: "Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD."

Verse 12. - Their way shall be unto them as slippery ways, etc.; rather, slippery places. The passage has a manifest affinity with Psalm 35:6 (in one of the Jeremiahizing psalms; see on Jeremiah 18:19, 20). They shall be driven on; or, as Ewald, taking over the last word of the pr…
pulpit

Frequently asked questions

What does Jeremiah 23:12 mean?

Explain the meaning of Jeremiah 23:12

What is the context of Jeremiah 23:12?

Study this verse in Sola

Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.

Open in Sola app Get the app

Ask a follow-up

Ask Sola about this verse

Ask Sola things like:

“What does "disaster" mean in the original Hebrew?”
“Why did Jeremiah, a prophet traditionally understood to have written this book. write Jeremiah 23:12?”
“How does god's certain judgment show up in Jeremiah 23:12?”

Ask in the Sola app Get the app

Live chat about Jeremiah 23:12 is available in the Sola app.

This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.

What Jeremiah 23:12 means

Original language

disasterרָעָה

ra'ah · Hebrew Noun

A generic term for God's judgment, calamity, or misfortune brought upon people or nations due to their sin and persistent rebellion.

punishmentפְּקֻדָּה

pequddah · Hebrew Noun

The time appointed by God for retribution or the execution of justice for persistent disobedience and covenant breaking.

Historical context

Written: During Jeremiah's prophetic ministry, primarily in the late 7th and early 6th centuries BC.
Author: Jeremiah, a prophet traditionally understood to have written this book.
Location: Likely written from Jerusalem, a central point of Jeremiah's ministry.
Genre: Prophecy with strong poetic imagery, using metaphors of slippery paths and darkness to convey judgment.

Historical background

Late 8th Century BC

Assyrian Deportations

The Neo-Assyrian Empire deports large populations from the northern Kingdom of Israel, leading to the scattering of the ten tribes and significant cultural disruption. This event serves as a backdrop for understanding prophetic warnings about exile.

605 BC

First Babylonian Deportation

Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon deports a portion of the Judean elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile and a significant turning point for Judah.

597 BC

Second Babylonian Deportation

Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and another large group of Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. Jerusalem's temple is desecrated.

586 BC— this verse

Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction

Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent temple, carrying off most of the remaining population into exile. This is the catastrophic culmination of Judah's unfaithfulness.