The Meaning of Jeremiah 23:10 Explained

Jeremiah 23:10

KJV: For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.

YLT: For of adulterers hath the land been full, For because of these hath the land mourned, Dried up hath been the pleasant places of the wilderness, And their course is evil, and their might -- not right.

Darby: For the land is full of adulterers; for because of execration the land mourneth. The pastures of the wilderness are dried up; for their course is evil, and their force is not right.

ASV: For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. And their course is evil, and their might is not right;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For the land  is full  of adulterers;  for because  of swearing  the land  mourneth;  the pleasant places  of the wilderness  are dried up,  and their course  is evil,  and their force  [is] not right. 

What does Jeremiah 23:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The false prophets were unfaithful to the Lord in their attachment to pagan deities. They were off course in their direction, and they were strong only in doing wrong. The evidence of their corruption was the curse that the land was experiencing for the people"s departing from the Mosaic Covenant. Baal was supposed to produce fertility, but worshipping him had only resulted in parched and barren land for Judah.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 23:1-12 - 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.
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 23:10 mean?

For adulterers is full of the land for because of an oath mourns the land are dried up the pleasant places of the wilderness and is their course of [life] evil and their might [is] not right
כִּ֤י מְנָֽאֲפִים֙ מָלְאָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּֽי־ מִפְּנֵ֤י אָלָה֙ אָבְלָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ יָבְשׁ֖וּ נְא֣וֹת מִדְבָּ֑ר וַתְּהִ֤י מְרֽוּצָתָם֙ רָעָ֔ה וּגְבוּרָתָ֖ם לֹא־ כֵֽן

מְנָֽאֲפִים֙  adulterers 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: נָאַף  
Sense: to commit adultery.
מָלְאָ֣ה  is  full 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִפְּנֵ֤י  because 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אָלָה֙  of  an  oath 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָלָה  
Sense: oath.
אָבְלָ֣ה  mourns 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָבַל 
Sense: to mourn, lament.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יָבְשׁ֖וּ  are  dried  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָבֵשׁ  
Sense: to make dry, wither, be dry, become dry, be dried up, be withered.
נְא֣וֹת  the  pleasant  places 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: נָוָה  
Sense: .
מִדְבָּ֑ר  of  the  wilderness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
וַתְּהִ֤י  and  is 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מְרֽוּצָתָם֙  their  course  of  [life] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מְרוּצָה  
Sense: running, course (of life).
רָעָ֔ה  evil 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וּגְבוּרָתָ֖ם  and  their  might  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: גְּבוּרָה  
Sense: strength, might.
כֵֽן  right 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.