Jeremiah 23:18
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What's easily missed here is that the "council of the LORD" isn't just about knowing secrets, but about paying attention. The repeated emphasis on "seeing and hearing" and "listening" to God's word highlights that true prophets are those who actively receive and internalize God's message, not just claim insider knowledge.
For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is exposing the deceit of false prophets who are falsely assuring people of peace and prosperity. These prophets claim divine authority for their comforting lies, telling people that no harm will come to them even as they live in sin. This verse challenges their audacity by questioning if any of them have actually stood in God's presence to hear His true message, a privilege reserved for His genuine spokespeople.
Ever wonder if a prophet really heard from God? Jeremiah 23:18 digs into what it means to have direct access to the divine. It's not just about hearing a message, but about being present where God's plans are made.
Access Granted: The Inner Circle
Jeremiah 23:18 asks a pointed question: "For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear his word?" This imagery of God's "council" (or "assembly") isn't about a mere committee meeting. It evokes the idea of a king's private chambers, where his most trusted advisors hear his secret plans before anyone else.
What does it mean to 'stand in the council'?
This isn't about supernatural powers, but about God's sovereign choice to reveal Himself to certain individuals. True prophets didn't just guess; they were .
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The false prophets were loud, confident, and popular. But Jeremiah 23:18 exposes the hollowness of their pronouncements. Their words lacked the divine authority that comes from truly hearing God.
The Echo Chamber of Lies
The second half of Jeremiah 23:18 sharpens the critique: "...or who has paid attention to his word and listened?" This is the stark contrast to standing in God's council. The false prophets claimed to speak for God, but they hadn't genuinely engaged with His word.
Why their words were hollow:
Their confidence was a facade, masking a fundamental disconnect from God's true will and word. They were in an echo chamber of their own making, not listening to the voice of the Lord.
Understand the original words
sod · Hebrew Noun
The secret assembly or intimate gathering of God’s heavenly court where He deliberates and reveals His divine counsel to His servants.
Jeremiah's prophecy comes amidst the existential threat of Babylonian conquest and destruction, a time when false prophets offered dangerous reassurances of peace. His challenge in this verse highlights the critical need for authentic communication from God, contrasting it with the hollow claims of those who lacked true divine insight.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Deportations Begin
The Neo-Assyrian Empire begins mass deportations of conquered populations, scattering tribes and weakening resistance. This sets a precedent for later exilic experiences.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
Assyrian King Sennacherib attacks Judah, but Jerusalem is miraculously spared, though tribute is paid. This event creates a complex mix of relief and continued dependence on divine favor.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah and deports a first group of exiles, including Daniel and his companions, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and many more Judeans, including Ezekiel, to Babylon after a rebellion. This further destabilizes Jerusalem and the temple.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar utterly destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, and deports most of the remaining population to Babylon. This is the ultimate catastrophe for Judah.
c. 550 BC
Rise of Cyrus the Great
Cyrus conquers Babylon and establishes the Persian Empire, creating a new geopolitical reality.
539 BC
Cyrus Allows Return from Exile
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Judah and rebuild the Temple. This marks the end of the Babylonian exile.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's sentiment by stating that the Lord 'does nothing without revealing his secret counsel to his servants the prophets,' highlighting the exclusive access true prophets have to God's plans.
1 Kings 22:19-23This narrative shows a false prophet, Zedekiah, striking Micaiah and claiming to have received a direct word from the Lord, illustrating the arrogance and deceit of prophets who boast of divine counsel they haven't received.
John 1:18This verse speaks of the unique position of Jesus, the Son, who is in the very heart of the Father, signifying the ultimate access to God's counsel and word that is exclusive to Him.
Romans 11:34Paul quotes Isaiah, asking 'For who has understood the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?' This reflects Jeremiah's challenge, emphasizing that God's wisdom and plans are unfathomable to humans except as He reveals them.
calvinJeremiah 23:17-18: "They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you."
Dicentes dicendo iis qui me contemnunt, Loquutus est Jehova, Pax erit vobis, et omnibus qui ambulant (cunctis ambulantibus; est quidem singularis numerus, ad verbum, cuique ambulanti) in pravitate cordis sui, dicunt, Non veniet super vos malum.
For who hath stood in the couns…
cambridgeJeremiah 23:18: "For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?"
18 . who hath stood, etc .] not meaning that Jeremiah himself had not been admitted to the council of Jehovah, but, as the context sufficiently shews, that this had been denied to the false prophets. Cp. Jeremiah 23:16 . Duhm, making the whole passage (see above) to be a 2nd cent. b.c. insertion, holds the writer to be a sober-minded person of that date…
What's easily missed here is that the "council of the LORD" isn't just about knowing secrets, but about paying attention. The repeated emphasis on "seeing and hearing" and "listening" to God's word highlights that true prophets are those who actively receive and internalize God's message, not just claim insider knowledge.
Jeremiah is exposing the deceit of false prophets who are falsely assuring people of peace and prosperity. These prophets claim divine authority for their comforting lies, telling people that no harm will come to them even as they live in sin. This verse challenges their audacity by questioning if any of them have actually stood in God's presence to hear His true message, a privilege reserved for His genuine spokespeople.
Jeremiah is exposing the deceit of false prophets who are falsely assuring people of peace and prosperity. These prophets claim divine authority for their comforting lies, telling people that no harm will come to them even as they live in sin. This verse challenges their audacity by questioning if any of them have actually stood in God's presence to hear His true message, a privilege reserved for His genuine spokespeople.
"For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened?" — What's easily missed here is that the "council of the LORD" isn't just about knowing secrets, but about paying attention. The repeated emphasis on "seeing and hearing" and "listening" to God's wo…
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Last reviewed October 2026
