Bible Strands
Jeremiah 23:15
Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says concerning the prophets: “I will feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Yahweh of Hosts speaks concerning the prophets of Jerusalem, delivering judgment immediately after condemning their adultery, lies, and encouragement of wickedness. The words — לָ/כֵ֞ן (la./Khen) = therefore and הִנְ/נִ֨י (hi./Ni) = here I frame the divine declaration that follows the preceding indictment. The thread — The judgment of drinking wormwood and poisoned water reappears in Jeremiah 9:15, while the motif of poisoned sustenance echoes Psalm 69:21. Why it lands — It demands a reader to distinguish between divine warning and human fabrication, requiring a rejection of spiritual corruption rather than passive acceptance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 8:14 Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.
- Jeremiah 9:15 Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.
- Psalms 69:21 They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.
- Lamentations 3:5 He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
- Lamentations 3:15 He has filled me with bitterness; He has intoxicated me with wormwood.
- Lamentations 3:19 Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall.
- Matthew 27:34 they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it.
- Revelation 8:11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter like wormwood oil, and many people died from the bitter waters.