Jeremiah 23:13 Meaning: The Folly That Led Israel Astray

Three Hebrew words carry the weight of this verse, and each one matters.

The word translated 'folly' is tiphlah (תפלה). It does not mean mere foolishness, it means something unsavoury, like food that has lost its salt. A prophet was supposed to bring the seasoning of God's truth to a bland world. These prophets had become tasteless, good for nothing.

The verb 'prophesied by Baal' uses the name of a dead idol. Baal was a Canaanite storm god, a thing of wood and stone. Yet these men claimed to speak in his name. They were not just wrong; they were giving divine authority to a lie.

Finally, the verb translated 'caused to err' is ta'ah (תעה), it means to wander, to stagger like a drunkard, to be lost. The prophets did not simply disagree with God; they took people who knew the way and left them wandering in the dark.

Christians across traditions have read this verse carefully. Reformed commentators like Calvin and the Geneva Bible emphasize that God is making a deliberate comparison, Samaria's prophets were bad, but Jerusalem's were worse. That comparison drives home the point: no one gets to point fingers at another's failure while committing the same sin in a more refined form.

Other scholars, including Matthew Henry and Gill, focus on the nature of the false prophecy itself. They note that prophesying by Baal was not just a doctrinal mistake; it was a betrayal of the covenant. These prophets took the very language of prophecy, 'Thus says the LORD', and attached it to a rival god. That act poisoned the well of truth for an entire nation.

Some readers assume that the 'folly' here simply means a bad decision or a lack of wisdom. In fact, the Hebrew word tiphlah is stronger, it means something insipid, rotten, morally empty. These prophets were not just foolish; they were spiritually putrid. And when the verse says they 'caused my people Israel to err,' the word means to wander off like lost sheep, not merely to be confused. This is about leading people into permanent estrangement from God.

This week, pay attention to the voices you trust and the words you pass on. The prophets of Samaria told people what they wanted to hear, that Baal could bring rain and crops, and the people followed them right into exile. You may not face a literal Baal, but you face the same temptation: to say what is comfortable instead of what is true, or to listen to voices that tickle your ears rather than feed your soul.

Ask yourself: Does this teaching, this podcast, this conversation actually draw me closer to God? Or does it make me wander? The question matters because what you receive, you are likely to pass on to someone else.