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Wednesday, August 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Jeremiah 23:13

"Among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Baal;   Scofield Reference Index - Israel;   Thompson Chain Reference - Leaders;   Ministers;   Religious;   The Topic Concordance - Evil;   Prophecy and Prophets;   Sending and Those Sent;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prophecy;   Prophets, False;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Prophecy, prophet;   Samaria, samaritans;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - False Prophet;   Immorality, Sexual;   Holman Bible Dictionary - False Prophet;   Jeremiah;   Lamentations, Book of;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Samaria, Samaritans;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Err;   Fool;   Micaiah;   Samaria, City of;   Samaria, Country of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Among the prophets of SamariaI saw something disgusting:They prophesied by Baaland led my people Israel astray.
Hebrew Names Version
I have seen folly in the prophets of Shomron; they prophesied by Ba`al, and caused my people Yisra'el to err.
King James Version
And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
English Standard Version
In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.
New American Standard Bible
"Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.
New Century Version
"I saw the prophets of Samaria do something wrong. Those prophets prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel away.
Amplified Bible
"And I have seen a foolish and an offensive thing in the prophets of Samaria: They prophesied by Baal and caused My people Israel to go astray.
World English Bible
I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And I haue seene foolishnesse in the prophets of Samaria, that prophecied in Baal, & caused my people Israel to erre.
Legacy Standard Bible
"Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing:They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.
Contemporary English Version
The prophets in Samaria were disgusting to me, because they preached in the name of Baal and led my people astray.
Complete Jewish Bible
"I have seen inappropriate conduct in the prophets of Shomron — they prophesied by Ba‘al and led my people Isra'el astray.
Darby Translation
And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: they prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
Easy-to-Read Version
"I saw the prophets of Samaria doing wrong things. I saw them prophesy in the name of the false god Baal. They led the people of Israel away from me.
George Lamsa Translation
And I have seen falsehood in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal and caused my people Israel to err.
Good News Translation
I have seen the sin of Samaria's prophets: they have spoken in the name of Baal and have led my people astray.
Lexham English Bible
"Now in the prophets of Samaria I saw a disgusting thing. They prophesied by Baal and they caused my people Israel to err.
Literal Translation
And I have seen frivolity among the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal and led astray My people Israel.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I haue sene foly amonge the prophetes of Samaria, yt they preched for Baal, ad disceaued my people off Israel.
American Standard Version
And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
Bible in Basic English
And I have seen ways without sense in the prophets of Samaria; they became prophets of the Baal, causing my people Israel to go wrong.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And I have seen unseemliness in the prophets of Samaria: they prophesied by Baal, and caused My people Israel to err.
King James Version (1611)
And I haue seene folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophecied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to erre.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
I haue seene folly among the prophetes of Samaria, that preached for Baal, and deceaued my people of Israel.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And in the prophets of Samaria I have seen lawless deeds; they prophesied by Baal, and led my people Israel astray.
English Revised Version
And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And in the profetis of Samarie Y siy fonnednesse, and thei profesieden in Baal, and disseyueden my puple Israel.
Update Bible Version
And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
Webster's Bible Translation
And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
New English Translation
The Lord says, "I saw the prophets of Samaria doing something that was disgusting. They prophesied in the name of the god Baal and led my people Israel astray.
New King James Version
"And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: They prophesied by Baal And caused My people Israel to err.
New Living Translation
"I saw that the prophets of Samaria were terribly evil, for they prophesied in the name of Baal and led my people of Israel into sin.
New Life Bible
"In Samaria I have seen a very bad thing among the men of Samaria who tell what is going to happen in the future. They speak for the false god Baal, and have led My people into sin.
New Revised Standard
In the prophets of Samaria I saw a disgusting thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Even among the prophets of Samaria, had I seen a foolish thing, - They prophesied by Baal, And led astray my people Israel.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: they prophesied in Baal and deceived my people Israel.
Revised Standard Version
In the prophets of Sama'ria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Ba'al and led my people Israel astray.
Young's Literal Translation
And in prophets of Samaria I have seen folly, They have prophesied by Baal, And cause my people -- Israel -- to err.
THE MESSAGE
"Over in Samaria I saw prophets acting like silly fools—shocking! They preached using that no-god Baal for a text, messing with the minds of my people. And the Jerusalem prophets are even worse—horrible!— sex-driven, living a lie, Subsidizing a culture of wickedness, and never giving it a second thought. They're as bad as those wretches in old Sodom, the degenerates of old Gomorrah."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.

