Jeremiah 23:15
in Jeremiah 23Therefore 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem is ungodliness gone forth into all the land.
KJV
Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.
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This verse in Jeremiah 23
Commentary
5 notes on this verse(Verse 15.) Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts to the prophets: Behold, I will feed them wormwood (or sorrow, and according to Symmachus, bitterness) and give them gall to drink (or bitter water), because from the prophets of Jerusalem pollution has gone out into all the land. Let us use this testimony against those who disseminate letters full of lies, deceit, and perjury throughout the world, so that they may defile the ears of those who hear them and harm the reputation of the innocent.
This site's exposition
As for the prophets: My heart
on Jeremiah 23:9-15
Jeremiah’s own body bears the message: “My heart is broken within me, and all my bones tremble,” like “a man overcome by wine.” The prophets of Samaria “prophesied by Baal,” but the prophets of Jerusalem “commit adultery and walk in lies” and are “all like Sodom to Me.”
This site's exposition
I will feed them wormwood
Wormwood is a bitter plant, and the poisoned water adds bitterness to bitterness. The LORD gave the same sentence to the people in 9:15. Jerome, citing Symmachus, reads wormwood as bitterness, a fit return for the ungodliness these prophets spread through the land.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Nothing more effectually debauches a nation than the debauchery of ministers. The people are here warned not to give any credit to these false prophets; for, though they flattered them with hopes of impunity, the judgments of God would certainly break out against them, unless they repented (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And in the prophets of Jerusalem I now see. a horrible thing a shameful thing.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָכֵ֞ן | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֨ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָאוֹת֙ | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַנְּבִאִ֔ים | haneviim | the prophets | H5030 → | 314 times |
| הִנְנִ֨י | hini | here I | H2005 → | 316 times |
| מַאֲכִ֤יל | maakhil | [am] about to make eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| אוֹתָם֙ | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לַֽעֲנָ֔ה | laanah | wormwood | H3939 → | |
| וְהִשְׁקִתִ֖ים | vehishkitim | and I will make drink them | H8248 → | 61 times |
| מֵי־ | mei- | water of | H4325 → | 581 times |
| רֹ֑אשׁ | rosh | poison | H7219 → | 12 times |
| כִּ֗י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מֵאֵת֙ | meet | from with | H854 → | 929 times |
| נְבִיאֵ֣י | neviei | [the] prophets of | H5030 → | 314 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| יָצְאָ֥ה | yatzeah | it has gone out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| חֲנֻפָּ֖ה | chanupah | wicked behavior | H2613 → | |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ פ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
לָכֵ֞ן<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַ֨רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָאוֹת֙of hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַנְּבִאִ֔יםthe prophets
haneviimH5030 →314 times
הִנְנִ֨יhere I
hiniH2005 →316 times
מַאֲכִ֤יל[am] about to make eat
maakhilH398 →810 times
אוֹתָם֙<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
לַֽעֲנָ֔הwormwood
laanahH3939 →
וְהִשְׁקִתִ֖יםand I will make drink them
vehishkitimH8248 →61 times
מֵי־water of
mei-H4325 →581 times
רֹ֑אשׁpoison
roshH7219 →12 times
כִּ֗יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
מֵאֵת֙from with
meetH854 →929 times
נְבִיאֵ֣י[the] prophets of
nevieiH5030 →314 times
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔םJerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
יָצְאָ֥הit has gone out
yatzeahH3318 →1067 times
חֲנֻפָּ֖הwicked behavior
chanupahH2613 →
לְכָל־to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃ פthe land
haaretzH776 →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
Psalms 69:21They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.
it leads to
- Matthew 27:34
they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 23:36
The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine.
- Mark 15:23
There they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it.
- Matthew 27:48
One of them quickly ran and brought a sponge. He filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, and held it up for Jesus to drink.
- Mark 15:36
And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine. He put it on a reed and held it up for Jesus to drink, saying, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes…
- Matthew 27:34
Through
Lamentations 3:5He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
it leads to
- Lamentations 3:19
Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall.
Reached by 4 separate paths from here.
- Lamentations 3:19
Through
Lamentations 3:15He has filled me with bitterness; He has intoxicated me with wormwood.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 9:15
Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 9:15
Through
Jeremiah 9:15Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 8:14
Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink,…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 8:14
Where this verse is studied
About Jeremiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.