Jeremiah 6:13-14
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The Hebrew phrase translated as "greedy for unjust gain" literally means "gaining gain," highlighting not just the desire for wealth, but the active, relentless pursuit of it, regardless of the means. This implies that the corruption wasn't just a passive feeling but an active, consuming behavior that permeated every level of society, from the common person to religious leaders.
“For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah has just delivered a stark warning of impending judgment, likening an invading army to a boiling pot tilted over Jerusalem. This verse explains why such severe judgment is coming: the entire nation, from the lowest to the highest ranks, has become consumed by greedy, unjust gain. Even the spiritual leaders, the prophets and priests who should have guided them righteously, are actively dealing in deceit.
Jeremiah paints a grim picture of Judah's society, where sin isn't confined to a few rebels. It has seeped into the very fabric of life.
A Society Corrupted from Top to Bottom
Jeremiah 6:13 declares that "from the least to the greatest" everyone is "greedy for unjust gain." This wasn't a sin of the outcasts or the fringe elements; it was a systemic disease.
Ask a follow-up
It's one thing for the general populace to fall into sin, but what happens when those entrusted with God's truth lead others astray?
Leaders Who Corrupt and Deceive
The second part of Jeremiah 6:13 hits particularly hard: "and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely." This highlights a profound spiritual and moral failure at the very heart of Israel's leadership.
Understand the original words
nabiy' · Hebrew Noun
A covenant representative of God, chosen to receive and communicate His divine revelation. Prophets served as the spiritual conscience of Israel, calling the people to repentance and warning of coming judgment.
kohen · Hebrew Noun
One appointed to perform ritual sacrifices, offer prayers, and interpret the law for the people. Priests had a specific responsibility to maintain the holiness of the sanctuary and lead the people in proper worship.
shalom · Hebrew Noun
A comprehensive Hebrew concept signifying wholeness, well-being, harmony, and prosperity in relationship with God. When used falsely, it implies a superficial sense of security while ignoring fundamental spiritual discord or pending judgment.
Jeremiah's prophecy of judgment against Judah comes in the context of increasing Babylonian imperial power and Judah's internal decay. The verse highlights how widespread greed and deceit, even among religious leaders, left the nation vulnerable and ripe for the destruction and exile that followed.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar's forces conquer Jerusalem, initiating the first wave of exiles to Babylon. This event marks the beginning of Judah's subjugation and foreshadows future destruction.
c. 597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a period of rebellion, Jerusalem is besieged again, and King Jehoiachin along with many prominent citizens and artisans are deported to Babylon. This further weakens the kingdom.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar utterly destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy and exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This is the culmination of Judah's unfaithfulness.
c. 582 BC
Third Babylonian Deportation
A final wave of exiles is deported to Babylon after a failed revolt, bringing the history of the independent kingdom of Judah to a close.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, paving the way for the return of Jewish exiles to their homeland.
c. 516 BC
Completion of Second Temple
The returned exiles, with Persian support, complete the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, symbolizing a restoration of worship but facing a different political reality.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's condemnation, highlighting that 'its heads give judgment for a bribe, and its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money.' It shows a widespread corruption in religious and judicial leaders, mirroring the false dealings of prophets and priests in Jeremiah.
Ezekiel 13:10This verse speaks of prophets who 'have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.' This directly relates to the false prophets and priests in Jeremiah dealing falsely, offering false comfort instead of true repentance, which ultimately leads to destruction.
Isaiah 56:11The prophets here are described as 'greedy dogs that never get enough,' and priests who are 'ignorant, they have all turned to their own way, each seeking his own gain.' This parallels Jeremiah's critique of leaders driven by personal gain and deceit, rather than their God-given responsibilities.
Proverbs 1:19This proverb states, 'So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it is the thing that takes the life of its owners.' It connects the covetousness mentioned in Jeremiah directly to destructive consequences, showing that greed leads to ruin.
calvinJeremiah 6:13: "For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely."
- Quia a parvo eorum usque ad magnum eorum omnis (vel, quilibet) con cupiscit cupiditatem (hoc est, cupidus est lucri, vel, addictus avaritiae;) et a propheta usque ad sacerdotem quilibet operatur mendacium (hoc est, fraudulenter agit.)
The Prophet now again declares, that it was nothing strange that God resolved t…
pulpitJeremiah 6:13: "For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely."
Verse 13. - Given to covetousness; literally, gaineth gain; but the word here rendered "gain" implies that it is unrighteous gain (the root means "to tear"), Unjust gain and murder are repeatedly singled out in the Old Testament as representative sins (comp. Ezekiel 33:31; Psalm 119:36; Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 2:34; and…
The Hebrew phrase translated as "greedy for unjust gain" literally means "gaining gain," highlighting not just the desire for wealth, but the active, relentless pursuit of it, regardless of the means. This implies that the corruption wasn't just a passive feeling but an active, consuming behavior that permeated every level of society, from the common person to religious leaders.
Jeremiah has just delivered a stark warning of impending judgment, likening an invading army to a boiling pot tilted over Jerusalem. This verse explains why such severe judgment is coming: the entire nation, from the lowest to the highest ranks, has become consumed by greedy, unjust gain. Even the spiritual leaders, the prophets and priests who should have guided them righteously, are actively dealing in deceit.
Jeremiah has just delivered a stark warning of impending judgment, likening an invading army to a boiling pot tilted over Jerusalem. This verse explains why such severe judgment is coming: the entire nation, from the lowest to the highest ranks, has become consumed by greedy, unjust gain. Even the spiritual leaders, the prophets and priests who should have guided them righteously, are actively dealing in deceit.
"“For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’…" — The Hebrew phrase translated as "greedy for unjust gain" literally means "gaining gain," highlighting not just the desire for wealth, but the active, relentless pursuit of it, regardless of the means…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
