Breakdown of Jeremiah 5:30-31

"An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?" — What's easy to miss is how the prophet uses two incredibly strong words, "appalling" and "horrible," not just to describe wickedness, but to convey a sense of profound shock and disbelief. It’s not j…

Jeremiah 5:30-31 Meaning Explained

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Jeremiah 5:30-31

An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?

English Standard Version (ESV)

What's easy to miss is how the prophet uses two incredibly strong words, "appalling" and "horrible," not just to describe wickedness, but to convey a sense of profound shock and disbelief. It’s not just bad; it’s so shockingly out of order with God's creation that it defies understanding. This event is so monstrous it's almost beyond human conception.

What Jeremiah 5:30-31 means

This verse arrives after Jeremiah has listed Judah's pervasive sins: greed, deceit, impurity, and injustice. He paints a picture of a nation so corrupted that even its spiritual leaders—the prophets and priests—are leading the people astray with lies and self-serving agendas. This verse emphasizes the shocking depth of this spiritual rot, setting the stage for God's impending judgment.

A Horror Beyond Comprehension

Jeremiah opens with a cry of shock – something deeply wrong has happened. But what makes it so utterly appalling?

The prophet uses two powerful words to describe the situation: 'appalling' and 'horrible.' These aren't just strong adjectives; they convey a sense of utter shock and moral revulsion. The Hebrew words suggest something so profoundly wrong it defies understanding, a monstrous deviation from what is right.

A Moral Catastrophe

This wasn't just a natural disaster or a political upset. It was a deep-seated corruption that had infected the very core of the nation's spiritual and moral life. The 'thing' committed was the widespread rebellion against God, particularly the betrayal of leadership – prophets and priests leading the people astray.

Beyond Human Grasp

Calvin notes that these terms suggest a reality 'which exceeds all human conception.' It was a moral offense so great that human minds struggled to grasp its magnitude. It was an 'astonishing thing' because it happened in the very land God had chosen for His dwelling, making the betrayal even more profound.

Betrayal at the Highest Levels

The 'horrible thing' isn't just a vague sense of unease; Jeremiah quickly points to the culprits. Who was responsible for this national crisis?

Jeremiah doesn't leave us guessing. The 'appalling and horrible thing' was the systemic corruption within the religious and political leadership.

False Prophets, Corrupt Priests

Specifically, the prophets were prophesying lies, and the priests were ruling or benefiting from these falsehoods. This meant the very people who should have been guiding the nation back to God were instead leading them further into sin. They were 'ministers of the devil in the very sanctuary of God,' as Calvin puts it.

A Willing Audience

What makes this betrayal even more devastating is that 'my people love to have it so.' The populace wasn't just passively misled; they actively embraced the deception because it allowed them to continue in their sin without conviction. They preferred comforting lies over challenging truths, a dangerous complacency that sealed their doom.

Understand the original words

Original language

appallingשַׁמָּה

shammah · Hebrew Noun/Adjective

This describes something that is morally shocking, devastating, or spiritually repulsive, often used to depict sin or divine judgment that leaves observers in stunned silence.

prophetsנָבִיא

nābîʾ · Hebrew Noun

An individual who speaks under divine inspiration, conveying God's message to His people. While true prophets are empowered by the Holy Spirit, false prophets operate out of their own imagination or for personal gain, leading the people away from God's truth.

prophesy falselyנָבָא

nābāʾ šeqer · Hebrew Verb

To communicate a message believed to be from God. Falsely prophesying involves speaking messages that contradict God's revealed will, often to provide comfort or validation to those who refuse to repent.

priestsכֹּהֵן

kōhēn · Hebrew Noun

Historical context

Written: Late 7th to early 6th century BC
Author: Jeremiah
Location: Jerusalem, during the Babylonian period
Genre: Prophecy; features vivid imagery and direct address to the people.

Historical background

This verse rings with the shock of utter spiritual and moral collapse. Jeremiah isn't just describing sin; he's describing a society so far gone that its condition is beyond normal comprehension, setting the stage for the devastating Babylonian exile.

c. 627-586 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Ministry in Judah
Jeremiah prophesies during a period of intense moral and spiritual decay in Judah, warning of impending judgment from Babylon.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Jerusalem and takes some of the royal family and elite citizens, including Daniel, into exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Another wave of exiles, including the prophet Ezekiel, are taken to Babylon following a rebellion by King Jehoiachin.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, bringing the southern kingdom of Judah to an end and exiling most of the remaining population.

