◄ Jeremiah 23:35 ►
This is what each man is to say to his friend and to his brother: 'What has the LORD answered?' or 'What has the LORD spoken?'
Study Bible
This is what each man is to say to his friend and to his brother:

God directs the people of Judah to speak with one another in a way that seeks His truth rather than repeats the deceptive claims of false prophets. Friends and family were to encourage discernment within the covenant community, refusing to treat spiritual matters casually. Mutual accountability remained essential when lying prophets promised peace despite Judah’s rebellion. Proverbs 27:17 likewise portrays godly relationships as a means by which believers strengthen one another in wisdom and faithfulness.

Mal 3:16 At that time those who feared the LORD spoke…
Zec 8:16 These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another…
Pro 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

‘What has the LORD answered?’

The question calls for an answer that truly comes from God, not from human imagination or religious manipulation. Prophets such as Moses and Samuel sought the Lord’s direction before speaking to the people, and the nation was responsible to test prophetic claims against God’s revealed truth. Judah needed God’s answer concerning sin, judgment, and the path of repentance, not assurances designed to silence conviction.

Jer 42:4 “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet.”…
Jer 37:17 Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him…
1Sa 3:17 “What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked.…

or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’

God’s spoken word carried absolute authority because He is truthful and faithful to fulfill all He declares. Jeremiah confronted prophets who claimed divine authority while delivering messages God had not given them. The Lord’s word exposes sin, summons His people to repentance, and accomplishes His purposes, as Isaiah 55:11 affirms. God’s final and fullest revelation is found in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, whose teaching and saving work confirm the certainty of all God has spoken.

Amo 3:8 The lion has roared—who will not fear?…
2Sa 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me;…
1Ki 22:14 As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, Jeremiah was called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. His ministry spanned the reigns of several kings and was marked by themes of repentance and restoration.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God used throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing His eternal presence and faithfulness to His people.

3. The People of Judah
The audience of Jeremiah's prophecies, who were often resistant to his messages. They were facing impending judgment due to their idolatry and disobedience.

4. False Prophets
Individuals who claimed to speak for God but delivered messages that contradicted His true word. They often led the people astray with false assurances of peace.

5. The Context of Prophecy
This verse is set within a larger passage where God condemns the false prophets and instructs the people on how to discern His true message.
Teaching Points
Discernment in Communication
Believers are encouraged to seek and share what the LORD has truly spoken, rather than relying on human interpretations or desires.

Community Accountability
The verse highlights the importance of discussing and confirming God's word within the community of believers, fostering mutual growth and understanding.

The Authority of God's Word
Emphasizes the need to prioritize God's answers and spoken word over human opinions or false teachings.

Vigilance Against False Teachings
Encourages believers to be aware of and reject teachings that do not align with Scripture, maintaining a commitment to truth.

Active Listening to God
Stresses the importance of actively seeking God's voice through prayer, study, and reflection, ensuring that His guidance is central in our lives.
Bible Study Questions
1. How can we ensure that we are accurately discerning what the LORD has spoken in our personal and communal Bible study?

2. In what ways can we hold each other accountable to the truth of God's word in our church or small group settings?

3. How do the warnings against false prophets in Jeremiah 23 relate to the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament?

4. What practical steps can we take to test the spirits and ensure that we are following true teachings, as instructed in 1 John 4:1?

5. How can we cultivate a habit of actively listening to God in our daily lives, and what role does Scripture play in this process?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 18:20-22
This passage provides criteria for discerning true prophets from false ones, emphasizing the importance of accuracy in prophecy.

1 John 4:1
This New Testament verse encourages believers to test the spirits to see whether they are from God, reinforcing the need for discernment.

Matthew 7:15-20
Jesus warns about false prophets and teaches that they can be recognized by their fruits, connecting to the need for vigilance in spiritual matters.
Sermons
The Contents of the BibleJ. H. Hitchens.Jeremiah 23:35
Despising ProphesyingsA.F. Muir Jeremiah 23:33-40
People
David, Israelites, Jeremiah
Places
Babylon, Egypt, Gomorrah, Jerusalem, Samaria, Sodom
Topics
Brother, Friend, Lord's, Neighbor, Neighbour, Relative, Saying, Spoken, Thus
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 23:33-40

