Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD and because of his holy words.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah's physical and emotional distress isn't just about the prophets' sin, but a profound reaction to the sheer audacity of misrepresenting the Lord and His holy words. He's not just angry; he's utterly shaken by how they twist God's sacred truth into something it's not.
Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD and because of his holy words.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage marks a shift in Jeremiah's prophecy, moving from pronouncements against the rulers to a scathing critique of the false prophets. Jeremiah is deeply distressed by their deceptive messages and the spiritual rot they've spread throughout the land, which he sees as a grave offense against both God and His holy words. His profound inner turmoil reflects the severe judgment that awaits both these prophets and the people they've led astray.
Jeremiah's physical reaction to God's message is intense – 'heart is broken,' 'bones shake.' What does this violent imagery tell us about his burden?
Jeremiah describes a profound physical and emotional distress, likening himself to someone overcome by wine. This isn't just sadness; it's a visceral reaction to the weight of God's message and the corruption he witnesses.
The Prophet's Pain
Jeremiah's words paint a picture of extreme turmoil. The 'broken heart' and 'shaking bones' aren't mere poetic metaphors for being upset. They convey a deep, internal disturbance that affects his whole being. He feels 'stunned' and 'confounded' by what he sees and hears.
Overcome by the Holy Word
The cause of this agony is twofold: 'because of the LORD, and because of his holy words.' Jeremiah is overwhelmed not by weakness, but by the power and holiness of God and His message. This intense reaction highlights the sacredness of prophecy and the prophet's deep reverence for God's truth, especially when contrasted with the unfaithfulness he addresses.
Jeremiah's distress stems directly from 'the prophets.' Who were these individuals, and why did their actions break Jeremiah's heart so profoundly?
Jeremiah's deep emotional crisis is triggered by the unfaithfulness of the prophets of his day. These weren't just ordinary people; they held positions of spiritual authority, meant to guide the nation according to God's word. Their failure was catastrophic.
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False Messengers
These prophets were misrepresenting God. Instead of speaking God's 'holy words,' they were offering comforting lies and prophecies that stemmed from their own imaginations. They flattered the people and leaders, encouraging sin and complacency, rather than calling them to repentance and holiness.
A Divine Indictment
Their actions were a profound betrayal not only of the people but of God Himself. By ignoring God's commands and promoting falsehood, they corrupted the very essence of prophecy and dishonored the holiness of God's name and His sacred law. Jeremiah's brokenness comes from seeing God's truth twisted and His people led astray by those entrusted with His message.
Understand the original words
qodesh · Hebrew Adjective
The act of setting apart something or someone for God's exclusive use. It describes the character of God (who is morally perfect) and the requirement for His people and words to be distinct from common or sinful things.
Jeremiah's profound anguish in this verse stems from the stark contrast between God's holy word and the deceptive messages of the false prophets. This crisis is set against the backdrop of Judah's impending judgment, a judgment exacerbated by the very leaders who should have guided them to repentance.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many and scattering the population. This event serves as a stark warning to the southern Kingdom of Judah about the consequences of disobedience.
c. 626-605 BC
Jeremiah's Early Ministry
Jeremiah begins his prophetic ministry during the reign of King Josiah, a time of attempted religious reform. However, much of the nation remains resistant to true repentance, and false prophets continue to offer comforting lies.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports a group of elites, including Daniel. This marks a significant escalation of the Babylonian threat and a turning point towards exile.
c. 600-590 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Confrontation with False Prophets
Jeremiah delivers powerful prophecies against the false prophets who are misleading the people of Judah with messages of peace and security, despite the looming Babylonian threat. This passage expresses his deep distress over their deception.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Babylon again besieges Jerusalem, exiling King Jehoiachin and another significant portion of the population, including the prophet Ezekiel. The situation in Judah becomes increasingly desperate.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar's forces finally destroy Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, bringing the southern Kingdom of Judah to an end and scattering its people into exile.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's distress, as Ezekiel also condemns prophets who prophesy out of their own imagination and follow their own spirit, rather than speaking God's truth.
Isaiah 28:7-8Similar to Jeremiah's description of being 'like a drunken man,' Isaiah depicts Israel's spiritual leaders and the people as staggering under the influence of wine, overwhelmed and confused due to their sin and rejection of God's word.
Hosea 9:7This verse shares Jeremiah's sense of spiritual brokenness and prophetic doom, describing the prophet as a fool and madman because of the multitude of his iniquity and enmity, directly linking spiritual collapse to divine judgment.
Jeremiah 6:13-15This passage reveals a similar prophet's anguish and disorientation when confronting widespread sin and false reassurance. Like Jeremiah 23:9, it speaks of profound internal disturbance stemming from people's rejection of God and His word.
calvinJeremiah 23:9: "Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness."
Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.
Propter prophetas (alii, ad prophetas, et potest legi ita ad verbum…
pooleJeremiah 23:9: "Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness."
The prophet having denounced the wrath of God against the wicked rulers of Judah under the notion of pastors, cometh here to discharge the like trust with reference to those orders of persons amongst the Jews, whose office it was, or at least who took upon them, to reveal the m…
Jeremiah's physical and emotional distress isn't just about the prophets' sin, but a profound reaction to the sheer audacity of misrepresenting the Lord and His holy words. He's not just angry; he's utterly shaken by how they twist God's sacred truth into something it's not.
This passage marks a shift in Jeremiah's prophecy, moving from pronouncements against the rulers to a scathing critique of the false prophets. Jeremiah is deeply distressed by their deceptive messages and the spiritual rot they've spread throughout the land, which he sees as a grave offense against both God and His holy words. His profound inner turmoil reflects the severe judgment that awaits both these prophets and the people they've led astray.
This passage marks a shift in Jeremiah's prophecy, moving from pronouncements against the rulers to a scathing critique of the false prophets. Jeremiah is deeply distressed by their deceptive messages and the spiritual rot they've spread throughout the land, which he sees as a grave offense against both God and His holy words. His profound inner turmoil reflects the severe judgment that awaits both these prophets and the people they've led astray.
"Concerning the prophets:
My heart is broken within me;
all my bones shake;
I am like a drunken man,
like a man overcome by wine,
because of the LORD
and because of his holy words." — Jeremiah's physical and emotional distress isn't just about the prophets' sin, but a profound reaction to the sheer audacity of misrepresenting the Lord and His holy words. He's not just angry; he's…
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Last reviewed October 2026