Key themes

01Shocking moral decay
02Divine judgment imminent
03Widespread spiritual corruption
04Ignorance and willful sin

Cross-references

Jeremiah 23:14

This passage echoes the same theme of corrupted leadership, with false prophets making the people think everything is fine when destruction is imminent.

Ezekiel 13:10

This verse speaks of prophets who try to patch up a crumbling wall with flimsy excuses, much like Jeremiah's assessment of the false prophets building up a false sense of security.

Romans 1:28-32

Paul describes a society that, like the people in Jeremiah's day, has rejected God and embraced wickedness, becoming lovers of evil and approving of those who practice it.

2 Timothy 4:3-4

This passage warns about a future time when people will reject sound teaching and gather around teachers who tell them what they want to hear, reflecting the 'people love to have it so' attitude in Jeremiah's prophecy.

Scholarly commentary

Jeremiah 5:30-31: "A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;"

Stupor (vel, res stupenda) et foeditas in terra (vel, res pudenda; sr, unde nomen deductum est, significat proprie cogitare vel reputare; sed videtur per antiphrasin Deus hoc loco, ut aliis quibusdam, notare rem prodigiosam, quae non cadit sub sensum humanum, quasi diceret hoc non posse concipi neque apprehendi hominis mente; scio hoc posse videri novum, sed tamen subest optima ratio, ut mihi videtur. Postea addit.…

calvin

Jeremiah 5:30: "A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;"

(30) Wonderful. —Better, terrible. Is committed.—Better, has come to pass.
ellicott

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What Jeremiah 5:30-31 means

Original language

appallingשַׁמָּה

shammah · Hebrew Noun/Adjective

This describes something that is morally shocking, devastating, or spiritually repulsive, often used to depict sin or divine judgment that leaves observers in stunned silence.

prophetsנָבִיא

nābîʾ · Hebrew Noun

prophesy falselyנָבָא

nābāʾ šeqer · Hebrew Verb

priestsכֹּהֵן

kōhēn · Hebrew Noun

Historical background

c. 627-586 BC— this verse

Jeremiah's Ministry in Judah

Jeremiah prophesies during a period of intense moral and spiritual decay in Judah, warning of impending judgment from Babylon.

605 BC

First Deportation to Babylon

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Jerusalem and takes some of the royal family and elite citizens, including Daniel, into exile.

597 BC

Second Deportation to Babylon

Another wave of exiles, including the prophet Ezekiel, are taken to Babylon following a rebellion by King Jehoiachin.

586 BC

Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction

Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, bringing the southern kingdom of Judah to an end and exiling most of the remaining population.

Scholarly commentary

Jeremiah 5:30-31: "A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;"

Stupor (vel, res stupenda) et foeditas in terra (vel, res pudenda; sr, unde nomen deductum est, significat proprie cogitare vel reputare; sed videtur per antiphrasin Deus hoc loco, ut aliis quibusdam, notare rem prodigiosam, quae non cadit sub sensum humanum, quasi diceret hoc non posse concipi neque apprehendi hominis mente; scio hoc posse videri novum, sed tamen subest optima ratio, ut mihi videtur. Postea addit.…

calvin

Jeremiah 5:30: "A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;"

(30) Wonderful. —Better, terrible. Is committed.—Better, has come to pass.
ellicott

Frequently asked questions

What does Jeremiah 5:30-31 mean?

Explain the meaning of Jeremiah 5:30-31

What is the context of Jeremiah 5:30-31?

What Jeremiah 5:30-31 means

A Horror Beyond Comprehension

Betrayal at the Highest Levels

Original language

Historical context

Historical background

Key themes

Cross-references

Scholarly commentary

Frequently asked questions

Study this verse in Sola

Ask Sola about this verse

What Jeremiah 5:30-31 means

A Horror Beyond Comprehension

Betrayal at the Highest Levels

Original language

Historical context

Historical background

Key themes

Cross-references

Scholarly commentary

Frequently asked questions

Study this verse in Sola

Ask Sola about this verse

The Inevitable End