Jeremiah 23

Introduction

Jeremiah 23 holds a pivotal place in the prophetic corpus. It opens with a scathing indictment of Judah's corrupt leaders -- the "shepherds" who have scattered God's flock through negligence and wickedness (vv. 1-4) -- and then pivots to a major Messianic prophecy: the promise of a Righteous Branch from David's line who will reign with justice and bear the name "The LORD Our Righteousness" (vv. 5-8). The chapter likely dates from the reign of Zedekiah (597-586 BC), whose name ironically means "the LORD is my righteousness," creating a pointed contrast with the coming king whose righteousness will be genuine rather than merely nominal.

The bulk of the chapter (vv. 9-40) is a sustained denunciation of false prophecy. Jeremiah, himself a prophet under constant attack from rivals who proclaim peace and prosperity, draws a sharp line between those who have genuinely "stood in the council of the LORD" and those who speak from their own imagination. The passage moves from the moral corruption of Jerusalem's prophets (vv. 9-15) through their theological fraud (vv. 16-22), to God's omniscience and the irresistible power of his word (vv. 23-29), and culminates in three "I am against" declarations (vv. 30-32) and a wordplay on the term "burden of the LORD" (vv. 33-40). The chapter examines what constitutes true versus false spiritual authority.

Woe to the Shepherds (vv. 1-4)

¹ "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!" declares the LORD. ² Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who tend My people: "You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your deeds, declares the LORD. ³ Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands to which I have banished them, and I will return them to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and multiply. ⁴ I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any go missing, declares the LORD.

¹ "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!" -- declaration of the LORD. ² Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who are shepherding my people: "You have scattered my flock and driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Look, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds" -- declaration of the LORD. ³ "Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they will be fruitful and multiply. ⁴ And I will raise up over them shepherds who will shepherd them, and they will no longer fear or be terrified, nor will any be missing" -- declaration of the LORD.

Notes

The chapter opens with the exclamation הוֹי ("woe"), a word that in prophetic literature signals impending judgment (cf. Isaiah 5:8, Habakkuk 2:6). The "shepherds" (רֹעִים) was a standard metaphor for rulers across the ancient Near East -- those responsible for the welfare of their people. Here it likely refers to the last kings of Judah (Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah), though the priestly and prophetic establishment is also implicated later in the chapter. The parallel passage in Ezekiel 34:1-10 develops this same shepherd metaphor at greater length.

Verse 2 turns on a devastating wordplay with the verb פָּקַד, which means both "to attend to, to care for" and "to punish, to visit judgment upon." The shepherds have not פְקַדְתֶּם ("attended to") the flock, so God will פֹּקֵד ("attend to") the shepherds -- but with punishment. The same verb carries opposite connotations depending on its object, a tension English cannot hold. The translation preserves the repetition with "attended to" and "attend to you," leaving the threat to be felt through context.

The promise in verses 3-4 uses the language of the original creation mandate: וּפָרוּ וְרָבוּ ("and they will be fruitful and multiply"), echoing Genesis 1:28. God's restoration of his scattered people is depicted as a new act of creation -- a fresh beginning that reverses the devastation caused by faithless leaders. The word נְוֵהֶן ("their fold" or "their pasture") comes from נָוֶה, suggesting a settled, peaceful dwelling place -- a home where the flock can rest securely.

The Righteous Branch (vv. 5-6)

⁵ Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land. ⁶ In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.

⁵ "Look, the days are coming" -- declaration of the LORD -- "when I will raise up for David a righteous Shoot, and he will reign as king and act wisely, and he will execute justice and righteousness in the land. ⁶ In his days Judah will be delivered, and Israel will dwell in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD Is Our Righteousness.'"

Notes

These two verses carry significant theological weight. The key term is צֶמַח צַדִּיק ("a righteous Branch" or "a righteous Shoot"). The noun צֶמַח literally means "a sprout, a shoot, something that springs up" -- it is agricultural language applied to a royal figure. The same term becomes a recognized Messianic title in Jeremiah 33:15, Zechariah 3:8, and Zechariah 6:12. The image suggests new life growing from the apparently dead stump of David's dynasty (cf. Isaiah 11:1, where the related term נֵצֶר is used). The rendering "Shoot" preserves the organic, botanical sense of the Hebrew, though "Branch" is the more traditional choice.

The verb וְהִשְׂכִּיל (hiphil of שׂכל) is rich in meaning: it can mean "to act wisely, prudently" or "to prosper, to have success." It describes both the wisdom and the effectiveness of the coming king's rule. This stands in sharp contrast to the incompetent shepherds of verses 1-2.

The name יְהוָה צִדְקֵנוּ ("The LORD Our Righteousness") is theologically significant. Whether this means "the LORD is our righteousness" (a statement about God) or "the LORD, our righteous one" (a title for the king who embodies divine righteousness), the name fuses the identity of this Davidic ruler with the very character of God. There is almost certainly a deliberate wordplay on the name of King Zedekiah (צִדְקִיָּהוּ, "the LORD is my righteousness"): the reigning king bears a name that promises righteousness, but the coming king will actually embody it. The root צדק ("righteousness") appears three times in these two verses -- in צַדִּיק, צְדָקָה, and צִדְקֵנוּ -- creating a dense cluster that emphasizes that righteousness is the defining attribute of this future ruler.

Interpretations

Traditional Messianic / Christological reading: The dominant view throughout Christian history identifies the Righteous Branch as Jesus Christ. The New Testament presents Jesus as the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant (Matthew 1:1, Luke 1:32-33, Romans 1:3), and the title "The LORD Our Righteousness" is understood as an affirmation of Christ's divinity -- the Messianic king bears the divine name YHWH. Paul's teaching that Christ "became for us ... righteousness" (1 Corinthians 1:30) and the doctrine of imputed righteousness (Romans 3:21-26, 2 Corinthians 5:21) are seen as the theological fulfillment of this name. Reformed theology in particular emphasizes that Christ is "The LORD Our Righteousness" in the sense that his perfect righteousness is credited to believers.
Dispensational reading: While affirming the Christological identification, dispensationalists emphasize the literal, future fulfillment of this prophecy in the Millennial Kingdom. The promises that "Judah will be saved" and "Israel will dwell securely" are read as referring to the national restoration of ethnic Israel during Christ's thousand-year reign on earth. The prophecy has not yet been completely fulfilled because Israel has not yet experienced the political security and national salvation described here. This passage is a cornerstone text for premillennial eschatology.
Covenant theology / Amillennial reading: Covenant theologians tend to see this prophecy as fulfilled spiritually and progressively in Christ's first coming and the establishment of the church, with its consummation at the Second Coming. "Judah" and "Israel" are read as encompassing the whole people of God, not exclusively ethnic Israel. The "safety" and "salvation" described are understood primarily in spiritual terms -- salvation from sin and security in Christ -- rather than as a prediction of a future geopolitical arrangement.
Jewish interpretation: Traditional Jewish exegesis reads this as a prophecy of the still-awaited Messiah who will restore the Davidic monarchy, rebuild the temple, and gather the exiles. The Targum Jonathan renders the passage with explicit reference to the Messiah. This interpretation shares with dispensationalism an emphasis on literal, national fulfillment but differs fundamentally on the identity of the Messiah.

A New Exodus (vv. 7-8)

⁷ So behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of Egypt.' ⁸ Instead they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought and led the descendants of the house of Israel up out of the land of the north and all the other lands to which He had banished them.' Then they will dwell once more in their own land."

⁷ "Therefore look, the days are coming" -- declaration of the LORD -- "when they will no longer say, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,' ⁸ but rather, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where he had driven them.' Then they will dwell on their own soil."

Notes

This oracle envisions a future act of divine deliverance so great that it will eclipse the Exodus itself -- the defining redemptive event of Israel's history. The oath formula חַי יְהוָה ("as the LORD lives") was the most solemn form of swearing in ancient Israel. To say that this formula would be reframed around a new deliverance rather than the Exodus is a bold claim about the magnitude of God's future action.

The phrase "the land of the north" (אֶרֶץ צָפוֹן) refers primarily to Babylon, since invading armies approached Judah from the north through the Fertile Crescent, even though Babylon lies to the east. The addition of "all the lands" broadens the scope beyond Babylon to a worldwide regathering. A nearly identical oracle appears in Jeremiah 16:14-15, suggesting that this was a core element of Jeremiah's message of hope.

The final clause, "they will dwell on their own soil" (עַל אַדְמָתָם), uses אֲדָמָה ("soil, ground") rather than אֶרֶץ ("land"), emphasizing the intimate, agrarian connection between a people and their homeland. This is the language of rootedness and belonging.

Jeremiah's Anguish over the Prophets (vv. 9-12)

⁹ As for the prophets: My heart is broken within me, and all my bones tremble. I have become like a drunkard, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD, because of His holy words. ¹⁰ For the land is full of adulterers -- because of the curse, the land mourns and the pastures of the wilderness have dried up -- their course is evil and their power is misused. ¹¹ "For both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in My house I have found their wickedness," declares the LORD. ¹² "Therefore their path will become slick; they will be driven away into the darkness and fall into it. For I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment," declares the LORD.

⁹ Concerning the prophets: My heart is shattered within me; all my bones tremble. I have become like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD and because of his holy words. ¹⁰ For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns and the pastures of the wilderness have withered. Their course is evil and their might is not right. ¹¹ "For both prophet and priest are profane; even in my house I have found their wickedness" -- declaration of the LORD. ¹² "Therefore their way will be to them like slippery paths in the darkness; they will be pushed and will fall in them. For I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their reckoning" -- declaration of the LORD.

Notes

Verse 9 is an intensely personal moment in Jeremiah's prophecy. The phrase נִשְׁבַּר לִבִּי ("my heart is broken/shattered") uses the niphal of שָׁבַר, a verb normally used for smashing pottery or breaking bones -- this is not gentle sadness but violent interior devastation. The trembling bones (רָחֲפוּ כָּל עַצְמוֹתַי) use a rare verb רָחַף that in Deuteronomy 32:11 describes an eagle "hovering" over its young -- here it conveys an involuntary shaking or fluttering. Jeremiah's entire physical being is overwhelmed by the weight of God's דִּבְרֵי קָדְשׁוֹ ("his holy words").

The image of being "like a drunken man" suggests not intoxication but disorientation -- Jeremiah staggers under the burden of prophetic revelation. The phrase מִפְּנֵי יְהוָה ("because of the LORD") indicates that the source of his distress is the divine message itself, not personal weakness.

In verse 10, the word מְנָאֲפִים ("adulterers") carries a double meaning: literal sexual immorality and spiritual unfaithfulness to the covenant (as throughout Hosea and earlier in Jeremiah). The final clause of verse 10 is difficult: וּגְבוּרָתָם לֹא כֵן, literally "and their strength/might is not right/so." The rendering "their might is not right" captures the sense that their power is exercised unjustly, or their strength is misdirected.

The verb חָנֵפוּ in verse 11, rendered "are profane" (sometimes translated "ungodly"), comes from the root חנף meaning "to be polluted, profane, godless." It describes a deep-seated corruption rather than a specific sinful act. That this pollution has been found even בְּבֵיתִי ("in my house") -- the Jerusalem temple -- makes the indictment all the more horrifying.

Samaria and Jerusalem Compared (vv. 13-15)

¹³ "Among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray. ¹⁴ And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns his back on wickedness. They are all like Sodom to Me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah." ¹⁵ Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says concerning the prophets: "I will feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land."

¹³ "Among the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. ¹⁴ But among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: committing adultery and walking in falsehood. They strengthen the hands of evildoers so that no one turns back from his wickedness. They have all become to me like Sodom, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah." ¹⁵ Therefore, thus says the LORD of Hosts concerning the prophets: "I am about to feed them wormwood and make them drink poisoned water, for from the prophets of Jerusalem profaneness has gone out into all the land."

Notes

The comparison between Samaria and Jerusalem is devastating. The northern kingdom's prophets were guilty of outright idolatry -- prophesying בַּבַּעַל ("by Baal"). But the Hebrew word for what God found in Samaria, תִּפְלָה ("an unsavory/offensive thing"), is actually milder than what he finds in Jerusalem: שַׁעֲרוּרָה ("a horrible thing, a shocking thing"). Jerusalem's prophets are worse than Samaria's -- a pointed rhetorical move, since Samaria had already been destroyed for its sins in 722 BC.

The accusation that Jerusalem's prophets "strengthen the hands of evildoers" (וְחִזְּקוּ יְדֵי מְרֵעִים) is the heart of the indictment: by prophesying false comfort, they removed any motivation for repentance. The comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-29) places Jerusalem's prophetic establishment on the same level as the most notoriously wicked cities in Israel's memory. The לַעֲנָה ("wormwood") is a bitter plant that symbolizes suffering and divine judgment throughout the prophetic literature (cf. Jeremiah 9:15, Amos 5:7).

False Prophets Speak from Their Own Hearts (vv. 16-22)

¹⁶ This is what the LORD of Hosts says: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. ¹⁷ They keep saying to those who despise Me, 'The LORD says that you will have peace,' and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, 'No harm will come to you.' ¹⁸ But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and obeyed it? ¹⁹ Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone out with fury, a whirlwind swirling down upon the heads of the wicked. ²⁰ The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has fully accomplished the purposes of His heart. In the days to come you will understand this clearly. ²¹ I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. ²² But if they had stood in My council, they would have proclaimed My words to My people and turned them back from their evil ways and deeds."

¹⁶ Thus says the LORD of Hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are making you worthless. A vision of their own heart they speak -- not from the mouth of the LORD. ¹⁷ They keep saying to those who despise me, 'The LORD has spoken: You will have peace,' and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, 'No disaster will come upon you.' ¹⁸ For who has stood in the council of the LORD, so as to see and hear his word? Who has paid attention to his word and listened? ¹⁹ Look! The storm of the LORD -- his wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. ²⁰ The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he has carried out and accomplished the purposes of his heart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly. ²¹ I did not send these prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. ²² But if they had stood in my council, they would have caused my people to hear my words, and they would have turned them from their evil way and from the wickedness of their deeds."

Notes

The verb מַהְבִּלִים in verse 16 (hiphil participle of הָבַל) literally means "they are making you vain/empty/worthless" -- from the same root as הֶבֶל, the word that dominates Ecclesiastes ("vanity, vapor, breath"). The false prophets are not merely deceiving the people; they are emptying them of substance. Some translations render this "filling you with false hopes," which captures the effect, but the Hebrew image is of depletion rather than inflation.

The key concept in verse 18 is סוֹד יְהוָה ("the council of the LORD"). The word סוֹד refers to an intimate circle of advisors, a private assembly, a place of confidential deliberation. The image draws on the ancient Near Eastern concept of the divine council -- a heavenly assembly where God presides and his decisions are made known (cf. 1 Kings 22:19-23, Job 1:6-12, Psalm 82:1, Isaiah 6:1-8). A true prophet is one who has been granted access to this heavenly deliberation and has heard God's actual word. A false prophet, by contrast, speaks חֲזוֹן לִבָּם ("a vision of their own heart") -- subjective imagination masquerading as divine revelation.

The phrase בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים ("in the latter days" or "in the days to come") in verse 20 is a recognized eschatological marker. It sometimes refers simply to the future, but in prophetic literature it regularly carries the heavier sense of "at the end of the age" or "in the final period" (cf. Isaiah 2:2, Micah 4:1, Daniel 10:14).

Verses 21-22 present the test of a true prophet with stark simplicity: a true prophet is sent (שָׁלַחְתִּי) by God and speaks what God has spoken. The false prophets fail on both counts -- they were not sent, yet they ran; God did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. The practical test is equally clear: a true prophetic word produces repentance, turning people "from their evil way" (מִדַּרְכָּם הָרָע). False prophecy, by contrast, leaves people comfortable in their sin.

The Omnipresence of God (vv. 23-24)

²³ "Am I only a God nearby," declares the LORD, "and not a God far away?" ²⁴ "Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the LORD.

²³ "Am I a God at hand" -- declaration of the LORD -- "and not a God far off? ²⁴ Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?" -- declaration of the LORD. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" -- declaration of the LORD.

