New International Version
Jeremiah 23:36
36But you must not mention ‘a message from the Lord’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort the words of the living God, the Lord Almighty, our God.
Jeremiah 23:36 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the burden of the Lord shall ye mention no more: for every man’s word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the Lord of hosts our God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But 'the burden of the Lord' you shall mention no more, for the burden is every man's own word, and you pervert the words of the living God, the Lord of hosts, our God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the oracle of the Lord you shall mention no more. For every man’s word will be his oracle, for you have perverted the words of the living God, the Lord of hosts, our God.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But stop using this phrase, ‘prophecy from the Lord.’ For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Context of Jeremiah 23:36
34If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ I will punish them and their household. 35This is what each of you keeps saying to your friends and other Israelites: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ But you must not mention ‘a message from the Lord’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort the words of the living God, the Lord Almighty, our God. 37This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the Lord’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ this is what the Lord says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord.’
Read all of Jeremiah 23Jeremiah 23:36 word by word
וּמַשָּׂ֥א יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֣א תִזְכְּרוּ־ע֑וֹד כִּ֣י הַמַּשָּׂ֗א יִֽהְיֶה֙ לְאִ֣ישׁ דְּבָר֔וֹ וַהֲפַכְתֶּ֗ם אֶת־דִּבְרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים חַיִּ֔ים יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the burdenמַשָּׂאmaώώâ' · oracleH4853
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- shall ye mentionזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
- no more: for every man’sאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- for ye have pervertedהָפַךְhâphak · to overturnH2015
- of the livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
Cross-references for Jeremiah 23:36
- Psalms 12:3May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue—
- Psalms 64:8He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
- Psalms 120:3What will he do to you, and what more besides, you deceitful tongue?
- Psalms 149:9to carry out the sentence written against them— this is the glory of all his faithful people. Praise the Lord.
- Proverbs 17:20One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper; one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.
- Isaiah 3:8Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling; their words and deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence.
- Matthew 12:36But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
- Luke 19:22“His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?
- 2 Peter 2:17These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.
- Isaiah 28:13So then, the word of the Lord to them will become: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there— so that as they go they will fall backward; they will be injured and snared and captured.
- Galatians 1:7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.
- Galatians 6:5for each one should carry their own load.
- 2 Peter 3:16He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
- Jeremiah 10:10But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath.
- Deuteronomy 5:26For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?
- 1 Samuel 17:26David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
Commentaries on Jeremiah 23:36
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 36Every man's word shall be his burden - Ye say that all God's messages are burdens, and to you they shall be such: whereas, had you used them as you ought, they would have been blessings to you. For ye have perverted the words of the living God - And thus have sinned against your own souls.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 36Every man‘s word - Rather, every man‘s burden shall be his word; i. e., his mocking use of the word “burden” shall weigh him down and crush him. Perverted - i. e., put into a ridiculous light.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 33-40Verses 33-40 Those are miserable indeed who are forsaken and forgotten of God; and men's jesting at God's judgments will not baffle them. God had taken Israel to be a people near to him, but they shall now be cast out of his presence. It is a mark of great and daring impiety for men to jest with the words of God. Every idle and profane word will add to the sinner's burden in the day of judgment, when everlasting shame will be his portion.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 36The Lord warned that no one should claim to have a prophecy from Him to control others. This would go against God's words and misuse His name (Exodus 20:7; see also Matthew 20:25–28).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3636. every man's word ... his burden--As they mockingly call all prophecies burdens, as if calamities were the sole subject of prophecy, so it shall prove to them. God will take them at their own word. living God--not lifeless as their dumb idols, ever living so as to be able to punish.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 23:36
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries