Jeremiah 23:9 · Bible study
Jeremiah 23:9 Commentary: Drunk with Holy Words
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Jeremiah describe himself as drunken when he hears God's holy words? A study of the prophet's physical response to divine confrontation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jeremiah is physically shattered by God's holy words against the false prophets; his drunkenness is metaphorical, expressing overwhelming terror and grief.
- Key words: Navi' (prophet, but used here for false prophets), shavar (broken, Niphal perfect), rachaph (shake/flutter, same verb as Genesis 1:2), shikor (drunkard).
- Main debate: Whether the opening phrase is a heading (“Concerning the prophets”) or part of the sentence (“because of the prophets”).
- Theological theme: The holiness of God's word produces humble terror in the faithful messenger; contrast with the false prophets' indifference.
- Best use: A text for teaching the fear of the Lord, the cost of prophetic ministry, and the seriousness of false teaching.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
As for the prophets: My heart is broken within me, and all my bones tremble. I have become like a drunkard, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD, because of His holy words.
WEB World English Bible 2000
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 has overcome, because of Yahweh, and because of his holy words.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
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 Darby Bible 1890
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.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
To the prophets: My heart is broken within me, all my bones tremble: I am become as a drunken man, and as a man full of wine, at the presence of the Lord, and at the presence of his holy words.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
A causa de los profetas mi corazón está quebrantado en medio de mí, todos mis huesos tiemblan; estuve como hombre borracho, y como hombre á quien dominó el vino, delante de Jehová y delante de las palabras de su santidad.
Quanto aos profetas: meu coração está quebrantado em meu interior, todos os meus ossos tremem; estou como um homem bêbado, como um homem dominado pelo vinho, por causa do SENHOR, e por causa de suas santas palavras.
Sur les prophètes.
Wider die Propheten. Mein Herz will mir im Leibe brechen, alle meine Gebeine zittern; mir ist wie einem trunkenen Mann und wie einem, der vom Wein taumelt, vor dem HERRN und vor seinen heiligen Worten;
Aangaande de profeten. Mijn hart wordt in mijn binnenste gebroken, al mijn beenderen bewegen zich; ik ben als een dronken man, en als een man, dien de wijn te boven gaat; vanwege den HEERE, en vanwege de woorden Zijner heiligheid.
Contro i profeti. Il cuore mi si spezza in seno, tutte le mie ossa tremano; io sono come un ubriaco, come un uomo sopraffatto dal vino, a cagione dell’Eterno e a cagione delle sue parole sante.
Dla proroków skruszyło się serce moje we mnie, poruszyły się wszystkie kości moje, stałem się jako człowiek pijany, a jako mąż, po którym się rozeszło wino, dla Pana i dla słów świętobliwości jego.
О пророках. Сердце мое во мне раздирается, все кости мои сотрясаются; я - как пьяный, как человек, которого одолело вино, ради Господа и ради святых слов Его,
論到那些先知，我心 在我裡面 憂傷，我骨頭 都 發顫；因 耶和華 和 他的聖 言，我 像醉酒 的人，像被酒 所勝 的人。
About the prophets. My heart is broken in me, all my bones are shaking; I am like a man full of strong drink, like a man overcome by wine; because of the Lord, and because of his holy words.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 23:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse opens a new oracle against false prophets. The phrase Concerning the prophets is a heading, as Barnes and Keil note, parallel to titles in Jeremiah 46, 49. Jeremiah's physical collapse, broken heart, shaking bones, drunken stagger, expresses shock at the false prophets' sin and the weight of God's coming judgment. Gill observes that the Hebrew word for shaking bones (רָחֲפוּ) suggests a fluttering motion like a bird hovering, the same verb used of the Spirit in Genesis 1:2. The prophet is not intoxicated by wine but overwhelmed because of Yahweh and because of his holy words. Calvin reads this as Jeremiah's horror at the people's indifference, while Wesley emphasizes his stupefaction at the wrath he must announce. The core consensus: God's holiness, when truly encountered, undoes a person, even a faithful prophet.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Heading view: Parallel construction in Jer 46:2; 48:1; 49:1, where a similar phrase introduces oracles against nations.
- Causal view: The Septuagint and Targum connect the phrase directly to 'my heart is broken,' and Calvin reads it as 'on account of the prophets.'
