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 23:10KJVWhat 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.