Notes

The rhetorical questions assert both God's immanence (he is מִקָּרֹב, "nearby") and his transcendence (he is also מֵרָחֹק, "far off"). The false prophets operated on the assumption that God was either too distant to know what they were doing or too localized to see beyond a particular place. God demolishes both assumptions in a single breath.

The declaration הֲלוֹא אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲנִי מָלֵא ("Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?") is one of the clearest affirmations of divine omnipresence in the Hebrew Bible. The verb מָלֵא ("fill") is a qal active participle -- God is continuously, presently filling all of reality. This anticipates Solomon's confession at the temple dedication: "the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you" (1 Kings 8:27) and Psalm 139:7-10. The theological implication is that no prophetic fraud can escape God's notice, and no secret sin remains hidden from his sight.

Dreams versus the Word of God (vv. 25-29)

²⁵ "I have heard the sayings of the prophets who prophesy lies in My name: 'I had a dream! I had a dream!' ²⁶ How long will this continue in the hearts of these prophets who prophesy falsehood, these prophets of the delusion of their own minds? ²⁷ They suppose the dreams that they tell one another will make My people forget My name, just as their fathers forgot My name through the worship of Baal. ²⁸ Let the prophet who has a dream retell it, but let him who has My word speak it truthfully. For what is straw compared to grain?" declares the LORD. ²⁹ "Is not My word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that smashes a rock?"

²⁵ "I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name, saying, 'I have dreamed! I have dreamed!' ²⁶ How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy falsehood -- the prophets of the deceit of their own heart -- ²⁷ who plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell to one another, just as their fathers forgot my name through Baal? ²⁸ The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; but the one who has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What has straw to do with grain?" -- declaration of the LORD. ²⁹ "Is not my word like fire?" -- declaration of the LORD -- "and like a hammer that shatters rock?"

Notes

The repeated cry חֲלוֹם חָלָמְתִּי ("I have dreamed a dream!" or simply "I had a dream!") parodies the enthusiastic claims of the false prophets. Dreams were a recognized vehicle for divine revelation in the ancient world (cf. Genesis 37:5-10, Numbers 12:6), but here they have become a tool of deception. The false prophets invoke dreams to give their own imaginations the appearance of supernatural authority.

The rhetorical question in verse 28, מַה לַתֶּבֶן אֶת הַבָּר ("What has straw to do with grain?"), is a vivid agricultural metaphor. תֶּבֶן ("straw, chaff") is the worthless husk separated from בָּר ("grain") during threshing. The false prophets' dreams are straw; God's word is grain. They are not even in the same category. The comparison does not say dreams are always false, but that prophetic dreams and the actual word of God are as different as chaff and wheat.

Verse 29 provides two well-known images for the word of God. First, it is כָּאֵשׁ ("like fire") -- it burns, purifies, consumes, and cannot be held back. Second, it is כְּפַטִּישׁ יְפֹצֵץ סָלַע ("like a hammer that shatters rock") -- the noun פַּטִּישׁ refers to a heavy sledgehammer or forge hammer, and סָלַע is solid rock or cliff-face. The word of God is not a gentle breeze; it is an irresistible force that demolishes what seems unbreakable. The verb יְפֹצֵץ (polel of פצץ) means "to shatter into pieces." These images stand in stark contrast to the lightweight dreams of the false prophets.

Three Declarations Against False Prophets (vv. 30-32)

³⁰ "Therefore behold," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who steal from one another words they attribute to Me." ³¹ "Yes," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and proclaim, 'The LORD declares it.'" ³² "Indeed," declares the LORD, "I am against those who prophesy false dreams and retell them to lead My people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent them or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people," declares the LORD.

³⁰ "Therefore, look" -- declaration of the LORD -- "I am against the prophets who steal my words, each one from his neighbor. ³¹ Look" -- declaration of the LORD -- "I am against the prophets who take their own tongues and declare, 'He declares.' ³² Look" -- declaration of the LORD -- "I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, though I did not send them or command them, and they are of no benefit at all to this people" -- declaration of the LORD.

Notes

The threefold הִנְנִי ("look, I am") followed by the preposition עַל ("against") creates a triple indictment. Each charge is worse than the last: the first group steals prophetic words from one another -- a kind of prophetic plagiarism, recycling borrowed oracles rather than hearing from God directly. The second fabricates oracles out of whole cloth, using their own tongues to produce messages they attribute to God. The third peddles dream-based prophecies that actively mislead God's people.

