Jeremiah 23:33
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What's easily missed is that the "burden" isn't the prophecy itself, but the people who have become too much for God to bear. When they ask what burden God has for them, He retorts that they are the burden, and He will cast them off because they've made themselves unbearable. This isn't just a message of judgment; it's God expressing His weariness with their persistent rebellion.
“When one of this people, or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the LORD?’ you shall say to them, ‘You are the burden, and I will cast you off, declares the LORD.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is addressing the false prophets and priests who are deceiving God's people with messages of peace, while they themselves are corrupt. The people, influenced by these false leaders, mockingly ask the true prophets about "the burden of the LORD," using the term for prophecy derisively because it always portends judgment. In response, God commands Jeremiah to turn their scorn back on them, declaring that they are the burden, and He will cast them off.
Have you ever used a word or phrase so much that it loses its meaning, or even becomes a sarcastic jab? That's what happened with God's 'burden.'
The prophets, like Jeremiah, often introduced their serious messages from God with the phrase 'The burden of the LORD.' This wasn't just a title; it meant a weighty message, a prophecy carrying God's judgment and truth.
From Weighty Truth to Weary Joke
But the people, and even some prophets and priests, had grown hard and cynical. They didn't want to hear God's truth, especially if it was about their sin. So, they started using the phrase sarcastically. When a true prophet like Jeremiah spoke, they'd sneer, 'Oh, here comes another burden!' They turned God's serious warnings into a common, almost silly, saying, a way to dismiss anything unpleasant.
God's Fierce Response
God's response in this verse is sharp and to the point. He's not playing along with their mockery. He turns their sarcastic question back on them with devastating force.
Imagine the most chilling response God could give to people who mock Him. It's not thunder or lightning, but something far more profound.
When the people mockingly ask, 'What is the burden of the LORD?', God’s reply is not a further prophecy of doom. Instead, He says, 'You are the burden, and I will cast you off.'
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The Deeper Meaning of 'Burden'
This is a play on words, a divine reversal. The message they found burdensome is nothing compared to the reality of being a burden to God. They have become so sinful, so resistant to His truth, that they are an intolerable weight to Him. Their sin is so offensive, so heavy, that God declares He will be rid of them.
The Sorrow of Divine Abandonment
'I will cast you off' signifies more than just punishment; it's the ultimate sorrow of divine abandonment. God, who desires to be present with His people, is pushed away by their sin and mockery. This isn't just about future exile; it's about God withdrawing His presence and favor, leaving them to the emptiness they’ve chosen.
Understand the original words
massa' · Hebrew Noun
In a biblical context, it refers to a message from God, often a heavy or solemn declaration that imposes an obligation upon the hearer. It can also signify a heavy weight or judgment.
kohen · Hebrew Noun
A formal title for a religious leader appointed by God to officiate in the tabernacle or temple, offer sacrifices, and represent the people before God.
This verse captures a critical moment where God reclaims a prophetic term that had been twisted into a sneer by religious and political leaders. Their mockery of God's word reveals a deep spiritual apathy and rebellion, leading to God's pronouncement of abandonment.
c. 7th century BC
Prophetic Oracles Called 'Burden'
Prophets like Isaiah begin using the term 'burden' (Hebrew 'massa') to describe weighty oracles of God's judgment.
During Jeremiah's Ministry— this verse
False Prophets Mock True Prophecy
Corrupt priests and false prophets, opposed to Jeremiah, mock his pronouncements by derisively calling them 'the burden of the LORD,' implying they were merely troublesome or oppressive messages.
During Jeremiah's Ministry
God Rejects Their Mockery
God instructs Jeremiah to respond to the mockers by declaring that they themselves have become the 'burden' and that God will cast them off.
Early 6th Century BC
Deportations to Babylon Begin
The first wave of exiles, including royalty and key figures, are taken to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, fulfilling the prophecies of judgment and confirming the catastrophic consequences of disobedience.
King Ahab's reaction to Micaiah echoes the disdain shown in Jeremiah 23:33, where both accuse the prophet of always bringing bad news and treating God's word like a burdensome prophecy.
Isaiah 13:1This passage, like Jeremiah 23:33, uses the term 'burden' (or 'oracle') to signify a prophecy of judgment, highlighting how the term itself could be twisted into a mockery by those who rejected God's message.
Hosea 9:12This verse describes God's abandonment of His people, mirroring the severe consequence declared in Jeremiah 23:33 when God declares 'I will cast you off' in response to their mockery.
Zechariah 11:15-17Zechariah’s prophecy about the worthless shepherd who is abandoned and the people who are cast off powerfully illustrates the judgment described in Jeremiah 23:33 against those who scorn God's messengers and messages.
calvinJeremiah 23:33: "And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD."
- Quod si interrogaverint to populus hic, vel Propheta, vel Sacerdos, dicendo. Quod onus Jehovae? Tunc dices illis, Quod onus? Derelinquam vos, inquit Jehova.
It appears sufficiently evident from this passage, -- that the contumacy of the Jews was so great, that they sought from every…
cambridgeJeremiah 23:33: "And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD."
33 . say unto them, What burden! ] mg. (less well) tell them what the burden is , but mg. also suggests that we read, with LXX and Vulg., Ye are the burden . The change requires only a different division of the consonants in MT. and has general support. 33–40 . See introd. summary to sect…
What's easily missed is that the "burden" isn't the prophecy itself, but the people who have become too much for God to bear. When they ask what burden God has for them, He retorts that they are the burden, and He will cast them off because they've made themselves unbearable. This isn't just a message of judgment; it's God expressing His weariness with their persistent rebellion.
Jeremiah is addressing the false prophets and priests who are deceiving God's people with messages of peace, while they themselves are corrupt. The people, influenced by these false leaders, mockingly ask the true prophets about "the burden of the LORD," using the term for prophecy derisively because it always portends judgment. In response, God commands Jeremiah to turn their scorn back on them, declaring that they are the burden, and He will cast them off.
Jeremiah is addressing the false prophets and priests who are deceiving God's people with messages of peace, while they themselves are corrupt. The people, influenced by these false leaders, mockingly ask the true prophets about "the burden of the LORD," using the term for prophecy derisively because it always portends judgment. In response, God commands Jeremiah to turn their scorn back on them, declaring that they are the burden, and He will cast them off.
"“When one of this people, or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the LORD?’ you shall say to them, ‘You are the burden, and I will cast you off, declares the LORD.’" — What's easily missed is that the "burden" isn't the prophecy itself, but the people who have become too much for God to bear. When they ask what burden God has for them, He retorts that they are th…
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Last reviewed October 2026
