Jeremiah 23:14 · Bible study
Jeremiah 23:14 Commentary: Worse Than Samaria, Like Sodom
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God charges Jerusalem's prophets with adultery, lies, and enabling evil, declaring them like Sodom and Gomorrah. Why their sin is greater than Samaria's.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God condemns Jerusalem's prophets for personal sin (adultery, deceit) and for enabling others to persist in evil, declaring them as guilty as Sodom.
- Key words: 'horrible thing' (sha'arurah, filthiness, stench), 'strengthen' (chazak, support, harden), 'like Sodom' (proverbial for corruption and judgment).
- Main debate: Whether 'adultery' is literal or includes spiritual unfaithfulness; most commentators take it literally.
- Theological theme: Greater privilege brings greater accountability; corrupt spiritual leadership blocks repentance and invites divine judgment.
- Best use: A stark warning to religious leaders and to any who wield influence, silence or false comfort can be a form of strengthening evil.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns his back on wickedness. They are all like Sodom to Me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
In the prophets of Jerusalem I have also seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one returns from his wickedness. They have all become to me as Sodom, and its inhabitants as Gomorrah.”
KJV King James Version 1769
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
In the prophets of Jerusalem also I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies; and they strengthen the hands of evil-doers, so that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them become unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And in prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing, Committing adultery, and walking falsely, Yea, they strengthened the hands of evil doers, So that they have not turned back Each from his wickedness, They have been to me--all of them--as Sodom, And its inhabitants as Gomorrah.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And in the prophets of Jerusalem have I seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in falsehood, and strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that none doth return from his wickedness. They are all become unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And I have seen the likeness of adulterers, and the way of lying in the prophets of Jerusalem: and they strengthened the hands of the wicked, that no man should return from his evil doings, they are all become unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrha.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y en los profetas de Jerusalem he visto torpezas: cometían adulterios, y andaban en mentiras, y esforzaban las manos de los malos, para que ninguno se convirtiese de su malicia: fuéronme todos ellos como Sodoma, y sus moradores como Gomorra.
Mas nos profetas de Jerusalém tenho vejo coisas horríveis: cometem adultérios, e andam com falsidade, e fortalecem as mãos dos malfeitores, para que ninguém se converta de sua maldade. Para mim, todos eles são como Sodoma, e seus moradores como Gomorra.
Mais dans les prophètes de Jérusalem j’ ai vu des choses horribles;
aber bei den Propheten zu Jerusalem sehe ich Greuel, wie sie ehebrechen und gehen mit Lügen um und stärken die Boshaften, auf daß sich ja niemand bekehre von seiner Bosheit. Sie sind alle vor mir gleichwie Sodom, und die Bürger zu Jerusalem wie Gomorra.
Maar in de profeten van Jeruzalem zie Ik afschuwelijkheid; zij bedrijven overspel, en gaan om met valsheid, en sterken de handen der boosdoeners, opdat zij zich niet bekeren, een iegelijk van zijn boosheid; zij allen zijn Mij als Sodom, en haar inwoners als Gomorra.
Ma fra i profeti di Gerusalemme ho visto cose nefande: commettono adulteri, procedono con falsità, fortificano le mani de’ malfattori, talché nessuno si converte dalla sua malvagità; tutti quanti sono per me come Sodoma, e gli abitanti di Gerusalemme, come quei di Gomorra.
Ale przy prorokach Jeruzalemskich widzę rzecz brzydką, że cudzołożąc i kłamliwie się obchodząc utwierdzają też ręce złośników, aby się nie nawracali żaden od złości swojej; stali się wszyscy przedemną jako Sodoma, a obywatele jego jako Gomora.
Но в пророках Иерусалима вижу ужасное: они прелюбодействуют и ходят во лжи, поддерживают руки злодеев, чтобы никто не обращался от своего нечестия; все они предо Мною - как Содом, и жители его - как Гоморра.
