Jeremiah 23:14
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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What's easily missed here is that the prophets in Jerusalem are presented as worse than those in Samaria. While the Samarian prophets erred in their worship of Baal, the Jerusalem prophets, who claimed to speak for God, were engaged in both literal immorality ("adultery") and deceit ("walk in lies"). This hypocrisy, this active strengthening of wickedness under the guise of divine authority, made them utterly detestable to God, like the notoriously wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jeremiah is contrasting the prophets of Samaria, who openly followed Baal, with the prophets in Jerusalem. While the Samarian prophets are called foolish, the Jerusalem prophets are denounced for deeper corruption. They not only engage in immoral behavior like adultery and deceit but also actively encourage wickedness in others, making them comparable to the utterly wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jeremiah contrasts the prophets of Jerusalem with those of Samaria, and the conclusion is shocking. Sometimes, those who claim to represent God are actually worse than those who don't.
The prophets in Jerusalem weren't just foolish or misguided; they were actively corrupt. While the prophets of Samaria had strayed into Baal worship, the Jerusalem prophets committed adultery and walked in lies. This is called an 'horrible thing'—a depravity that surpassed open sin. Why? Because they were supposed to be God's messengers, yet they embraced wickedness and deceived the very people they were meant to guide back to God.
What does it mean to 'strengthen the hands of evildoers'? It's more than just failing to stop sin; it's actively enabling it.
The prophets of Jerusalem didn't just tolerate evil; they actively supported it. They did this by lying, by excusing sin, and by their own wicked example. When people saw their spiritual leaders acting immorally and speaking falsely, it removed shame and fear, giving them 'confidence' to continue in their wickedness. Instead of calling people to repentance, these prophets made turning from sin seem unnecessary or even foolish.
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The ultimate judgment is described using the most infamous cities in the Bible. What does this comparison reveal about their state?
Jeremiah compares the prophets and the people of Jerusalem to Sodom and Gomorrah. This isn't just about their immorality; it's about their utter incorrigibility and the severity of God's judgment. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of their extreme wickedness and refusal to repent. By likening Jerusalem to these cities, God signifies that the corruption had reached such a point that they were beyond hope, facing inevitable and utter destruction unless they radically turned.
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 condemnation of Jerusalem's prophets is intensified by the contrast with the fallen Northern Kingdom. While the prophets of Samaria were deemed foolish for their Baal worship, the prophets in Jerusalem were seen as far worse, actively enabling deep corruption and sin by their lies and encouragement of wrongdoing.
Late 8th Century BC
Fall of Samaria and Israel
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many and scattering the population. This event marked a spiritual and political low point for the ten northern tribes.
7th Century BC
Josiah's Religious Reforms
King Josiah of Judah institutes sweeping reforms, destroying idolatrous shrines and centralizing worship in Jerusalem. This effort aimed to purify Judah's religious practices.
c. 627 BC - 586 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Ministry
Jeremiah prophesies during a tumultuous period leading up to and during the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. He warns the people and the leadership of impending judgment.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports a portion of the population, including members of the royal family and educated elite, to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a revolt, Babylon deports more Judeans, including the priest Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin, to Babylon.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population (except for a few poor farmers) to Babylon. This marks the end of the Davidic monarchy in Judah.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's denunciation of prophets who deceive God's people, specifically mentioning those who build up walls with whitewash and then claim peace where there is none, mirroring Jeremiah's critique of strengthening evildoers.
Hosea 4:1-3Hosea describes a similar societal breakdown in Israel, where lack of faithfulness and knowledge leads to widespread sin and destruction, connecting to Jeremiah's portrayal of Jerusalem's prophets and people becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah.
Matthew 23:27-28Jesus likens the religious leaders of His day to whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside but full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness, a parallel to Jeremiah's critique of outwardly religious prophets who are inwardly corrupt and deceitful.
2 Timothy 3:1-5This passage warns about people in the last days who will be lovers of self, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness but denying its power, which strongly resonates with Jeremiah's description of the Jerusalem prophets who lacked true devotion.
Jude 1:4Jude condemns certain individuals who have secretly slipped in, turning the grace of our God into licentiousness and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. This directly parallels the false prophets in Jeremiah who corrupted God's message and strengthened sinful behavior.
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…
What's easily missed here is that the prophets in Jerusalem are presented as worse than those in Samaria. While the Samarian prophets erred in their worship of Baal, the Jerusalem prophets, who claimed to speak for God, were engaged in both literal immorality ("adultery") and deceit ("walk in lies"). This hypocrisy, this active strengthening of wickedness under the guise of divine authority, made them utterly detestable to God, like the notoriously wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jeremiah is contrasting the prophets of Samaria, who openly followed Baal, with the prophets in Jerusalem. While the Samarian prophets are called foolish, the Jerusalem prophets are denounced for deeper corruption. They not only engage in immoral behavior like adultery and deceit but also actively encourage wickedness in others, making them comparable to the utterly wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jeremiah is contrasting the prophets of Samaria, who openly followed Baal, with the prophets in Jerusalem. While the Samarian prophets are called foolish, the Jerusalem prophets are denounced for deeper corruption. They not only engage in immoral behavior like adultery and deceit but also actively encourage wickedness in others, making them comparable to the utterly wicked cities of 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…" — What's easily missed here is that the prophets in Jerusalem are presented as worse than those in Samaria. While the Samarian prophets erred in their worship of Baal, the Jerusalem prophets, who cla…
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