They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

JEREMIAH 6:14KJV
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Jeremiah 6:14 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 6:14 mean?

Jeremiah 6:14 describes leaders who pretend to fix the deep problems of the people by offering shallow reassurances, saying “Peace, peace” when there is actually no real peace. The verse warns that these promises are empty and do not address the true hurt or danger facing the community.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking God’s message to the people of Judah, exposing how their leaders and prophets are downplaying the nation’s real troubles. The leaders claim everything is fine (“Peace, peace”), but in reality, the people’s suffering and the threat of disaster remain unresolved. Jeremiah highlights the danger of ignoring serious issues by covering them up with comforting but false words.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 6:14

  • “healed” (רָפָא, rapha’): This word often means to cure or restore, but here it is used ironically—the leaders only pretend to heal the people’s wounds.
  • “hurt” (שֶׁבֶר, shever): This word means a break or crushing injury, showing that the people’s problems are serious and not just minor troubles.
  • “slightly” (קָלַל, qalal): This word means to treat something lightly or make light of it, stressing that the leaders are not taking the people’s suffering seriously.
  • “Peace” (שָׁלוֹם, shalom): This word means more than just the absence of conflict; it refers to wholeness, well-being, and true safety. The leaders’ repeated use of “shalom” is misleading because the situation is anything but whole or safe.

Why Jeremiah 6:14 matters

  • Jeremiah 6:14 clarifies that superficial solutions to deep problems are not only unhelpful but also dangerous, as they prevent people from facing reality.
  • The verse exposes a pattern where leaders may use comforting language to avoid dealing with hard truths, a theme that appears throughout Jeremiah’s warnings to Judah.
  • Understanding the original words for “hurt” and “peace” shows that the verse is about much more than just conflict; it is about the need for real healing and honesty in times of crisis.

Where else these words appear

“hurt” Hebrew H7667 · used in 41 verses

  • Leviticus 21:19 Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,
  • Isaiah 30:26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
  • Jeremiah 30:15 Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.

“healed” Hebrew H7495 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 20:17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
  • 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
  • Jeremiah 3:22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

“slightly” Hebrew H7043 · used in 79 verses

  • Genesis 8:8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;
  • 2 Samuel 16:7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:
  • Psalms 62:4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.