Jeremiah 23:23Am I a God at hand, says Yahweh, and not a God afar off?
The setting
Jerusalem, ~605 BC. God asks a rhetorical question to expose false prophets who act like He doesn't see their deception. Modern-day Israel/Palestine.
The emotion here: righteous indignation mixed with patient love
The original word
qarov (קָרוֹב) — near in space and relationship, like a close friend or neighbor
Why it matters
Ancient gods were thought to be local deities who couldn't see beyond their territories
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 23:23
This isn't comfort — it's a warning that God sees the false prophets' secret schemes
Common misconceptionMost people read this as comfort about God being close, but in context it's actually a threat — God is saying 'I see your lies and schemes, false prophets.'
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 23:23
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 23:23 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 23:23 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include omnipresence, Gods nature, transcendence immanence. Notable phrases: God at hand; God afar off. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same worship
“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:”
— Deuteronomy 6:4
“and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
— Deuteronomy 6:5
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
— John 14:6
“Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."”
— John 8:58
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 23:23 mean to you, today?
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