Jeremiah 23:14
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The most striking thing here is that God sees the prophets of Jerusalem, those claiming to speak for Him, as worse than the notorious sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah. Their sin isn't just adultery or lying; it's actively strengthening evil in others, making them utterly resistant to turning back to God, which is an even deeper depravity than open wickedness.
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)
The prophet Jeremiah is denouncing the false prophets of Jerusalem, contrasting their deep corruption with the earlier prophets of Samaria. While the Samarian prophets were foolishly leading people astray, the Jerusalem prophets are described as actively engaging in immoral acts like adultery and deceit. Their main offense is enabling and encouraging the wicked in their evil ways, preventing anyone from turning back to God, making them as utterly depraved as Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jeremiah compares the prophets of Jerusalem to those of Samaria, but says something worse was found in Jerusalem. What could be more wicked than openly worshipping Baal?
The prophets in Jerusalem weren't just foolish; they were depraved. While the prophets in Samaria openly turned to Baal, leading people astray in a more obvious way, the prophets in Jerusalem masked their sin.
The Danger of Deception
They claimed to speak for God while living in lies and promoting evil. This made their sin even more offensive to God. It's like a doctor who claims to heal but secretly poisons their patients. Their betrayal of trust, hiding wickedness behind a facade of holiness, was a "horrible thing" in God's eyes.
The text says these prophets 'strengthen the hands of evildoers.' How does false prophecy encourage sin instead of stopping it?
These prophets actively enabled wickedness. They didn't just tolerate sin; they empowered it.
The Tools of Enabling
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Their actions ensured that no one turned from their evil, hardening hearts and deepening the corruption in Jerusalem.
God compares Jerusalem's prophets and people to Sodom and Gomorrah, cities infamous for their utter depravity. What does this extreme comparison reveal?
This comparison isn't just about the types of sins committed (though adultery and lies are mentioned); it's about the extent and incorrigibility of the sin.
A Sign of Judgment
The prophets, by actively promoting sin and making repentance impossible, had brought the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah upon Jerusalem.
Understand the original words
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.
Jeremiah's sharp condemnation of Jerusalem's prophets highlights their even greater culpability compared to the earlier prophets of Samaria. While the northern prophets led people into idolatry, the Jerusalem prophets, cloaked in the guise of divine authority, actively normalized immorality and spiritual corruption, making them worse than those openly worshipping Baal.
Late 8th Century BC
Fall of Samaria and Fall of Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel, with its capital Samaria, fell to the Assyrian Empire. This marked the end of a distinct religious and political entity, leaving behind the legacy of Israelite prophets who had led the people astray.
c. 626 BC - c. 586 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Ministry in Judah
Jeremiah prophesied during a turbulent period in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, witnessing increasing corruption, idolatry, and political instability leading up to the Babylonian conquest.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Jerusalem, deporting many of the elite, including some of the royal family and skilled workers, to Babylon. This event signaled the growing threat to Judah.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population to Babylon. This was the catastrophic fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecies.
This passage directly parallels Jeremiah's condemnation of false prophets, showing how they built up walls with untempered mortar, symbolizing their deceitful teachings that offered false security and strengthened the hands of the wicked.
Isaiah 1:10This verse draws a stark comparison between the people of Jerusalem and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, highlighting their deep corruption and wickedness, just as Jeremiah describes the prophets and people of his time.
Micah 3:5Micah also denounces prophets who lead his people astray by promising peace and prosperity when there is none, strengthening the hands of those who spread lies and leading to a similar sense of judgment and corruption.
Romans 1:29-32This New Testament passage describes a society steeped in sin and wickedness, where people not only practice evil but also approve of those who do, mirroring the way the false prophets in Jeremiah strengthened evildoers and prevented repentance.
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…
pooleJeremiah 23:14: "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."
An horrible thing; the word signifies filthiness, stench, or an abominable thing, things every whit as bad, in some kind worse, than what I saw in the prophets of the ten tribes. They commit adultery; they co…
The most striking thing here is that God sees the prophets of Jerusalem, those claiming to speak for Him, as worse than the notorious sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah. Their sin isn't just adultery or lying; it's actively strengthening evil in others, making them utterly resistant to turning back to God, which is an even deeper depravity than open wickedness.
The prophet Jeremiah is denouncing the false prophets of Jerusalem, contrasting their deep corruption with the earlier prophets of Samaria. While the Samarian prophets were foolishly leading people astray, the Jerusalem prophets are described as actively engaging in immoral acts like adultery and deceit. Their main offense is enabling and encouraging the wicked in their evil ways, preventing anyone from turning back to God, making them as utterly depraved as Sodom and Gomorrah.
The prophet Jeremiah is denouncing the false prophets of Jerusalem, contrasting their deep corruption with the earlier prophets of Samaria. While the Samarian prophets were foolishly leading people astray, the Jerusalem prophets are described as actively engaging in immoral acts like adultery and deceit. Their main offense is enabling and encouraging the wicked in their evil ways, preventing anyone from turning back to God, making them as utterly depraved as Sodom and Gomorrah.
"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…" — The most striking thing here is that God sees the prophets of Jerusalem, those claiming to speak for Him, as worse than the notorious sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah. Their sin isn't just adultery…
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Last reviewed October 2026
