Jeremiah 23:15
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.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
Jeremiah prophesied during Judah's final decades before Babylonian exile (627-586 BC). Chapter 23 condemns false prophets who proclaimed peace when judgment was imminent (v. 17). While Jeremiah warned of coming destruction due to covenant unfaithfulness, popular prophets like Hananiah contradicted him, promising quick deliverance (Jeremiah 28).
These false prophets were often court officials or temple functionaries who told kings what they wanted to hear rather than God's truth. Their lies had catastrophic consequences—the nation refused to repent, believing false assurances of safety, and consequently faced Babylonian conquest and exile. Archaeological evidence from this period shows Judah's fortified cities were violently destroyed, confirming Jeremiah's warnings came true.
The metaphor of wormwood and gall was visceral to Jeremiah's audience. These substances were associated with divine judgment throughout Scripture (Deuteronomy 29:18, Lamentations 3:15, 19). The ironic justice is striking—prophets who fed people spiritual poison will themselves drink literal poison. This judgment fulfilled when false prophets were among those killed or exiled by Babylon. The passage warns every generation against preferring pleasant lies to uncomfortable truth.
Questions for Reflection
- How can you discern between true biblical teaching and false prophets who tell people what they want to hear?
- What 'profaneness' might be spreading in contemporary Christian circles that resembles Jerusalem's false prophets?
- How does this verse challenge the modern tendency to avoid 'negative' preaching about sin and judgment?
- What responsibility do spiritual leaders bear for the health or corruption of communities under their influence?
- How can we cultivate hunger for God's truth even when it's uncomfortable, rather than preferring comforting lies?
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Analysis & Commentary
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. This divine judgment oracle targets false prophets. "LORD of hosts" (Yahweh Tseva'ot, יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת) invokes God's military might—the commander of heavenly armies pronounces sentence. "Behold" (hineni, הִנְנִי, "here I am") signals imminent divine action.
"Wormwood" (la'anah, לַעֲנָה) is a bitter, potentially poisonous plant symbolizing bitterness and sorrow (Deuteronomy 29:18, Amos 5:7). "Water of gall" (mei-rosh, מֵי־רֹאשׁ) refers to poisoned water, possibly hemlock. Together they depict divine judgment as the prophets will taste the bitter fruit of their false teaching—they fed people lies, now God feeds them poison.
The charge is devastating: "from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land." The Hebrew chanuphah (חֲנֻפָּה, "profaneness") means godlessness, pollution, or hypocrisy. These religious leaders, who should have been fountains of truth, became sources of corruption spreading throughout Judah. This echoes Jesus' condemnation of scribes and Pharisees as "blind guides" (Matthew 23:16). False teaching poisons communities and nations, making its purveyors doubly accountable (James 3:1).