Jeremiah 14:18 Meaning: When Prophets and Priests Have No Knowledge
If I go out into the field, then behold, the slain with the sword! If I enter into the city, then behold, those who are sick with famine! For both the prophet and the priest go about in the land, and have no knowledge.’”
If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.
If I go forth into the field, then, behold, the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then, behold, they that are sick with famine! for both the prophet and the priest go about in the land, and have no knowledge.
If I have gone forth to the field, Then, lo, the pierced of the sword! And if I have entered the city, Then, lo, the diseased of famine! For both prophet and priest have gone up and down Unto a land that they knew not.
If I go forth into the field, behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, behold them that pine away with famine! For both prophet and priest shall go about into a land that they know not.
Meaning in one sentence
Jeremiah 14:18 shows the prophet's despair: sword in the field, famine in the city, and leaders who 'have no knowledge.' What does this mean?
Context
The chapter opens with the Lord telling Jeremiah of a severe drought. The people's sin has brought judgment, and false prophets have been promising peace that will not come. The prophet intercedes, but the Lord tells him not to pray for this people; their destruction is certain.
In verse 18, Jeremiah describes the horror he sees everywhere. Outside the city, the sword kills those who try to flee. Inside, famine leaves people starving in the streets. And the prophets and priests, who should guide the people, are either wandering into exile or trafficking in lies, they have no true knowledge of God or of what is happening. This lament sets the stage for the people's confession of sin in verse 20.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb sāḥar (to go about) carries an important double meaning. It normally means to travel around for trade, to peddle goods. Some commentators think the prophets and priests are going about the land peddling their false messages like merchants, blind to the misery around them. Others read it as simply wandering, forced into exile, a land they do not know.
The word for knowledge is yāda‘, a deep, intimate knowing. It is the word used for knowing God in covenant relationship. These leaders do not lack information; they lack true relationship with God. They cannot see His hand in judgment, and they have no wisdom to comfort His people.
And the word hinnēh (behold) appears twice. It is not a quiet glance. It pictures a sudden, shocking sight, a dead body, a starving child. The prophet cannot unsee what he sees.
These words together paint a scene of total brokenness: spiritual leaders without God, and a people without hope.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this verse with different emphases. Many Reformed commentators, including John Calvin and Matthew Henry, understand the phrase to mean exile: the prophets and priests are forced to go into a foreign land, one they do not know. This fits the larger story of judgment and deportation.
Others, such as the Anglican Cambridge Bible and the Baptist commentator John Gill, suggest the Hebrew verb sāḥar means to traffic or trade. In this reading, the leaders go about peddling their false teachings for profit, showing no concern for the nation's suffering (see Jeremiah 5:31 and 6:13). Both readings agree on one thing: those who should know God best are utterly lost.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is to take “have no knowledge” as a simple lack of information, perhaps that the prophets and priests did not know about the famine or the invasion. In fact, the word for knowledge (yāda‘) points to deep, covenantal knowing. The tragedy is not that they missed a news report. It is that they do not know God, and so they cannot guide His people. Their blindness is spiritual, not merely intellectual.
Living This Out
This week, you may find yourself in a situation where the people who should bring wisdom seem confused or even harmful. A leader who ignores suffering. A teacher who offers easy answers while the world burns. Instead of despairing silently, bring your lament to God as Jeremiah did. You do not need to fix the problem; you can just tell Him what you see.
And ask yourself: have I been going through the motions of faith without truly knowing God? The prophet’s cry is a call to examine our own knowledge. Not how much we know about God, but whether we know Him in the hard places.
Main takeaway: When spiritual leaders fail to know God, the only honest response is to bring our lament to Him and confess that we need His knowledge.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jeremiah was very sad because there was war and no food. Even the leaders didn't understand what was happening. But Jeremiah talked to God about it.
For ages 9, 12
Jeremiah saw terrible things: people killed by soldiers in the fields, and people starving in the city. The priests and prophets, who were supposed to lead the people to God, either were taken away or didn't understand what was happening. This shows us that even when things are very bad, we can tell God how we feel, just like Jeremiah did. He didn't pretend everything was fine.
Questions People Ask
What does 'go about in the land and have no knowledge' mean in Jeremiah 14:18?
It is debated. Some Christians, like John Calvin, take it to mean the priests and prophets are exiled to a foreign land they do not know. Others understand 'go about' as a trade word: they are peddling false teachings for profit and have no true knowledge of God or the people's suffering.
Why are the prophet and priest singled out in this verse?
These were the spiritual leaders of Israel. Prophets were supposed to speak God's word, and priests were to teach the law and offer sacrifices. That they 'have no knowledge' shows the depth of the nation's crisis, even those who should know God best are blind or gone.
Is this verse talking about false prophets or true ones?
Commentators differ. Gill and others think the verse refers to false prophets who led the people astray and now go into exile as punishment. However, some suggest it could include true prophets like Jeremiah himself, who suffered alongside the people, but the context of the chapter points specifically to the false prophets condemned in verses 14, 15.
What is the context of Jeremiah 14:18?
It comes during a severe drought and impending Babylonian invasion. The Lord has rejected the people's worship because of their sin and refusal to repent. Jeremiah intercedes for them, but is told not to pray for their good. This verse is part of his lament describing the devastation everywhere he looks.
Why is there sword in the field and famine in the city?
It depicts the two main judgments God warned about: enemy armies (sword) outside the city walls, and the resulting starvation (famine) inside the besieged city. There is nowhere to flee. The phrase emphasizes total destruction with no escape, which matches earlier warnings in Deuteronomy 28.
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