Bible Strands
Jeremiah 3:23
Surely deception comes from the hills, and commotion from the mountains. Surely the salvation of Israel is in the LORD our God.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jeremiah addresses the "faithless children" of Israel, continuing the covenant appeal begun in verse 22 and preceding the indictment of idolatry in verse 24. The prophet speaks at a moment of professed return, contrasting the people's false reliance on physical terrain with the reality of divine deliverance.
The words — The Hebrew אָכֵן ('a.Khen) translates literally as "truly" or "surely," appearing twice to frame the declaration. לַשֶּׁקֶר (la./She.ker) means "to deception," directly modifying the hills and mountains as sources of false refuge.
The thread — The motif of looking to hills for help appears in Psalms 121:1, where the psalmist redirects that search to God, while Psalms 3:8 and Isaiah 12:2 explicitly locate salvation in Yahweh. These passages trace a consistent biblical pattern that dismantles reliance on geography or idols in favor of covenant faithfulness.
Why it lands — The text demands the reader abandon trust in visible, earthly sources of security and acknowledge that deliverance resides exclusively in the LORD. It requires a concrete shift from idolatrous reliance to direct dependence on God for salvation.
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
Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
Cross-references
- Psalms 121:1 A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
- Psalms 3:8 Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people. Selah
- Isaiah 12:2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”
- Ezekiel 20:28 When I brought them into the land that I swore to give them and they saw any high hill or leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, presented offerings that provoked Me, sent up their fragrant incense, and poured out their drink offerings.
- Hosea 1:7 Yet I will have compassion on the house of Judah, and I will save them—not by bow or sword or war, not by horses and cavalry, but by the LORD their God.”
- John 4:22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
- Psalms 37:39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
- Isaiah 43:11 I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no Savior but Me.
- Isaiah 44:9 All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame.
- Isaiah 45:15 Truly You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.