“Among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.
Parallel translations
- WEB “I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria. They prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
- KJV And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
- NKJV “And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: They prophesied by Baal And caused My people Israel to err.
- NASB ¶“Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.
- NLT “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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God recalls the foolish prophets of Samaria who prophesied by Baal and led Israel astray. The northern kingdom's false prophets had already corrupted the people.
Overview
God first cites the prophets of the northern kingdom, who spoke in Baal's name and seduced Israel into idolatry, a sin that led to Samaria's fall. This serves as a historical warning. Yet, as the next verse shows, the prophets of Jerusalem proved even worse, demonstrating that Judah failed to learn from the north's example and ignored God's repeated calls to faithfulness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Jer 2:8The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’ The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the leaders rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols.
- Isa 9:16For those who guide this people mislead them, and those they mislead are swallowed up.
- Hos 9:7–8The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived—let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility.
- 1 Kgs 18:18–21“I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.
- 2 Chr 33:9So Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem astray, so that they did greater evil than the nations that the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.
- 1 Kgs 18:25–28Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.”
- 1 Kgs 18:40Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.
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Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 23:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.