Jeremiah 29:23because they have worked folly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I didn't command them; and I am he who knows, and am witness, says Yahweh.
The setting
Babylon, ~594 BC. Jewish exiles receive letters from false prophets in Jerusalem claiming God will bring them home soon...
The emotion here: furious at exploitation of desperate people
The original word
nebalah (נְבָלָה) — moral outrage, shameful folly that violates God's covenant
Why it matters
False prophets were charging money for optimistic prophecies while Jeremiah said the exile would last 70 years
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 29:23
These weren't just wrong predictions — they were charging desperate exiles for false hope
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about sexual sin in general, but it's specifically about false prophets who combined sexual immorality with lying prophecies — double betrayal of trust.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 29:23
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 29:23 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 29:23 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Exile 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 prophetic. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include moral failure, false prophecy. Notable phrases: worked folly; committed adultery; spoken falsely. 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 29:23 mean to you, today?
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