Jeremiah 23:23
Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?
Original Language Analysis
אֱלֹהֵ֖י
Am I a God
H430
אֱלֹהֵ֖י
Am I a God
Strong's:
H430
Word #:
1 of 8
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of
יְהוָ֑ה
the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֑ה
the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
5 of 8
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
וְלֹ֥א
H3808
וְלֹ֥א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
6 of 8
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern religions featured local deities tied to territories or temples. Judah's false prophets treated Yahweh as Jerusalem's local deity rather than universal sovereign. This enabled false prophecies—if God is only 'at hand' in the temple, covenant breaking elsewhere goes unpunished.
Questions for Reflection
- Do you treat God as manageable and domesticated or as irrelevant and distant?
- How does God's simultaneous nearness and farness affect private thoughts and secret actions?
- What errors result from emphasizing immanence without transcendence?
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Analysis & Commentary
Am I a God at hand...and not a God afar off? (הַאֱלֹהֵי מִקָּרֹב...וְלֹא אֱלֹהֵי מֵרָחֹק, ha'elohei miqqarov...v'lo elohei merachoq)—the contrast between near (קָרוֹב) and far (רָחוֹק) addresses theological error. False prophets presumed God was either too distant to notice lies or too local to judge beyond Jerusalem. The rhetorical question asserts both divine immanence and transcendence.
Yahweh is simultaneously intimate enough to hear whispered lies and vast enough to fill heaven and earth. This challenges deism (distant God) and parochialism (tribal deity). Psalm 139 explores this paradox—God's omnipresence means no escape exists. Modern attempts to domesticate God into manageable categories commit the same error.