# Jeremiah 23

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**Jeremiah 23** is the twenty-third [chapter](/source/Chapters_and_verses_of_the_Bible) of the [Book of Jeremiah](/source/Book_of_Jeremiah) in the [Hebrew Bible](/source/Hebrew_Bible) or the [Old Testament](/source/Old_Testament) of the [Christian](/source/Christianity) [Bible](/source/Bible). This book contains prophecies attributed to the [prophet](/source/Biblical_prophet) [Jeremiah](/source/Jeremiah), and is one of the [Books of the Prophets](/source/Nevi'im).

## Text

The original text of this chapter was written in the [Hebrew language](/source/Biblical_Hebrew). [This chapter is divided into](/source/Chapters_and_verses_of_the_Bible) 40 verses.

### Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in [Hebrew](/source/Hebrew_language) are of the [Masoretic Text](/source/Masoretic_Text) tradition, which includes the [Codex Cairensis](/source/Codex_Cairensis) (895), [the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets](/source/Codex_Babylonicus_Petropolitanus) (916), [Aleppo Codex](/source/Aleppo_Codex) (10th century), [Codex Leningradensis](/source/Leningrad_Codex) (1008).[1]

There is also a translation into [Koine Greek](/source/Koine_Greek) known as the [Septuagint](/source/Septuagint), made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the [Septuagint](/source/Septuagint) version include [Codex Vaticanus](/source/Codex_Vaticanus) (**B**; \mathfrak{G}B; 4th century), [Codex Sinaiticus](/source/Codex_Sinaiticus) (**S**; [BHK](/source/Biblia_Hebraica_(Kittel)): \mathfrak{G}S; 4th century), [Codex Alexandrinus](/source/Codex_Alexandrinus) (**A**; \mathfrak{G}A; 5th century) and [Codex Marchalianus](/source/Codex_Marchalianus) (**Q**; \mathfrak{G}Q; 6th century).[2]

## Parashot

The *[parashah](/source/Parashah)* sections listed here are based on the [Aleppo Codex](/source/Aleppo_Codex).[3] Jeremiah 23 is a part of the *Eighth prophecy ([Jeremiah 21](/source/Jeremiah_21)[-24](/source/Jeremiah_24))* in the section of *Prophecies of Destruction ([Jeremiah 1](/source/Jeremiah_1)-[25](/source/Jeremiah_25))*. {P}: open *parashah*; {S}: closed *parashah*.

- {P} 23:1 {S} 23:2-4 {S} 23:5-6 {P} 23:7-8 {P} 23:9-14 {P} 23:15 {P} 23:16-22 {S} 23:23-29 {S} 23:30-40 {P}

## Structure

The section headings for this chapter in the [New King James Version](/source/New_King_James_Version) are:

- = The Branch of Righteousness
- = False Prophets and Empty Oracles.

The [Jerusalem Bible](/source/Jerusalem_Bible) describes verses 1–8 as a "[messianic](/source/Messiah) oracle",[4] and verses 9-40 as "a tract against the false prophets".[5]

## The Righteous Branch (23:1–8)

### Verse 5

- *"Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord,*
- *"That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness*
- *A King shall reign and prosper,*
- *And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth."*[6]

The ideal of a "great king reigning with justice and righteousness" was founded on the promise of God to [King David](/source/King_David):

- *Your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.*[7]

"Branch" would later become a messianic title (cf. [Zechariah 3:8](/source/Zechariah_3:8) and [6:12](/source/Zechariah_6:12)).[8] The [New Century Version](/source/New_Century_Version) (aimed at younger readers) paraphrases the title as "a good branch in David’s family".[9]

### Verse 6

- *"In His days Judah will be saved,*
- *And Israel will dwell safely;*
- *Now this is His name by which He will be called:* - *THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."*[10]

- "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Hebrew: יהוה צדקנו, ;[11][12] cf. [Jeremiah 33:16](/source/Jeremiah_33:16)) a contrast to the name of [Zedekiah](/source/Zedekiah), meaning "The Lord is My Righteousness" ([Jeremiah 21:1](/source/Jeremiah_21:1)), whose rule (597-586 BC) is "a great misnomer" compared to the "true, righteous rule" by God's appointed king (see also [Isaiah 9:7](/source/Isaiah_9:7); ).[13]

