And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
Parallel translations
- WEB “I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria. They prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
- BSB “Among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.
- 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 said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.
- Isa 9:16For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.
- Hos 9:7–8The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.
- 1 Kgs 18:18–21And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.
- 2 Chr 33:9So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.
- 1 Kgs 18:25–28And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
- 1 Kgs 18:40And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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.