The Meaning of Jeremiah 23:15 Explained

Jeremiah 23:15

KJV: 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.

YLT: Therefore, thus said Jehovah of Hosts, concerning the prophets: Lo, I am causing them to eat wormwood, And have caused them to drink water of gall, For, from prophets of Jerusalem Hath profanity gone forth to all the land.

Darby: Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.

ASV: Therefore thus saith Jehovah 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 ungodliness gone forth into all the land.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Jeremiah 23:15 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Almighty Yahweh would make the false prophets experience bitterness and tragedy, as when one eats bitter food and drinks poisoned water (cf. Jeremiah 8:14; Jeremiah 9:15), because they had embittered and poisoned the people. He would pollute them because they polluted the people and the land with their sins.
The following message criticizes the false prophets for delivering unauthorized prophecies as though they came from Yahweh ( Jeremiah 23:16-22).

Context Summary

Jeremiah 23:1-40 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 23

1  He prophesies a restoration of the scattered flock
5  Christ shall rule and save them
9  Against false prophets;
33  and mockers of the true prophets

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 23:15 mean?

Therefore thus says Yahweh 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 has gone out Profaneness into all the land -
לָכֵ֞ן כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ עַל־ הַנְּבִאִ֔ים הִנְנִ֨י מַאֲכִ֤יל אוֹתָם֙ לַֽעֲנָ֔ה וְהִשְׁקִתִ֖ים מֵי־ רֹ֑אשׁ כִּ֗י מֵאֵת֙ נְבִיאֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם יָצְאָ֥ה חֲנֻפָּ֖ה לְכָל־ הָאָֽרֶץ פ

כֹּֽה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֨ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָאוֹת֙  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
עַל־  concerning 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַנְּבִאִ֔ים  the  prophets 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
הִנְנִ֨י  behold  I 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
מַאֲכִ֤יל  will  feed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לַֽעֲנָ֔ה  with  wormwood 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: לַעֲנָה  
Sense: wormwood.
וְהִשְׁקִתִ֖ים  and  make  them  drink 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁקָה  
Sense: to give to drink, irrigate, drink, water, cause to drink water.
מֵי־  the  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
רֹ֑אשׁ  of  gall 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ  
Sense: gall, venom, bitter, poisonous.
נְבִיאֵ֣י  the  prophets 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם  of  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
יָצְאָ֥ה  has  gone  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
חֲנֻפָּ֖ה  Profaneness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֲנֻפָּה  
Sense: profaneness, pollution, hypocrisy, godlessness.
לְכָל־  into  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָאָֽרֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation