Jeremiah 23:22
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The verse highlights that true prophets, unlike the false ones, wouldn't just speak about God; they would have first been in God's inner circle, then would have faithfully relayed His message. Their ultimate goal would have been to lead people away from sin, showing that genuine spiritual guidance always aims at transformation, not mere pronouncements.
But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is exposing the deceit of the false prophets who claim to speak for God but are leading the people astray with their own inventions. God declares that if these false prophets had truly been privy to His divine plans and understood His true message, they would have faithfully relayed His words. The result of hearing God’s true counsel, as opposed to the false prophets’ lies, would have been the people turning from their sinful ways.
What does it mean to 'stand in God's counsel'? It’s more than just knowing a lot; it’s about divine partnership and privileged access to God’s heart.
Jeremiah declares that if false prophets had 'stood in my council,' they would have proclaimed God's words. This 'council' refers to being privy to God’s intimate plans and truth.
Divine Access
True prophets aren't just messengers; they are trusted insiders. They have heard directly from God, understanding His heart and His will. This isn't about possessing secret knowledge but about being in relationship with the One who holds all wisdom.
The Source of Truth
When someone truly stands in God's counsel, their message naturally flows from His revealed word. They aren't improvising or sharing personal opinions. Their teaching is a faithful echo of what God has already declared, particularly through His Law and established prophetic messages.
How can we distinguish a true prophet from a false one? Jeremiah gives us a powerful test: the impact of their message on people’s lives.
The verse states that those who truly stand in God's counsel would have caused His people 'to turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.' This highlights the practical, life-changing outcome of authentic prophetic ministry.
Turning from Evil
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God's word, when faithfully proclaimed, has transformative power. It doesn't merely inform; it confronts sin and calls for repentance. The core mission of a prophet is to guide people away from destructive paths and harmful actions back to righteousness.
The Measure of Ministry
This outcome – people turning from sin – is presented as a key indicator of a prophet's divine authority. If the message leads to complacency in sin, encourages wickedness, or offers only smooth words, it fails this crucial test. True teaching bears the fruit of repentance and a changed life, even if not everyone initially heeds it.
Understand the original words
sôd · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the heavenly court or divine assembly where God deliberates and reveals His purposes to His servants. To 'stand' in this council implies intimacy, access, and authorized representation of God's will.
rāʿâ · Hebrew Noun
A moral deviation or departure from God's standards; an act or character state that is harmful, wicked, and contrary to the will of God. It often encompasses both the internal disposition and the external manifestations of human rebellion.
This verse was spoken during a time when Judah was teetering on the brink of destruction. The false prophets Jeremiah confronts were reassuring the people that God's judgment would not come, despite their widespread sin. Jeremiah, however, contrasts their empty words with the true prophetic ministry, which would have guided the people back to God's commands and away from their destructive path.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens. This event serves as a stark warning to the southern Kingdom of Judah about the consequences of unfaithfulness to God.
701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
The Assyrian army under Sennacherib besieges Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. While the city is spared, the surrounding areas are devastated, highlighting Judah's vulnerability and the impending threat of judgment.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports a select group of Judean elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile, a significant turning point in Israel's history.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Babylon deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel. This further weakens Judah and demonstrates Babylon's growing dominance.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar utterly destroys Jerusalem, burns the Temple, and exiles the remaining population to Babylon. This catastrophic event marks the end of the Kingdom of Judah and a profound crisis of faith for the exiles.
Late 7th - Early 6th century BC— this verse
Jeremiah Preaches to a Doomed Nation
Jeremiah, during the final decades of Judah's existence, confronts the false prophets who offer hollow assurances of peace and security. He warns that only true repentance and turning from sin can avert God's judgment, a message met with fierce opposition.
This passage presents a clear choice between life and death, blessing and curse, directly echoing Jeremiah's contrast between the outcome of true prophecy (turning people from evil) and false prophecy.
Ezekiel 3:18-19This passage highlights the prophet's duty to warn the wicked, paralleling Jeremiah's point that true messengers of God would speak His words to turn people from sin.
Matthew 7:15-20Jesus' teaching on discerning false prophets by their fruits directly connects to Jeremiah's criterion: true prophets, having stood in God's counsel, would lead people to righteousness, not further into sin.
Romans 10:14-17This passage emphasizes that true prophecy involves proclaiming God's word, which is essential for people to hear and believe, mirroring Jeremiah's assertion that those in God's counsel would cause His people to hear His words.
calvinJeremiah 23:22: "But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings."
- Quod si stetissent in concilio meo, certe (copula enim ita resolvi debet) udire fecissent verba mea populum meum (hoc est, docuissent populum meum sermones meos) et reduxissent eos a via sua mala, et a malitia studiorum ipsorum.
This verse is as it were an explanation of the former; for many might have be…
pooleJeremiah 23:22: "But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings."
These false prophets did not prophesy without the approbation of the rulers of the ecclesiastical state amongst the Jews in their corrupt state, but so they might, and yet not be sent of God. The judgment of a Divine mission for the revelation of God’s mind unto people must not be merely from their external mi…
The verse highlights that true prophets, unlike the false ones, wouldn't just speak about God; they would have first been in God's inner circle, then would have faithfully relayed His message. Their ultimate goal would have been to lead people away from sin, showing that genuine spiritual guidance always aims at transformation, not mere pronouncements.
Jeremiah is exposing the deceit of the false prophets who claim to speak for God but are leading the people astray with their own inventions. God declares that if these false prophets had truly been privy to His divine plans and understood His true message, they would have faithfully relayed His words. The result of hearing God’s true counsel, as opposed to the false prophets’ lies, would have been the people turning from their sinful ways.
Jeremiah is exposing the deceit of the false prophets who claim to speak for God but are leading the people astray with their own inventions. God declares that if these false prophets had truly been privy to His divine plans and understood His true message, they would have faithfully relayed His words. The result of hearing God’s true counsel, as opposed to the false prophets’ lies, would have been the people turning from their sinful ways.
"But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds." — The verse highlights that true prophets, unlike the false ones, wouldn't just speak about God; they would have first been in God's inner circle, then would have faithfully relayed His message. Th…
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Last reviewed October 2026