What is clear: Regardless of how the opening is parsed, the verse portrays Jeremiah as physically and emotionally shattered by the impact of God's holy words delivered in the context of false prophecy.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The phrase 'Concerning the prophets' | Commentators agree this phrase opens a new section of judgment against false prophets. | Some (Barnes, Keil) treat it as a title heading; others (Calvin, Gill) read it causally: 'because of the prophets my heart is broken.' The Septuagint and Vulgate present the phrase as a heading. |
| Nature of Jeremiah's drunkenness | All agree it is not literal intoxication but a metaphor for being overwhelmed. | Some emphasize stupefaction at approaching judgment (Wesley, Gill); others stress the ecstatic effect of divine revelation (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown compares to Acts 2 on the Spirit and wine). |
| Cause of Jeremiah's response | Both the false prophets' sins and God's holy words are involved. | Calvin focuses on the prophets' negligence as the trigger; Keil and Delitzsch argue the primary cause is the revelation itself, not the prophets' behavior. |
| The role of the false prophets in Jeremiah's day | They flattered the people with promises of peace and led them into sin (see Jer 23:16-17). | Some see them as politically motivated court prophets; others as syncretistic promoters of Baal worship (as in Samaria, v.13) combined with moral corruption in Jerusalem (v.14). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah ministered during Judah's final decades, roughly 627, 586 BC. The surrounding passage (Jeremiah 23:9, 40) confronts prophets who assured the people of peace while the nation slid toward Babylon. Verse 10 describes a land full of adulterers and a curse that dries up the pastures, probably covenant curses from Deuteronomy 28. The mention of Samaria in verse 13 recalls the northern kingdom's fall to Assyria in 722, a warning Judah ignored. In verses 5, 6, the chapter begins with a messianic promise (the righteous Branch), then pivots sharply to indict the very leaders who should have prepared the way.
Jeremiah's language of drunkenness draws on shared imagery. Isaiah 29:9 speaks of those who stagger but not with strong drink, and Psalm 60:3 describes God making his people drink wine that staggers. False prophets in the ancient Near East often induced ecstatic states through wine or music. By claiming to be drunk from God's words, Jeremiah subverts that expectation. His trembling is not a technique; it is the raw effect of standing under divine revelation. The Hebrew phrase mipnei Yahweh (because of the face of Yahweh) evokes the terrifying divine presence at Sinai. Jeremiah feels what Israel should have felt but did not.
Literarily, this oracle interrupts the royal oracles of chapters 21, 22 and the messianic hope of 23:5, 6. The juxtaposition is deliberate: the coming King brings righteousness, but the current prophets bring only corruption. Jeremiah's personal anguish models the appropriate response, not cool indifference but visceral grief.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note two main textual issues. First, the opening phrase לַנְּבִאִים (lannevi'im) is rendered variously: the Masoretic text and Targum treat it as part of the sentence (“because of the prophets”), while the Septuagint and Vulgate make it a heading (“To the prophets” / “Concerning the prophets”). Barnes, Keil and Delitzsch, and the Cambridge Bible support the heading reading based on parallel usage in Jeremiah 46:2; 48:1; 49:1. Second, the word for shaking bones (רָחֲפוּ, rachaphu) occurs only here and in Genesis 1:2 (the Spirit hovering), which may echo that creation image. No significant Hebrew manuscript variants are reported among the standard witnesses.
Reception History
Christian readers have long seen Jeremiah's response as a model of holy awe. The verse appears in discussions of the fear of the Lord, often paired with Isaiah 6:5 where the prophet cries “Woe is me” before the holy God. Reformed commentators such as Calvin and Matthew Henry emphasized that true ministers of the word should tremble at it, not handle it casually. The image of staggering like a drunkard was also applied allegorically to the disorientation caused by sin or divine judgment. In puritan literature, this text was used to warn against the danger of hearing God's word without being affected by it. Modern spiritual writers cite Jeremiah 23:9 to validate intense emotional responses to Scripture, arguing that spiritual maturity does not mean remaining unaffected but allowing God's holiness to break and remake us.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The prophet's collapse. Jeremiah uses three physical images: a broken heart (the seat of will and emotion), shaking bones (the body's frame), and drunkenness (loss of control). Each escalates the sense of being undone.
- The cause of collapse. Two reasons are named: Yahweh and his holy words. The prophet is not shaken by the false prophets' strength but by God's holiness and the judgment it demands.
