Therefore I will give their wives to others and their fields to conquerors, because from the least to the greatest everyone is greedy for unjust gain; from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The striking detail here is that the "inheritance" of their fields is transferred to conquerors, implying not just loss, but a perversion of God's intended blessing. This isn't just confiscation; it's the ultimate irony that those who wrongly pursued gain will be dispossessed by those who violently seize it, and their fields will pass to people who will hold them permanently.
Therefore I will give their wives to others and their fields to conquerors, because from the least to the greatest everyone is greedy for unjust gain; from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The people of Judah have repeatedly rejected God's warnings and continue to pursue selfish gain and deceit, even their spiritual leaders are corrupt. Because of this pervasive wickedness, God declares He will give their wives to strangers and their fields to conquerors, signifying a complete loss of everything they hold dear and a permanent exile from the land. This judgment is a direct consequence of their pervasive greed and dishonesty that has infected every level of society, from the common person to the prophets and priests.
Why would God allow their wives to be taken and their fields seized? It wasn't random. It was a direct response to a deep-seated problem.
The Ultimate Price of Greed
Jeremiah declares a stark consequence: "Therefore I will give their wives to others and their fields to conquerors." This isn't just about losing property; it's about losing everything that defines security and belonging. Families torn apart, ancestral lands taken by force – these are the devastating results of a society consumed by selfish ambition.
God's judgment here is precisely tailored to the sin. When people relentlessly pursue personal gain at the expense of justice and compassion, they forfeit their right to the blessings God originally bestowed. Their 'inheritance' – their homes, their families, their land – is given to those who will violently 'take possession' because the original owners proved unworthy stewards.
This is a tough truth: unchecked greed doesn't just harm individuals; it corrodes the foundations of a community and invites divine judgment.
When 'everyone' is involved, who is left to stand for what is right? The answer in Jeremiah's day was: no one.
The Corruption of Leadership
The verse paints a grim picture of pervasive dishonesty: 'from the least to the greatest, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.' This wasn't just a problem among ordinary citizens; the rot had spread to the very leaders meant to guide the people in truth and righteousness.
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Imagine a society where religious leaders and so-called spiritual guides are not only complicit in deceit but actively 'deal falsely.' They should have been the moral compass, exposing sin and calling people to repentance. Instead, they became part of the problem, likely using their influence for personal enrichment and perpetuating lies.
This complete breakdown of integrity means there's no one left to correct the course. When the shepherds themselves are wolves, the flock is left defenseless and doomed to destruction. This reality highlights the critical importance of moral and spiritual leadership grounded in truth.
Understand the original words
betsa · Hebrew Noun
Ill-gotten wealth or profit obtained through dishonesty, extortion, or exploitation of others, which is condemned by God as an affront to His righteousness.
nabi · Hebrew Noun
A person who acts as a mediator, receiving direct messages from God to declare to the people, representing God's authority.
kohen · Hebrew Noun
A person consecrated to serve in the sanctuary, offering sacrifices and mediating between God and the people according to the covenant.
This passage, likely spoken by Jeremiah during the tumultuous period leading up to Jerusalem's fall, condemns the pervasive greed and deceit of all levels of society, from prophets to priests. The prophecy of losing wives and fields directly foreshadows the catastrophic consequences of the Babylonian conquest and exile.
Late 8th - Early 6th Century BC
Era of Compromise and Corruption
Judah experiences increasing religious and moral decay, marked by syncretism, idolatry, and a breakdown of justice, setting the stage for prophetic judgment.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Jerusalem, exiling King Jehoiachin and many of the elite, signaling the beginning of Judah's end.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more of Judah's population and leadership, including the prophet Ezekiel, further weakening the nation.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar utterly destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the remaining population and ending Judah as an independent kingdom.
586 BC onwards
Babylonian Exile
The majority of the Jewish people live in exile in Babylon, reflecting on their sins and longing for restoration.
This passage condemns those who greedily acquire land, mirroring the covetousness that Jeremiah describes as a root cause of judgment.
Micah 3:11This verse highlights corrupt leadership (prophets and priests) who wrongly claim God's favor while seeking personal gain, directly paralleling the false prophets and priests in Jeremiah's accusation.
Ezekiel 22:27-29This passage describes similar societal corruption, with rulers, priests, and common people alike practicing deceit, greed, and violence, leading to judgment.
Matthew 21:13Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7, calling the Temple a 'den of robbers,' which echoes the theme of corrupted worship and greed that permeated even religious institutions in Jeremiah's time.
pulpitJeremiah 8:10: "Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely."
Verses 10-12. - These verses are almost the same as Jeremiah 6:12-15; the differences are in Ver. 10. They are omitted in the Septuagint, and Hitzig regards them as an interpolation, at any rate from the point where the present passage coinci…
calvinJeremiah 8:10: "Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely."
- Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely…
The striking detail here is that the "inheritance" of their fields is transferred to conquerors, implying not just loss, but a perversion of God's intended blessing. This isn't just confiscation; it's the ultimate irony that those who wrongly pursued gain will be dispossessed by those who violently seize it, and their fields will pass to people who will hold them permanently.
The people of Judah have repeatedly rejected God's warnings and continue to pursue selfish gain and deceit, even their spiritual leaders are corrupt. Because of this pervasive wickedness, God declares He will give their wives to strangers and their fields to conquerors, signifying a complete loss of everything they hold dear and a permanent exile from the land. This judgment is a direct consequence of their pervasive greed and dishonesty that has infected every level of society, from the common person to the prophets and priests.
The people of Judah have repeatedly rejected God's warnings and continue to pursue selfish gain and deceit, even their spiritual leaders are corrupt. Because of this pervasive wickedness, God declares He will give their wives to strangers and their fields to conquerors, signifying a complete loss of everything they hold dear and a permanent exile from the land. This judgment is a direct consequence of their pervasive greed and dishonesty that has infected every level of society, from the common person to the prophets and priests.
"Therefore I will give their wives to others and their fields to conquerors, because from the least to the greatest everyone is greedy for unjust gain; from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely." — The striking detail here is that the "inheritance" of their fields is transferred to conquerors, implying not just loss, but a perversion of God's intended blessing. This isn't just confiscation; it'…
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Last reviewed October 2026