我在耶路撒冷 的先知中 曾見 可憎惡的事；他們行姦淫，做事 虛妄，又堅固 惡人 的手，甚至無 人 回頭 離開他的惡。他們 在我面前 都 像所多瑪；耶路撒冷的居民 都像蛾摩拉。
And in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a shocking thing; they are untrue to their wives, walking in deceit, and they make strong the hands of evil-doers, so that a man may not be turned back from his evil-doing: they have all become like Sodom to me, and its people like Gomorrah.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 23:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse delivers God's harshest indictment of Jerusalem's prophets. Barnes highlights that they are 'more strongly condemned' than the Baal-prophets of Samaria because their corruption came from within the temple, where pure worship was professed. Calvin explains how they 'dissimulated', ignoring adultery and fraud, then 'undertook the patronizing of the wicked,' removing both fear and shame so sinners grew bolder. Gill specifies they 'hardened them in sin' through false doctrines that excused evil and through their own bad example. Clarke sums up the comparison: the prophets of Jerusalem, despite their privileged position, have become 'as corrupt as the prophets of Samaria', indeed, 'incorrigible, brutish sinners' meriting destruction like Sodom. The core consensus is that Jerusalem's prophets are worse because they held greater privilege (the temple, God's word) and actively prevented repentance.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal moral corruption: The Hebrew verbs for adultery and walking in lies, together with the context of the land being full of adulterers (v.10), point to concrete sexual and verbal sins. This view is held by most traditional commentators (Gill, Calvin, Barnes).
- Inclusion of spiritual apostasy: Some readers see the adultery as also symbolising unfaithfulness to God, since the prophets spoke false visions and led the people astray (vv.16–17). The comparison with Samaria's Baal-worship in v.13 supports a broader meaning.
What is clear: God condemns Jerusalem's prophets for actively preventing repentance through both their own sin and their influence, declaring them comparable to Sodom in guilt and impending judgment.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Comparison with Samaria | Jerusalem's prophets are worse than Samaria's because they had the temple, true worship, and greater knowledge of God. | Some see the difference as a matter of degree (both guilty, but Jerusalem more so); others argue Jerusalem's sin is qualitatively worse because it is a betrayal from within the covenant community. |
| Nature of adultery | The text charges prophets with literal marital unfaithfulness, consistent with the land being 'full of adulterers' (v.10). | A minority of interpreters read adultery as primarily spiritual, the prophets' unfaithfulness to God through idolatry, but this does not exclude literal sin. |
| Meaning of 'as Sodom' | The comparison includes both sinfulness and deserved judgment; Sodom is the ultimate negative example in the Old Testament. | Some emphasise the likeness in guilt (they have become as wicked as Sodom); others stress the certainty of punishment (they will be destroyed as Sodom was). |
| Whom 'all of them' refers to | The prophets are the primary subject, but the corruption has spread to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. | Barnes and Calvin argue 'all of them' includes both prophets and people; Gill restricts it to the prophets, comparing them specifically to the men of Sodom. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah ministered during the final decades of Judah, likely in Zedekiah's reign when the nation's collapse was imminent. Chapter 23 follows a series of oracles against corrupt kings and turns to the prophets, those who claimed to speak for God but delivered messages of false peace (v.17). Verse 13 sets the contrast: the prophets of Samaria (the northern kingdom, already destroyed by Assyria) prophesied by Baal and led Israel astray. But now the LORD says he has seen something 'horrible' in Jerusalem's prophets.
The word 'horrible' (sha'arurah) appears only here and in Jeremiah 5:30. It conveys filthiness, stench, something that makes the hair stand on end (Gill). This is no mere mistake; it is moral shock. The sins named, adultery and walking in lies, are concrete. Adultery likely refers to literal marital unfaithfulness, not only spiritual unfaithfulness (see v.10 where 'the land is full of adulterers'). Walking in lies includes both deception in daily life and false prophecy in God's name.
The phrase 'strengthen the hands of evildoers' uses the Hebrew verb chazak, meaning to make strong, support, or encourage. Calvin notes the prophets did this by removing shame and fear; Gill adds that false doctrines extolling sin or promising peace hardened sinners. The result: 'no one returns from his wickedness', the Hebrew verb shuv (to turn back, repent) is negated entirely. The prophets' influence blocked any possibility of reform.
The comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah is devastating. These cities were proverbial for sin and sudden divine judgment (Genesis 18, 19; also Isaiah 1:9, 10). By declaring Jerusalem's prophets and inhabitants 'as Sodom and Gomorrah,' God pronounces them equally corrupt and equally doomed.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Jeremiah 23:14. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges mentions that the surrounding passage (vv.9, 40) may contain later expansions, but the verse itself is well-attested in the Masoretic Text and ancient versions. The word sha'arurah ('horrible thing') is rare, but its reading is secure.
Reception History
This verse has served across Christian history as a sharp warning to religious leaders. Early church writers used it to condemn clergy whose lives contradicted their teaching. During the Reformation, it was cited against priests and prophets who preached a false peace instead of calling for repentance. Puritan commentators such as Matthew Henry applied it to any who 'strengthen the hands of evildoers' by neglecting rebuke. In modern contexts, the verse is often invoked when spiritual scandals come to light, reminding readers that God sees the hidden alliances between leadership and wickedness.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- A horrible sight, God sees what others might excuse: prophets committing adultery and walking in lies. Their sin is not hidden from heaven.
