The Meaning of Jeremiah 23:9 Explained

Jeremiah 23:9

KJV: Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.

YLT: In reference to the prophets: Broken hath been my heart in my midst, Fluttered have all my bones, I have been as a man -- a drunkard, And as a man -- wine hath passed over him, Because of Jehovah, and of His holy words.

Darby: Concerning the prophets: My heart within me is broken; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome; because of Jehovah, and because of the words of his holiness.

ASV: Concerning the prophets. My heart within me is broken, all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of Jehovah, and because of his holy words.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Mine heart  within  me is broken  because of the prophets;  all my bones  shake;  I am like a drunken  man,  and like a man  whom wine  hath overcome,  because  of the LORD,  and because of the words  of his holiness. 

What does Jeremiah 23:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jeremiah had become like a drunken Prayer of Manasseh , in the sense that the prophecies God had given him concerning the false prophets sent him reeling. They disturbed his mind deeply and broke his heart. This verse serves as a superscription for the entire series of prophecies about the false prophets that follows in Jeremiah 23:10-40.

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 23:9 mean?

Because of the prophets is broken My heart within me shake all my bones I am like a man drunken and like a man whom has overcome wine because of Yahweh and because of words His holy
לַנְּבִאִ֞ים נִשְׁבַּ֧ר לִבִּ֣י בְקִרְבִּ֗י רָֽחֲפוּ֙ כָּל־ עַצְמוֹתַ֔י הָיִ֙יתִי֙ כְּאִ֣ישׁ שִׁכּ֔וֹר וּכְגֶ֖בֶר עֲבָ֣רוֹ יָ֑יִן מִפְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וּמִפְּנֵ֖י דִּבְרֵ֥י קָדְשֽׁוֹ

לַנְּבִאִ֞ים  Because  of  the  prophets 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
נִשְׁבַּ֧ר  is  broken 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
לִבִּ֣י  My  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
בְקִרְבִּ֗י  within  me 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.
רָֽחֲפוּ֙  shake 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָחַף 
Sense: (Qal) to grow soft, relax.
עַצְמוֹתַ֔י  my  bones 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
הָיִ֙יתִי֙  I  am 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כְּאִ֣ישׁ  like  a  man 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
שִׁכּ֔וֹר  drunken 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: שִׁכֹּור  
Sense: drunken.
וּכְגֶ֖בֶר  and  like  a  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֶּבֶר  
Sense: man, strong man, warrior (emphasising strength or ability to fight).
עֲבָ֣רוֹ  whom  has  overcome 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
יָ֑יִן  wine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַיִן  
Sense: wine.
מִפְּנֵ֣י  because 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וּמִפְּנֵ֖י  and  because 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
דִּבְרֵ֥י  of  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
קָדְשֽׁוֹ  His  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.