Jeremiah 23:13-14
In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. 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.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jeremiah doesn't just say the prophets of Samaria were wrong; he calls their prophesying by Baal an "unsavory thing." This isn't just about being mistaken; it points to something fundamentally rotten and lacking the "salt" of true divine wisdom, an absurdity that led God's people astray.
Jeremiah is exposing the spiritual rot within Israel, starting with the northern kingdom. He contrasts the "folly" of Samaria's prophets, who openly served Baal and led people astray, with the even "horrible" corruption found in Jerusalem's prophets, who, while perhaps claiming to speak for God, were deeply immoral and actively encouraged wickedness. This sets the stage for God's judgment on all the false prophets who have misled His people.
Jeremiah calls out the prophets of Samaria for something described as 'unsavory.' What makes their message so offensive to God?
The word used here for 'unsavory' literally means 'insipid' or 'tasteless,' like food without salt. It describes something that lacks substance and flavor, something weak and unappealing.
A Lack of Divine Substance
For these prophets, their message was 'unsavory' because it lacked the salt of God's truth. Instead of speaking God's word, they spoke 'by Baal.' Baal was a Canaanite god associated with storms, fertility, and often with licentious practices. To prophesy by Baal meant to claim divine authority from a false god, abandoning the true God of Israel.
Leading God's People Wrong
This 'unsavory' prophecy wasn't just empty words; it had devastating consequences. They 'led my people Israel astray.' Their false messages corrupted worship, promoted sin, and turned the people away from the true God. This is why their prophecy was not just foolish, but deeply offensive and destructive – it lacked the life-giving truth of God and instead led His people into spiritual death.
The verse says they prophesied 'by Baal.' What's the subtle but crucial difference between prophesying by an idol and prophesying for it?
The preposition 'by' here is key. It doesn't just mean they were advocates for Baal, but that Baal was the very source or instrument of their prophecy.
Claiming False Authority
These prophets weren't simply promoting Baal's worship; they were claiming to receive messages from Baal. They were acting as conduits for a false divine power. This was an act of utter rebellion against the one true God, who had exclusively commissioned His prophets.
The Ultimate Deception
Understand the original words
Ba'al · Hebrew Proper Noun
A Canaanite storm and fertility god. Worshipping Baal represents idolatry, the rejection of YHWH, and the abandonment of the covenant.
ta'ah · Hebrew Verb
To cause someone to wander away from the truth or the right path. In a biblical context, it implies leading others into idolatry or away from obedience to God.
na'aph · Hebrew Verb
Faithfulness to the covenant was symbolized by marriage; adultery represents spiritual unfaithfulness, idolatry, and breaking one's exclusive commitment to God.
sheqer · Hebrew Noun
Deceit, falsehood, or spoken untruth. It is antithetical to the character of God, who is Truth, and is a hallmark of those who reject His word.
This verse highlights the stark contrast between the overt idolatry of the Northern Kingdom's prophets (who directly served Baal) and the insidious deception of Judah's prophets, who cloaked their sin in the name of Yahweh. The fall of Samaria decades prior serves as a warning that Jeremiah sadly sees ignored by Jerusalem's false prophets.
c. 931 BC
Kingdom Divides
Following King Solomon's death, the united kingdom of Israel splits into two: the northern Kingdom of Israel (capital Samaria) and the southern Kingdom of Judah (capital Jerusalem). This division sets the stage for distinct religious and political paths.
c. 875-853 BC
Reign of Ahab and Jezebel
King Ahab and his Phoenician wife Jezebel promote the worship of Baal in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, leading to intense conflict with prophets of Yahweh, like Elijah.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel and deports its population, effectively ending its existence as a separate political and religious entity.
c. 627 BC— this verse
Jeremiah Begins Prophesying
Jeremiah receives his call to prophesy, serving primarily the Southern Kingdom of Judah during its final decades before Babylonian exile. He witnesses and condemns widespread religious corruption and false prophecy.
This passage shows Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal directly, highlighting the stark contrast between true prophecy and the false pronouncements made in the name of Baal, which Jeremiah condemns in Samaria.
Jeremiah 14:14Similar to Jeremiah 23:13, this verse directly states that the prophets were prophesying lies in God's name, leading the people astray, echoing the core problem of false prophecy and its devastating effect.
Ezekiel 13:6This verse describes prophets seeing false visions and uttering false divinations, directly correlating with the 'prophesied by Baal' and 'led astray' themes, showing a consistent pattern of prophetic deception.
2 Peter 2:1-3This New Testament passage warns about false teachers who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, mirroring how the prophets of Samaria and Jerusalem led people astray with their deceptive messages.
calvinJeremiah 23:13-14: "And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err."
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
Et in prophetis Jerusalem vidi pravitatem, adulterando et ambulando in fallacia; et r…
pulpitJeremiah 23:13: "And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err."
Verses 13, 14. - The prophets of Samaria were no doubt guilty enough, but their offences dwindled by the side of the "horrible" transgressions of those of the southern kingdom. The prophet apparently means, not only that the former, having fewer spiritual advantages, were less responsible than the latter, but also that they had not violated the moral code so conspicuo…
Jeremiah doesn't just say the prophets of Samaria were wrong; he calls their prophesying by Baal an "unsavory thing." This isn't just about being mistaken; it points to something fundamentally rotten and lacking the "salt" of true divine wisdom, an absurdity that led God's people astray.
Jeremiah is exposing the spiritual rot within Israel, starting with the northern kingdom. He contrasts the "folly" of Samaria's prophets, who openly served Baal and led people astray, with the even "horrible" corruption found in Jerusalem's prophets, who, while perhaps claiming to speak for God, were deeply immoral and actively encouraged wickedness. This sets the stage for God's judgment on all the false prophets who have misled His people.
Jeremiah is exposing the spiritual rot within Israel, starting with the northern kingdom. He contrasts the "folly" of Samaria's prophets, who openly served Baal and led people astray, with the even "horrible" corruption found in Jerusalem's prophets, who, while perhaps claiming to speak for God, were deeply immoral and actively encouraged wickedness. This sets the stage for God's judgment on all the false prophets who have misled His people.
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By claiming Baal as their source, they weren't just mistaken; they were actively deceiving Israel. They presented their messages as divine revelation, giving them an air of authority they didn't possess. This insidious practice corrupted the very concept of prophecy, turning it from a divine gift meant to guide and correct into a tool for spiritual manipulation and idolatry.
Sedom / 'Amorah · Hebrew Proper Noun
Biblical cities destroyed by God for their extreme wickedness and sexual immorality. They function as the archetypal symbols of divine judgment against unrepentant, pervasive sin.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population of Judah. This event marks a catastrophic end to the Southern Kingdom.
"In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in li…" — Jeremiah doesn't just say the prophets of Samaria were wrong; he calls their prophesying by Baal an "unsavory thing." This isn't just about being mistaken; it points to something fundamentally rotten…