- A corrupting influence, They strengthen the hands of evildoers instead of calling them to repentance. By their teaching and example, they block the path back to God.
- A just verdict, To God, these leaders have become like Sodom. The same judgment that fell on those ancient cities now hangs over Jerusalem.
Five-point outline
- The setting: Jerusalem, the city of the temple, where God's word should have been honoured.
- The shock: God himself says he has seen a 'horrible thing', a rupture in the covenant relationship.
- The sins: Adultery (broken faith) and lies (broken truth).
- The spread: Evil goes unchecked; sinners are emboldened; no one repents.
- The sentence: Like Sodom and Gomorrah, utter corruption, utter judgment.
Illustration hooks
- A respected company director who quietly overlooks fraud in his department, telling himself it keeps the business running. The team sees his silence as permission.
- A coach who winks at a star player's fouls: 'Winning matters more.' The rest of the team takes it as licence to cut corners.
- In a church, a leader who preaches only comfort and never challenge. After months of soothing messages, no one confesses sin or changes direction.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can we tell when a teacher is giving false peace instead of God's true word?
- In what subtle ways might we strengthen evildoers without realising it, through silence, approval, or bad example?
- Why does God see Judah's sin as worse than Samaria's? What does that say about the dangers of religious privilege?
Leading a Discussion
In Jeremiah 23:14, God levels a charge that is both personal and corporate. Jerusalem's prophets were not just weak; they actively hindered repentance. This small-group guide invites honest reflection about influence, truth-telling, and the cost of false assurance.
Discussion questions
- Read the verse aloud. What stands out to you first? Why does Jeremiah call this a 'horrible thing'?
- Compare verse 13 (Samaria's prophets) with verse 14. How is Jerusalem's sin different, and why does that make it worse?
- What does 'strengthen the hands of evildoers' look like in everyday life? Give an example from your own experience (without naming people).
- Calvin wrote that these prophets removed 'fear and shame' from sinners. How does that happen today, in families, workplaces, or churches?
- The verse ends with 'as Sodom and Gomorrah.' Is God speaking about their sin, their punishment, or both? Why does it matter?
- If you were a faithful person in Jeremiah's Jerusalem, how would this message challenge you? What would it call you to do?
- What safeguards can we put in place so that we do not become people who make it easier for others to sin?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 13:13 | Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against Yahweh. |
| Genesis 18:20 | Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, |
| Deuteronomy 32:32 | For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, of the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poison grapes. Their clusters are bitter. |
| Isaiah 1:9 | Unless Yahweh of Armies had left to us a very small remnant, we would have been as Sodom. We would have been like Gomorrah. |
| Isaiah 1:10 | Hear Yahweh’s word, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! |
| Isaiah 41:6 | Everyone helps his neighbor. They say to their brothers, “Be strong!” |
| Isaiah 41:7 | So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith. He who smooths with the hammer encourages him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good;” and he fastens it with nails, that it might not totter. |
| Jeremiah 5:30 | “An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights that the prophets in Jerusalem, despite claiming a purer faith, had sunk to the same moral corruption as the prophets in Samaria. In God's eyes they were like Sodom—incorrigible sinners doomed to certain destruction.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that Jerusalem's prophets are condemned more severely than the Baal-priests. They strengthen sinners not only by failing to warn and rebuke, but also through their own corrupt example. And the judgment extends to the whole city: the people, not just the prophets, have all become guilty.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that the prophets did more than tolerate sin; they actively encouraged the wicked by removing their fear and shame. By strengthening the hands of the ungodly, they gave them boldness to persist in evil. God declares these prophets and people deserve the same devastating judgment as Sodom and Gomorrah.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that Jerusalem's prophets are guilty of active evil—adultery, lying, and encouraging the wicked to continue sinning without repentance. Their corruption is so complete that God compares them directly to Sodom and Gomorrah, marking them as utterly deserving of judgment.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that the prophets in Jerusalem, where God's temple stood, committed an even more shocking evil than the ten tribes' prophets had. They committed literal adultery, habitually lied, and encouraged sinners to persist, making them and their followers like Sodom and Gomorrah in God's eyes and deserving the same punishment.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues that Jerusalem and Judah bore greater guilt than Samaria and the ten tribes because they had greater privileges, especially the temple in their midst. Yet within that very temple they practiced idolatry, making their sin even worse than Sodom's.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees Jeremiah’s shattered heart and drunken stupor as a deliberate gauge of the revelation’s weight.