The phrase וְלֹא הוֹעִיל יוֹעִילוּ ("they are of no benefit at all") uses the infinitive absolute construction for emphasis -- literally "benefiting, they do not benefit." The false prophets are not merely unhelpful; they are emphatically, absolutely useless to the people they claim to serve.

The Burden of the LORD (vv. 33-40)

³³ "Now when this people or a prophet or priest asks you, 'What is the burden of the LORD?' you are to say to them, 'What burden? I will forsake you, declares the LORD.' ³⁴ As for the prophet or priest or anyone who claims, 'This is the burden of the LORD,' I will punish that man and his household. ³⁵ This is what each man is to say to his friend and to his brother: 'What has the LORD answered?' or 'What has the LORD spoken?' ³⁶ But refer no more to the burden of the LORD, for each man's word becomes the burden, so that you pervert the words of the living God, the LORD of Hosts, our God. ³⁷ Thus you are to say to the prophet: 'What has the LORD answered you?' and 'What has the LORD spoken?' ³⁸ But if you claim, 'This is the burden of the LORD,' then this is what the LORD says: Because you have said, 'This is the burden of the LORD,' and I specifically told you not to make this claim, ³⁹ therefore I will surely forget you and will cast you out of My presence, both you and the city that I gave to you and your fathers. ⁴⁰ And I will bring upon you everlasting shame and perpetual humiliation that will never be forgotten."

³³ "And when this people, or a prophet, or a priest asks you, saying, 'What is the burden of the LORD?' you shall say to them, 'You are the burden! And I will cast you off'" -- declaration of the LORD. ³⁴ "As for the prophet, or the priest, or the people who say, 'The burden of the LORD' -- I will punish that person and his household. ³⁵ Thus you shall say, each to his neighbor and each to his brother, 'What has the LORD answered?' or 'What has the LORD spoken?' ³⁶ But 'the burden of the LORD' you shall mention no more, for the burden becomes each man's own word, and you twist the words of the living God, the LORD of Hosts, our God. ³⁷ Thus you shall say to the prophet, 'What has the LORD answered you?' and 'What has the LORD spoken?' ³⁸ But if you say 'the burden of the LORD' -- therefore thus says the LORD: Because you have said this word, 'the burden of the LORD,' though I sent word to you saying, 'You shall not say the burden of the LORD,' ³⁹ therefore, look, I will surely lift you up and cast you away from my presence -- you and the city that I gave to you and your fathers. ⁴⁰ And I will bring upon you everlasting reproach and perpetual shame, which will not be forgotten."

Notes

This final section revolves around a complex wordplay on the Hebrew word מַשָּׂא, which can mean both "burden" (something carried) and "oracle, prophetic utterance" (from the verb נָשָׂא, "to lift up" -- i.e., to lift up the voice). When people ask מַה מַשָּׂא יְהוָה, they could mean "What is the oracle of the LORD?" -- but the wordplay allows the sinister double meaning: "What burden is the LORD laying on us now?"

The Hebrew of verse 33 is notoriously difficult and has been interpreted in several ways. The Masoretic text reads אֶת מַה מַשָּׂא, which can be parsed as "What burden?" followed by "I will forsake you" (וְנָטַשְׁתִּי). However, many scholars (following the LXX and revocalizing) read "You are the burden" -- that is, the people themselves have become the burden that God will cast off. The translation here follows this latter reading, which preserves the wordplay more effectively.

There is a further wordplay in verse 39 between נָשִׁיתִי and נָשֹׂא. The Masoretic text has a verb that can mean "I will forget you" (from נשׁה) but which sounds virtually identical to "I will lift you up" (from נשׂא) -- creating an ironic echo of מַשָּׂא. God will "lift up" (massa) the people who keep asking about the "oracle" (massa) -- but he will lift them up only to hurl them away. The punishment is described in the most extreme terms: חֶרְפַּת עוֹלָם ("everlasting reproach") and כְּלִמּוּת עוֹלָם ("perpetual shame"), language that points to irrevocable, permanent consequence.