- The contrast with false prophets. While false prophets speak smooth things and feel nothing, the true prophet trembles. His weakness is a sign of faithfulness, not failure.
Five-point outline
- Heading: Concerning the prophets, this is a formal indictment, a courtroom charge.
- Physical distress: Broken heart, shaking bones, the whole person is affected.
- Drunken stupor: Like a man overcome by wine, God's words override normal function.
- Double motivation: Because of Yahweh and because of his holy words, the source and the message combine.
- The prophet's unique position: He speaks judgment but also suffers it in advance. He is the first casualty of the word he carries.
Illustration hooks
- A firefighter who arrives at a burning building and stops, trembling, because he sees his own family inside. The danger he fights suddenly becomes personal.
- A doctor who must tell a patient a terminal diagnosis but finds herself weeping before the words come out. The message is true, and the messenger feels its weight.
- A parent who discovers a child has been secretly living a destructive life. The grief is physical, not anger but a broken heart.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God's word sometimes make me feel anxious rather than peaceful?
- How can I tell the difference between a faithful teacher and a false one?
- Is it okay to be emotionally overwhelmed by Scripture, or should I always feel calm?
Leading a Discussion
Jeremiah's reaction is extreme: a broken heart, shaking bones, and a drunken stagger. He felt undone by God's holy words. This passage invites us to consider how we respond when Scripture confronts sin, warns of judgment, or calls for change. Do we resist, rationalize, or tremble?
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 23:9 once. What words or images stand out most to you?
- Jeremiah uses three physical descriptions: broken heart, shaking bones, drunkenness. What does each one suggest about his state of mind?
- The verse says his response comes because of Yahweh and because of his holy words. Why would God's holiness produce terror instead of comfort?
- How does Jeremiah's response differ from the false prophets described later in the chapter (verses 16, 17, who proclaim peace when there is no peace)?
- Think of a time you heard a difficult truth from Scripture. How did your body or emotions respond? Was it similar to Jeremiah's reaction?
- This passage calls God's words holy. What does that mean for how we approach the Bible in daily life?
- How can a church community create space for people to be honest about feeling shaken by God's word, rather than pretending all is well?
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)
| II Kings 22:19 | because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before Yahweh when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you,’ says Yahweh. |
| II Kings 22:20 | ‘Therefore behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place.’”’” So they brought this message back to the king. |
| Psalms 60:3 | You have shown your people hard things. You have made us drink the wine that makes us stagger. |
| Isaiah 6:5 | Then I said, “Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of Armies!” |
| Isaiah 28:1 | Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine! |
| Isaiah 29:9 | Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. |
| Isaiah 51:21 | Therefore now hear this, you afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine: |
| Jeremiah 5:31 | The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it? |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the opening words of this section are best translated "Concerning the prophets" rather than "Because of the prophets." This small change makes the phrase the title of the entire prophecy that follows, marking it as a distinct unit focused on false prophets.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights that Jeremiah's heart is broken specifically because of the prophets. Their flattery and silence led the whole people into godless security. The prophets, who should have been God's heralds rebuking sin, instead became like dumb dogs, and a heavier judgment awaited them for their neglect.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Mine heart breaketh within mee, because of the prophets, all my bones shake: I am like a drunken man (and like a man whome wine hath ouercome) for the presence of the Lord and for his holie wordes.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes the prophet's intense, physical horror at the false prophets. His broken heart, shaking bones, and drunken confusion spring from seeing them dishonor God's holy name with false doctrines, and from the dreadful judgments he must pronounce against them.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws a careful distinction: both God's Spirit and wine can produce ecstasy, so the Nazarites were forbidden wine to keep inspired experiences from being confused with drunkenness. This also explains Jeremiah's horror at false prophets who, unlike the Nazarites, failed to warn the people of coming judgment.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch emphasizes that Jeremiah's physical collapse—broken heart, trembling bones, drunken staggering—comes not from personal grief over sin but from the overwhelming weight of God's wrath against the false prophets. These prophets, worse than Samaria's Baal-worshippers, commit adultery, spread lies, and embolden the wicked, bringing God's curse that withers the land itself.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees Jeremiah’s shattered heart and drunken stupor as a deliberate gauge of the revelation’s weight.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights the prophet's overwhelming reaction to God's message. He was so stunned by the coming wrath and by the weight of the holy words God gave him to speak that he staggered like a drunken man, utterly overwhelmed by his encounter with divine judgment.