Jeremiah 23:13-14
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Jeremiah uses a word that literally means "insipid" or "unsavory" for the prophets of Samaria, highlighting that their prophecy by Baal wasn't just wrong, but also utterly lacking any divine substance, making their deception even more pointless and hollow. This choice of "folly" rather than a stronger condemnation is deliberate, setting the stage to contrast them with the prophets in Jerusalem who were guilty of even more grievous sins.
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)
Jeremiah is exposing the corrupted religious leaders, first looking at the prophets in the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria). These prophets engaged in idolatry by practicing divination through Baal and led the people into straying from God's true worship. This serves as a stark contrast to the prophets in Judah (Jerusalem), whose sins, the text will soon reveal, are even more grievous.
Jeremiah uses a striking word to describe the sin of Samaria's prophets. What makes their prophecy 'unsavory'?
Jeremiah calls the prophecy of Samaria's prophets 'unsavory' or 'foolish.' This isn't just a mild rebuke; it points to a fundamental absurdity. They were claiming to speak for God while invoking Baal, a pagan deity.
The Core Absurdity
Jeremiah contrasts the prophets of Samaria with those in Jerusalem. What made the latter group's sin 'horrible'?
While the prophets in Samaria were characterized by 'folly' for worshipping Baal, Jeremiah sees something far worse in the prophets of Jerusalem. They weren't just mistaken; they were actively corrupting religion and people.
The Escalation of Sin
Ask a follow-up
Both groups of prophets led God's people astray. What was the devastating impact of their false messages?
The ultimate tragedy of these false prophets, whether in Samaria or Jerusalem, was their effect on God's chosen people. They didn't just mislead individuals; they led an entire nation away from its covenant relationship with God.
The Consequences of 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.
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.
This verse highlights a contrast between the spiritual failures of the long-gone northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and the contemporary prophets in Judah (Jerusalem). The prophets of Samaria are condemned for serving Baal and leading people astray, but Jeremiah sees the prophets in Jerusalem as even worse because they corrupted God's true message while indulging in immorality and strengthening the hands of evildoers.
c. 931 BC
Kingdom Divides
Following the death of King Solomon, 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 fuels religious and political rivalry.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, destroying its capital Samaria and deporting many of its people. This event marks the end of the northern kingdom as a distinct entity.
During Jeremiah's Ministry (c. 627-586 BC)— this verse
False Prophets in Samaria and Jerusalem
Jeremiah prophesies during a period of intense spiritual decline. The northern kingdom is gone, but its legacy of idolatry and false prophecy continues to be a cautionary tale. Meanwhile, false prophets in Jerusalem claim divine authority while leading the people astray with lies and encouraging wickedness.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling a significant portion of the population. This catastrophic event serves as judgment for the disobedience and corruption, including the false prophecy, that plagued Judah.
This passage shows Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal, directly linking the worship of Baal with false prophecy that led Israel astray, just as Jeremiah describes.
Ezekiel 13:6This verse directly condemns prophets who 'see falsehood and divinations,' similar to Jeremiah's accusation of the prophets prophesying by Baal, highlighting the common theme of deceitful spiritual leadership.
Deuteronomy 18:20This passage warns against any prophet who presumes to speak in God's name what He has not commanded, providing the theological framework for why prophesying by Baal was such a grievous error.
Jeremiah 23:16This verse continues Jeremiah's indictment, showing how the false prophets spoke visions 'of their own imagination' and encouraged people to follow the 'stubbornness of their own hearts,' reinforcing the theme of leading people astray.
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 uses a word that literally means "insipid" or "unsavory" for the prophets of Samaria, highlighting that their prophecy by Baal wasn't just wrong, but also utterly lacking any divine substance, making their deception even more pointless and hollow. This choice of "folly" rather than a stronger condemnation is deliberate, setting the stage to contrast them with the prophets in Jerusalem who were guilty of even more grievous sins.
Jeremiah is exposing the corrupted religious leaders, first looking at the prophets in the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria). These prophets engaged in idolatry by practicing divination through Baal and led the people into straying from God's true worship. This serves as a stark contrast to the prophets in Judah (Jerusalem), whose sins, the text will soon reveal, are even more grievous.
Jeremiah is exposing the corrupted religious leaders, first looking at the prophets in the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria). These prophets engaged in idolatry by practicing divination through Baal and led the people into straying from God's true worship. This serves as a stark contrast to the prophets in Judah (Jerusalem), whose sins, the text will soon reveal, are even more grievous.
"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 uses a word that literally means "insipid" or "unsavory" for the prophets of Samaria, highlighting that their prophecy by Baal wasn't just wrong, but also utterly lacking any divine substanc…
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Last reviewed October 2026