## The lying prophets (23:9–40)

### Verse 30

- *"Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," says the Lord, "who steal My words every one from his neighbor."*

- "Says the Lord": from Hebrew נאם־יהוה, *nə-’um-YHWH*,[14] literally "oracle of the Lord".[15]
- "My words": that is 'their own word that they claim is from the Lord' (cf. [verse 31](#Verse_31)).[16]

### Verse 31

- *"Behold, I am against the prophets," says the Lord, "who use their tongues and say, 'He says.'"*[17]

- "Says the Lord": from Hebrew "*nə-’um-YHWH*", "oracle of the Lord".[18][19] (cf. [verse 30](#Verse_30)).
- "He says": from Hebrew נאם, *nə-’um*,[18] without the qualifying name "the Lord" to suggest the 'delusive nature' of the false prophets' message, that 'they mislead people into believing that their message is from the Lord'.[20]

## See also

- [Baal](/source/Baal)
- [David](/source/David)
- [Gomorrah](/source/Sodom_and_Gomorrah)
- [Israel](/source/Israel)
- [Jerusalem](/source/Jerusalem)
- [Sodom](/source/Sodom_and_Gomorrah)
- [Judah](/source/Kingdom_of_Judah)
- [Samaria](/source/Samaria)

- Related [Bible](/source/Bible) parts: [2 Samuel 7](/source/2_Samuel_7), [Isaiah 4](/source/Isaiah_4), [Isaiah 9](/source/Isaiah_9), [Isaiah 11](/source/Isaiah_11), [Isaiah 53](/source/Isaiah_53), [Jeremiah 33](/source/Jeremiah_33), [Ezekiel 34](/source/Ezekiel_34), [Zechariah 3](/source/Zechariah_3), [Zechariah 6](/source/Zechariah_6), [Matthew 1](/source/Matthew_1), [Luke 3](/source/Luke_3), [Philippians 3](/source/Philippians_3)

## Notes and references

1. Würthwein 1995, pp. 35–37.

1. Würthwein 1995, pp. 73–74.

1. As reflected in the [Jewish Publication Society's 1917 edition of the Hebrew Bible in English](http://mechon-mamre.org/e/et/et0.htm).

1. Jerusalem Bible (1966), sub-heading at Jeremiah 23:1

1. Jerusalem Bible (1966), sub-heading at Jeremiah 23:9

1. NKJV

1. NKJV

1. Jerusalem Bible (1966), footnote a at Jeremiah 23:5

1. : NCV

1. NKJV

1. [Hebrew Text Analysis: Jeremiah 23:6](https://biblehub.com/text/jeremiah/23-6.htm). Biblehub

1. Notes in [New King James Version](/source/New_King_James_Version) on Jeremiah 23:6

1. Coogan 2007, pp. 1114–1116 Hebrew Bible.

1. [Jeremiah 23:30 Hebrew Text Analysis](https://biblehub.com/text/jeremiah/23-30.htm). Biblehub

1. Note [a] on Jeremiah 23:30 in [NET Bible](/source/New_English_Translation)

1. Note [b] on Jeremiah 23:30 in NET Bible

1. NKJV

1. [Jeremiah 23:31 Hebrew Text Analysis](https://biblehub.com/text/jeremiah/23-31.htm). Biblehub

1. Note [a] on Jeremiah 23:31 in NET Bible

1. Note [b] on Jeremiah 23:31 in NET Bible

## Sources

- Coogan, Michael David (2007). [*The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48*](https://books.google.com/books?id=HmpMPgAACAAJ). Augmented 3rd ed. Coogan, Michael David; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann; Perkins, Pheme (eds.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195288810.
- Würthwein, Ernst (1995). [*The Text of the Old Testament*](https://books.google.com/books?id=FSNKSBObCYwC). Translated by Rhodes, Erroll F. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans. ISBN 0-8028-0788-7. Retrieved January 26, 2019.

## External links

### Jewish

- [Jeremiah 23 Hebrew with Parallel English](http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1123.htm)

### Christian

- [Jeremiah 23 English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate](http://www.latinvulgate.com/lv/verse.aspx?t=0&b=28&c=23)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jeremiah 23](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_23) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_23?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.