     1421   oracles

Jeremiah 23:34-40

     7774   prophets, false

Library
Jehovah Tsidkenu: the Lord Our Righteousness
Having introduced the doctrine of imputed righteousness, I proofed to map out my subject. First, by way of affirmation; we say of the text--it is so--Christ is the Lord or righteousness; secondly, I shall exhort you to do him homage; let us call him so: for this is the name whereby he shall be called; and thirdly, I shall appeal to your gratitude; let us wonder at the reigning grace, which has caused us to fulfill the promise, for have been sweetly compelled to call him the Lord our righteousness. …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 7: 1861

Justification
'Being justified freely by his grace.' Rom 3:34. Q-xxxiii: WHAT IS JUSTIFICATION? A: It is an act of God's free grace, whereby he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ, imputed to us, and received by faith alone. Justification is the very hinge and pillar of Christianity. An error about justification is dangerous, like a defect in a foundation. Justification by Christ is a spring of the water of life. To have the poison of corrupt doctrine …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

A Defence of the Doctrine of Justification, by Faith in Jesus Christ;
SHEWING, TRUE GOSPEL-HOLINESS FLOWS FROM THENCE; OR, MR. FOWLER'S PRETENDED DESIGN OF CHRISTIANITY, PROVED TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN TO TRAMPLE UNDER FOOT THE BLOOD OF THE SON OF GOD; AND THE IDOLIZING OF MAN'S OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS AS ALSO, HOW WHILE HE PRETENDS TO BE A MINISTER OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, HE OVERTHROWETH THE WHOLESOME DOCTRINE CONTAINED IN THE 10TH, 11TH, AND 13TH, OF THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES OF THE SAME, AND THAT HE FALLETH IN WITH THE QUAKER AND ROMANIST, AGAINST THEM. BY JOHN BUNYAN …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

A vision of Judgement and Cleansing
'And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the Angel. 4. And He answered and spake unto those that stood before Him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him He said, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Discourse on the Good Shepherd.
(Jerusalem, December, a.d. 29.) ^D John X. 1-21. ^d 1 Verily, verily, I say to you [unto the parties whom he was addressing in the last section], He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. [In this section Jesus proceeds to contrast his own care for humanity with that manifested by the Pharisees, who had just cast out the beggar. Old Testament prophecies were full of declarations that false shepherds would arise to …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Conversion --Varied Phenomena or Experience.
We have spoken of the meaning of this term, inquired into the nature of the change, and noted its essential elements. We have also learned that there are some who do not need it because they are in a converted state, and that all who are not in such a state of Grace, do need conversion, regardless of anything that may or may not have taken place in the past. We inquire now as to the agencies or means by which this change is brought about. For it is a change which man can certainly not effect by his …
G. H. Gerberding—The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church

The Trinity
Q-6. HOW MANY PERSONS ARE THERE IN THE GODHEAD? A: Three persons, yet but one God. 'There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.' I John 5:5. God is but one, yet are there three distinct persons subsisting in one Godhead. This is a sacred mystery, which the light within man could never have discovered. As the two natures in Christ, yet but one person, is a wonder; so three persons, yet but one Godhead. Here is a great deep, the Father …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Nature of Spiritual Hunger
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness Matthew 5:6 We are now come to the fourth step of blessedness: Blessed are they that hunger'. The words fall into two parts: a duty implied; a promise annexed. A duty implied: Blessed are they that hunger'. Spiritual hunger is a blessed hunger. What is meant by hunger? Hunger is put for desire (Isaiah 26:9). Spiritual hunger is the rational appetite whereby the soul pants after that which it apprehends most suitable and proportional …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

A vision of the King.
ONE of the most blessed occupations for the believer is the prayerful searching of God's holy Word to discover there new glories and fresh beauties of Him, who is altogether lovely. Shall we ever find out all which the written Word reveals of Himself and His worthiness? This wonderful theme can never be exhausted. The heart which is devoted to Him and longs through the presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit to be closer to the Lord, to hear and know more of Himself, will always find something …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

Interpretation of Prophecy.
1. The scriptural idea of prophecy is widely removed from that of human foresight and presentiment. It is that of a revelation made by the Holy Spirit respecting the future, always in the interest of God's kingdom. It is no part of the plan of prophecy to gratify vain curiosity respecting "the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." Acts 1:7. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God"--this is its key-note. In its form it is carefully adapted to this great end. …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Concerning Justification.
Concerning Justification. As many as resist not this light, but receive the same, it becomes in them an holy, pure, and spiritual birth, bringing forth holiness, righteousness, purity, and all those other blessed fruits which are acceptable to God: by which holy birth, to wit, Jesus Christ formed within us, and working his works in us, as we are sanctified, so are we justified in the sight of God, according to the apostle's words; But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in …
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity

