The Meaning of Jeremiah 23:22 Explained

Jeremiah 23:22

KJV: But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

YLT: But -- if they stood in My counsel, Then they cause My people to hear My words, And they turn them back from their evil way, And from the evil of their doings.

Darby: But if they had stood in my council, and had caused my people to hear my words, then would they have turned them from their evil way and from the wickedness of their doings.

ASV: But if they had stood in my council, then had they caused my people to hear my words, and had turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But if they had stood  in my counsel,  and had caused my people  to hear  my words,  then they should have turned  them from their evil  way,  and from the evil  of their doings. 

What does Jeremiah 23:22 Mean?

Verse Meaning

If they had listened to the Lord, they would have tried to turn the people back from their evil ways.
"How could a prophet confuse his own word with God"s word? How could a prophet fail to speak condemnation to the sinful, covenant-breaking situation? Perhaps part of the answer was political and economic. The prophets were often part of the establishment; as such they were concerned with the maintenance of the establishment for their own security and well-being. Another part of the issue may have been purely rationalistic: Yes, some of our folks are sinful, but look at the pagans around us; they don"t even worship God, and they practice the grossest of sins; by comparison, we"re good folk and surely God will take that into account. "Our" sins are acceptable, but "their" sins are not. Besides, who wants to hear judgment preached all the time; just preach on the love of God." [1]
The brief message that follows corrected a false view of God that the false prophets were apparently promoting ( Jeremiah 23:23-24).

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 23:22 mean?

But if they had stood in My counsel and had caused to hear My words - My people then they would have turned them from their way evil and from the evil of their doings -
וְאִֽם־ עָמְד֖וּ בְּסוֹדִ֑י וְיַשְׁמִ֤עוּ דְבָרַי֙ אֶת־ עַמִּ֔י וִֽישִׁבוּם֙ מִדַּרְכָּ֣ם הָרָ֔ע וּמֵרֹ֖עַ מַֽעַלְלֵיהֶֽם ס

וְאִֽם־  But  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
עָמְד֖וּ  they  had  stood 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
בְּסוֹדִ֑י  in  My  counsel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: סׄוד  
Sense: council, counsel, assembly.
וְיַשְׁמִ֤עוּ  and  had  caused  to  hear 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
דְבָרַי֙  My  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עַמִּ֔י  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וִֽישִׁבוּם֙  then  they  would  have  turned  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
מִדַּרְכָּ֣ם  from  their  way 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
הָרָ֔ע  evil 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וּמֵרֹ֖עַ  and  from  the  evil 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹעַ  
Sense: badness, evil.
מַֽעַלְלֵיהֶֽם  of  their  doings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מַעֲלִיל 
Sense: deed, practice.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation