Bible Strands
Jeremiah 23:36
But refer no more to the burden of the LORD, for each man’s word becomes the burden, so that you pervert the words of the living God, the LORD of Hosts, our God.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jeremiah addresses the people and false prophets who routinely demand to know what the LORD has answered or spoken. He issues this command while confronting a culture that had reduced prophetic revelation to a casual inquiry.
The words — The Hebrew noun מַשָּׂא (maśśāʾ) translates literally to "burden" and appears twice in the verse. The phrase לֹא תִזְכְּרוּ עוֹד (lōʾ tizkərū ʿôd) directly commands, "do not remember again."
The thread — The warning against distorting divine speech aligns with the defiance described in Isaiah 3:8, the declaration of Yahweh as the true, living, eternal King in Jeremiah 10:10, and Peter’s caution regarding the misinterpretation of apostolic writings in 2 Peter 3:16.
Why it lands — The text states that treating prophetic messages as personal slogans perverts the words of the living God. It requires readers to stop using divine language for private purposes and to submit to the authority of the original revelation.
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
And the burden of the Lord shall ye mention no more: for every man’s word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the Lord of hosts our God.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 3:8 For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen because they spoke and acted against the LORD, defying His glorious presence.
- Jeremiah 10:10 But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.
- 2 Peter 3:16 He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
- 2 Kings 19:4 Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.”
- Psalms 64:8 They will be made to stumble, their own tongues turned against them. All who see will shake their heads.
- Psalms 120:3 What will He do to you, and what will be added to you, O deceitful tongue?
- Deuteronomy 5:26 For who of all flesh has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the fire, as we have, and survived?
- 1 Samuel 17:26 David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
- 1 Samuel 17:36 Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”
- Psalms 12:3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue.