Jeremiah 23:5
in Jeremiah 23Behold, 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
KJV
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
⋯
This verse in Jeremiah 23
Commentary
11 notes on this verse(Vers. 5, 6.) Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous branch (or a righteous king); and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: The Lord is our righteousness. In Hebrew, it is called Sadecenu. This which is wrongly added in the Septuagint, in the Prophets, must be completely cut off.
This site's exposition
Behold, the days are coming, declares
on Jeremiah 23:5-6
The shepherd is named, “a righteous Branch” raised “for David” who “will administer justice and righteousness in the land,” the test the kings failed. His name, “The LORD Our Righteousness,” answers Zedekiah’s name, which means the LORD is righteousness, and gives a son of David the covenant name.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
There was only one remedy in the secret of the divine plan that could help the fallen living in the general ruin of the entire human race. This remedy was that one of the sons of Adam should be born free and innocent of original transgression, to prevail for the rest by his example and by his merits. This was not permitted by natural generation. There could be no clean offspring from our faulty stock by this seed. The Scripture says, "Who can make a clean thing conceived of an unclean seed? Isn't it you alone?" David's Lord was made David's Son, and from the fruit of the promised branch sprang. He is one without fault, the twofold nature coming together into one person. By this one and the same conception and birth sprung our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom was present both true Godhead for the performance of mighty works and true manhood for the endurance of sufferings.
These things were fulfilled according to the type in the case of Zerubbabel and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak. However, this prophecy was not altogether fulfilled, for many would rise up against them—not only their neighbors but also later on the Macedonians and finally the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Behold - Even the Jewish doctors, as well as the Christian interpreters, understand this as a prophecy of the Messiah who is called the branch, Isaiah iv, 2; liii, 2. And here, he is called the righteous branch, not only because himself was righteous, but because he maketh his people righteous.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,....
Among the wicked prophets and priests, whose bad character is here given at large in divers instances, especially their imposing upon the people with their pretended inspirations, at which the prophet is astonished, and for which they must expect to be punished,
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
In him doth the horn of David bud, Ps. cxxxii. He is a branch of God's raising up; he sanctified him, and sent him into the world, gave him his commission and qualifications. He is a righteous branch, for he is righteous himself, and through him many, even all that are his, are made righteous.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Even with the temporal kingship abolished, David’s mercies are still sure. A righteous Branch - Or, sprout, germ (see Isa 4:2 note). The sprout is that in which the root springs up and grows, and which, if it be destroyed, makes the root perish also. And a king shall reign ... - Rather, and he shall reign as king. David’s family is to be dethroned (temporally), that it may reign gloriously (spiritually). But compare Jer 33:17, note; Jer 33:25, note.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Righteousness or justice is the characteristic of Messiah elsewhere, too, in connection with our salvation or justification (Isa 53:11; So in the New Testament He is not merely "righteous" Himself, but "righteousness to us" (1Co 1:30), so that we become "the righteousness of God in Him" (Ro 10:3, 4;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
I will raise unto David a righteous Branch - As there has been no age, from the Babylonish captivity to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, in which such a state of prosperity existed, and no king or governor who could answer at all to the character here given, the passage has been understood to refer to our blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, who was a branch out of the stem of Jesse; a righteous king; by the power of his Spirit and influence of his religion reigning, prospering, and executing judgment and justice in the earth.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִנֵּ֨ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| יָמִ֤ים | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| בָּאִים֙ | baim | [are] coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַהֲקִמֹתִ֥י | vahakimoti | and I will raise up | H6965 → | 628 times |
| לְדָוִ֖ד | ledavid | for David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| צֶ֣מַח | tzemach | a branch | H6780 → | |
| צַדִּ֑יק | tzadik | righteous | H6662 → | 206 times |
| וּמָ֤לַךְ | umalakh | and he will reign | H4427 → | 348 times |
| מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ | melekh | a king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְהִשְׂכִּ֔יל | vehiskil | and he will act prudently | H7919 → | 62 times |
| וְעָשָׂ֛ה | veasah | and he will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| מִשְׁפָּ֥ט | mishpat | justice | H4941 → | 422 times |
| וּצְדָקָ֖ה | utzedakah | and righteousness | H6666 → | 157 times |
| בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ | baaretz | in the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
הִנֵּ֨הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
יָמִ֤יםdays
yamimH3117 →2304 times
בָּאִים֙[are] coming
baimH935 →2568 times
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַהֲקִמֹתִ֥יand I will raise up
vahakimotiH6965 →628 times
לְדָוִ֖דfor David
ledavidH1732 →999 times
צֶ֣מַחa branch
tzemachH6780 →
צַדִּ֑יקrighteous
tzadikH6662 →206 times
וּמָ֤לַךְand he will reign
umalakhH4427 →348 times
מֶ֙לֶךְ֙a king
melekhH4428 →2525 times
וְהִשְׂכִּ֔ילand he will act prudently
vehiskilH7919 →62 times
וְעָשָׂ֛הand he will do
veasahH6213 →2628 times
מִשְׁפָּ֥טjustice
mishpatH4941 →422 times
וּצְדָקָ֖הand righteousness
utzedakahH6666 →157 times
בָּאָֽרֶץ׃in the land
baaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 9:7Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness…
it leads to
- Luke 1:32–33
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David,
- Daniel 2:44
In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms…
- Daniel 7:14
And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is…
- Psalms 45:4–6
In your splendor ride forth in victory on behalf of truth and humility and justice; may your right hand show your awesome deeds.
- 2 Samuel 7:16
Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.”
- Luke 1:32–33
Through
Isaiah 52:13Behold, My Servant will prosper; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
it leads to
- Philippians 2:7–11
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.
- Matthew 28:18
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
- Philippians 2:7–11
Through
Isaiah 4:2On that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of Israel’s survivors.
it leads to
- Zechariah 6:12
And you are to tell him that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Here is a man whose name is the Branch, and He will branch out from His place and build…
- Zechariah 6:12
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Kingdom of God35 verses
On this page
About Jeremiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Leo the Great, SERMON 28:3; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theodoret of Cyrus, ON JEREMIAH 5:23.5-6.