The Meaning of Jeremiah 23:33 Explained

Jeremiah 23:33

KJV: And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.

YLT: And when this people, or the prophet, Or a priest, doth ask thee, saying, What is the burden of Jehovah? Then thou hast said unto them: Ye are the burden, and I have left you, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Darby: And when this people, or a prophet, or a priest, ask thee, saying, What is the burden of Jehovah? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even cast you off, saith Jehovah.

ASV: And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of Jehovah? then shalt thou say unto them, What burden! I will cast you off, saith Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when this people,  or the prophet,  or a priest,  shall ask  thee, saying,  What [is] the burden  of the LORD?  thou shalt then say  unto them, What burden?  I will even forsake  you, saith  the LORD. 

What does Jeremiah 23:33 Mean?

Verse Meaning

When the people or the prophets or the priests asked Jeremiah what message he had received from the Lord, he was to reply that the Lord was going to abandon them. When they asked: "What is the burden of the Lord?" he was to respond: "You are a burden to Him and He will cast you off."
The Hebrew word massa", "oracle," comes from the same root as the verb nasa", meaning "to lift, bear, or carry." Usually the noun refers to an imposed burden, imposed by a deity or master. Metaphorically it refers to any heavy burden, such as the burdens of leadership or duty. In the prophets, it often suggests a judgment or catastrophe. Thus an oracle is a burden or depressing message that deals with judgment (cf. Isaiah 15:1; Isaiah 17:1; Isaiah 19:1; et al.).
"Jeremiah"s adversaries-as appears from these verses-used the word "burden" of his prophetic sayings by way of mockery, meaning burdensome prophecies, in order to throw ridicule on the prophet"s speeches, by them regarded as offensive." [1]

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 23:33 mean?

So when ask you people this or the prophet the priest saying what [is] the oracle of Yahweh then you shall say to them - what oracle and even I will forsake you says Yahweh
וְכִי־ יִשְׁאָלְךָ֩ הָעָ֨ם הַזֶּ֜ה אֽוֹ־ הַנָּבִ֤יא כֹהֵן֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מַה־ מַשָּׂ֖א ؟ יְהוָ֑ה וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ אֲלֵיהֶם֙ אֶת־ מַה־ ؟ מַשָּׂ֔א וְנָטַשְׁתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם נְאֻם־ יְהוָֽה

וְכִי־  So  when 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יִשְׁאָלְךָ֩  ask  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁאַל 
Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
הָעָ֨ם  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַזֶּ֜ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
הַנָּבִ֤יא  the  prophet 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
כֹהֵן֙  the  priest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מַה־  what  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
מַשָּׂ֖א  the  oracle 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַשָּׂא 
Sense: load, bearing, tribute, burden, lifting.
؟ יְהוָ֑ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְאָמַרְתָּ֤  then  you  shall  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲלֵיהֶם֙  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
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.
؟ מַשָּׂ֔א  oracle 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַשָּׂא 
Sense: load, bearing, tribute, burden, lifting.
וְנָטַשְׁתִּ֥י  and  even  I  will  forsake 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: נָטַשׁ  
Sense: to leave, permit, forsake, cast off or away, reject, suffer, join, spread out or abroad, be loosed, cease, abandon, quit, hang loose, cast down, make a raid, lie fallow, let fall, forgo, draw.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.