Contextual Overview

9As for the prophets: My heart is broken within me, and all my bones tremble. I have become like a drunkard, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD, because of His holy words. 10For the land is full of adulterers-because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness have dried up-their course is evil and their power is misused. 11"For both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in My house I have found their wickedness," declares the LORD. 12"Therefore their path will become slick; they will be driven away into the gloom and fall into it. For I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment," declares the LORD. 13"Among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.14And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns his back on wickedness. They are all like Sodom to Me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah." 15Therefore, this is what the LORD of Hosts says concerning the prophets: "I will feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land." 16This is what the LORD of Hosts says: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. 17They keep saying to those who despise Me, 'The LORD says that you will have peace,' and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, 'No harm will come to you.' 18But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and obeyed it?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

folly: or, an absurd thing, Heb. unsavoury

prophets: Hosea 9:7, Hosea 9:8

prophesied: Jeremiah 2:8, 1 Kings 18:18-21, 1 Kings 18:25-28, 1 Kings 18:40

and: 2 Chronicles 33:9, Isaiah 9:16

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 18:20 - the prophet Proverbs 13:17 - wicked Isaiah 28:7 - err in Isaiah 56:10 - they are all dumb Jeremiah 36:2 - against Israel Ezekiel 13:10 - seduced Amos 2:4 - and their Matthew 7:15 - false Matthew 7:22 - have we

Cross-References

Genesis 23:5
The Hittites replied to Abraham,
Genesis 23:8
"If you are willing for me to bury my dead," he said to them, "listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf
2 Samuel 24:24
"No," replied the king, "I insist on paying a price, for I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
Acts 20:35
In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
Romans 13:8
Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
Colossians 4:5
Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria,.... The ten tribes of Israel, among whom, in Ahab's time there were many false prophets, Baal's prophets, even four hundred and fifty; whose "folly" the Lord had formerly taken notice of; even their idolatry and impiety for giving into which the ten tribes had been carried captive years ago. The word r here used signifies that which is "unsavoury": something very unsavoury in their doctrines, and in their lives; they were as salt which has lost its savour and is good for nothing; to which bad ministers are compared, Matthew 5:13. These words are to be read in connection with the following, and may be rendered, "indeed I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria"; of Israel in times past; "but I have seen in the prophets of Jerusalem" s that which is far worse; and therefore they must not expect to escape; or, as the Syriac version, "as I have seen in the prophets of Samaria--so have I seen in the prophets of Jerusalem", c. so that here is a comparison run between them and the latter are represented as worse than the former, though they were bad enough; as follows: for

they prophesied in Baal; in the name of Baal, whose prophets they were; so the Targum,

"they prophesied in the name of idols:''

or, "they prophesied by Baal", as the Septuagint version t; they pretended to be inspired by him, and to receive their prophecies from him: or, "they prophesied concerning Baal"; what he would do for them, for those that worshipped him. The Arabic version is, "they prophesied in my name to Baal"; which seems to be foreign from the sense of the place:

and caused my people Israel to err; by following their directions and instructions, and worshipping Baal.

r תפלה "insulsitatem", Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt "intulsa", Pagninus; "insulsam rem", Munster, Vatablus; "insulsum", Montanus, Cocceius. s So Schmidt. t בבעל, δια τον βααλ, Sept. "per Baalem", Schmidt. So Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And I have seen folly ... - Rather, “Also I have seen.” The prophet contrasts the prophets of Samaria with those of Jerusalem. In the conduct of the former God saw folly (literally that which is insipid, as being unsalted). It was stupidity to prophesy by Baal, an idol.

In Baal - i. e., in the name of Baal.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 23:13. I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria — This was not to be wondered at, for their religion was a system of corruption.


 
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