The Meaning of Jeremiah 29:23 Explained

Jeremiah 29:23

KJV: Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.

YLT: Because that they have done folly in Israel, and commit adultery with the wives of their neighbours, and speak a word in My name falsely that I have not commanded them, and I am He who knoweth and a witness -- an affirmation of Jehovah.

Darby: because they have committed infamy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken words of falsehood in my name, which I had not commanded them: and I am he that knoweth, and am witness, saith Jehovah.

ASV: because they have wrought folly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors wives, and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I commanded them not; and I am he that knoweth, and am witness, saith Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Because they have committed  villany  in Israel,  and have committed  adultery  with their neighbours'  wives,  and have spoken  lying  words  in my name,  which I have not commanded  them; even I know,  and [am] a witness,  saith  the LORD. 

What does Jeremiah 29:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Jeremiah 29:1-32 - 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 29

1  Jeremiah sends a letter to the captives in Babylon to be quiet there,
8  and not to believe the dreams of their prophets;
10  and that they shall return with grace after seventy years
15  He foretells the destruction of the rest for their disobedience
20  He shows the fearful end of Ahab and Zedekiah, two false prophets
24  Shemaiah writes a letter against Jeremiah
30  Jeremiah foretells his doom

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 29:23 mean?

because that they have done disgraceful [things] in Israel and have committed adultery with wives their neighbors' and have spoken words in My name lying which not I have commanded them and indeed I he knows know and [am] a witness says Yahweh -
יַ֡עַן אֲשֶׁר֩ עָשׂ֨וּ נְבָלָ֜ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וַיְנַֽאֲפוּ֙ אֶת־ נְשֵׁ֣י רֵֽעֵיהֶ֔ם וַיְדַבְּר֨וּ דָבָ֤ר בִּשְׁמִי֙ שֶׁ֔קֶר אֲשֶׁ֖ר ל֣וֹא צִוִּיתִ֑ם וְאָנֹכִ֛י [הוידע] (הַיּוֹדֵ֥עַ) וָעֵ֖ד נְאֻם־ יְהוָֽה ס

יַ֡עַן  because 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַעַן  
Sense: because, therefore, because that, on account of prep.
אֲשֶׁר֩  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָשׂ֨וּ  they  have  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
נְבָלָ֜ה  disgraceful  [things] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְבָלָה  
Sense: senselessness, folly.
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  in  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וַיְנַֽאֲפוּ֙  and  have  committed  adultery 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָאַף  
Sense: to commit adultery.
נְשֵׁ֣י  wives 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
רֵֽעֵיהֶ֔ם  their  neighbors' 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
וַיְדַבְּר֨וּ  and  have  spoken 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
דָבָ֤ר  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
בִּשְׁמִי֙  in  My  name 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
שֶׁ֔קֶר  lying 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁקֶר  
Sense: lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood.
צִוִּיתִ֑ם  I  have  commanded  them 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
וְאָנֹכִ֛י  and  indeed  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
[הוידע]  he  knows 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
(הַיּוֹדֵ֥עַ)  know 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וָעֵ֖ד  and  [am]  a  witness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵד  
Sense: witness.
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.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation