For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.

JEREMIAH 23:10KJV
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Jeremiah 23:10 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 23:10 mean?

Jeremiah 23:10 says that the land is overwhelmed with unfaithful people, and because of their false promises or oaths, the land itself is suffering—its fertile places are dried up, and the people’s actions and power are corrupt. The verse paints a picture of widespread moral failure affecting both society and the natural world.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking God’s message to the people of Judah. He is describing a time when dishonesty and unfaithfulness are so common that even the land seems to mourn. The “adulterers” refers not just to marital unfaithfulness but also to spiritual unfaithfulness—turning away from God. The mention of the land mourning and the wilderness drying up shows that the people’s wrongdoing has real consequences for their whole environment.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 23:10

  • The word for “land” (אֶרֶץ, ’erets) appears twice, emphasizing that the entire country—not just individuals—is affected by the people’s actions.
  • “Adulterers” (נָאָף, na’af) can mean literal adultery but often points to unfaithfulness to God, highlighting the spiritual dimension of the problem.
  • “Swearing” (אָלָה, ’alah) here refers to taking oaths or making promises, often with the sense of invoking a curse if the oath is broken. The verse connects these broken or false oaths to the land’s suffering.
  • “Mourneth” (אָבַל, ’aval) is a word for deep grief or lament, showing that the land’s suffering is not just physical but almost personal, as if the land itself is grieving.

Why Jeremiah 23:10 matters

  • Jeremiah 23:10 shows that personal and spiritual failings can have wide-reaching effects, even touching the natural world, not just individuals.
  • The verse helps clarify that “adultery” in the prophets often means more than just marital unfaithfulness—it can mean turning away from God as a whole people.
  • This verse sets up the rest of Jeremiah 23, where God confronts false prophets and leaders, showing that the corruption starts at the top and spreads through the nation.

Where else these words appear

“course” Hebrew H4794 · used in 3 verses

  • 2 Samuel 18:27 And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.
  • Jeremiah 8:6 I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.

“places” Hebrew H4999 · used in 12 verses

  • Psalms 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
  • Psalms 83:12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.
  • Joel 1:19 O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.

“adulterers” Hebrew H5003 · used in 26 verses

  • Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
  • Jeremiah 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
  • Ezekiel 16:38 And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.

“swearing” Hebrew H423 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 24:41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.
  • Deuteronomy 29:21 And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law:
  • Isaiah 24:6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.