Jeremiah 23:14In the prophets of Jerusalem also I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies; and they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that none does return from his wickedness: they are all of them become to me as Sodom, and its inhabitants as Gomorrah.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~605 BC. Temple still standing but corruption rampant among religious elite. Jeremiah witnesses moral collapse in God's own house. Modern Jerusalem's Western Wall area.
The emotion here: devastated watching his beloved Jerusalem become Sodom through spiritual malpractice
The original word
sha'arurah (שַׁעֲרוּרָה) — horrible thing; something that makes your hair stand on end with revulsion
Why it matters
Jerusalem's prophets were worse than Samaria's—they knew better but chose corruption anyway
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 23:14
They 'strengthen the hands of evildoers'—their sin gave permission for everyone else's sin
Common misconceptionPeople think religious hypocrisy proves God doesn't exist, but God Himself is the one exposing and judging it here. Hypocrisy grieves God more than anyone.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 23:14
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 23:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 23:14 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Yahweh. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include moral corruption, false prophecy. Notable phrases: commit adultery; walk in lies; strengthen evildoers. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 23:14 mean to you, today?
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