The Providence of God
Q-11: WHAT ARE GOD'S WORKS OF PROVIDENCE? A: God's works of providence are the acts of his most holy, wise, and powerful government of his creatures, and of their actions. Of the work of God's providence Christ says, My Father worketh hitherto and I work.' John 5:17. God has rested from the works of creation, he does not create any new species of things. He rested from all his works;' Gen 2:2; and therefore it must needs be meant of his works of providence: My Father worketh and I work.' His kingdom …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Lord's Prayer.
(Jerusalem. Thursday Night.) ^D John XVII. ^d 1 These things spake Jesus; and lifting up his eyes to heaven [the action marked the turning of his thoughts from the disciples to the Father], he said, Father, the hour is come [see pp. 116, 440]; glorify thy Son, that the son may glorify thee: 2 even as thou gavest him authority over all flesh, that to all whom thou hast given him, he should give eternal life. [The Son here prays for his glorification, viz.: resurrection, ascension, coronation, etc., …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Unity of God
Q-5: ARE THERE MORE GODS THAN ONE? A: There is but one only, the living and true God. That there is a God has been proved; and those that will not believe the verity of his essence, shall feel the severity of his wrath. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.' Deut 6:6. He is the only God.' Deut 4:49. Know therefore this day, and consider it in thy heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath, there is none else.' A just God and a Saviour; there is none beside …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Jehovah. The "I Am. "
WHEN Moses in the desert beheld the burning bush God answered his question by the revelation of His name as the "I Am." "And God said unto Moses, I am, that I am: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (Exod. iii:14). He who spake thus out of the bush to Moses was the same who in the fullness of time appeared upon the earth in the form of man. Our Lord Jesus Christ is no less person, than the I AM. If we turn to the fourth Gospel in which the Holy …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

His Future Work
The Lord Jesus Christ, who finished the work on earth the Father gave Him to do, who is now bodily present in the highest heaven, occupying the Father's throne and exercising His priesthood in behalf of His people, is also King. To Him belongeth a Kingdom and a kingly Glory. He has therefore a kingly work to do. While His past work was foretold by the Spirit of God and His priestly work foreshadowed in the Old Testament, His work as King and His glorious Kingdom to come are likewise the subjects …
A. C. Gaebelein—The Work Of Christ

A Preliminary Discourse to Catechising
'If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled.' - Col 1:23. Intending next Lord's day to enter upon the work of catechising, it will not be amiss to give you a preliminary discourse, to show you how needful it is for Christians to be well instructed in the grounds of religion. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled.' I. It is the duty of Christians to be settled in the doctrine of faith. II. The best way for Christians to be settled is to be well grounded. I. It is the duty of Christians …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Repentance
Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.' Acts 11: 18. Repentance seems to be a bitter pill to take, but it is to purge out the bad humour of sin. By some Antinomian spirits it is cried down as a legal doctrine; but Christ himself preached it. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent,' &c. Matt 4: 17. In his last farewell, when he was ascending to heaven, he commanded that Repentance should be preached in his name.' Luke 24: 47. Repentance is a pure gospel grace. …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Its Instrument
"Being justified freely by His grace" (Rom. 3:24); "being now justified by His blood" (Rom. 5:9); "being now justified by faith" (Rom. 5:1). A full exposition of the doctrine of justification requires that each of these propositions should be interpreted in their Scriptural sense, and that they be combined together in their true relations as to form one harmonious whole. Unless these three propositions be carefully distinguished there is sure to be confusion; unless all the three are steadily borne …
Arthur W. Pink—The Doctrine of Justification

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of the Eleventh
An unfinished commentary on the Bible, found among the author's papers after his death, in his own handwriting; and published in 1691, by Charles Doe, in a folio volume of the works of John Bunyan. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR Being in company with an enlightened society of Protestant dissenters of the Baptist denomination, I observed to a doctor of divinity, who was advancing towards his seventieth year, that my time had been delightfully engaged with John Bunyan's commentary on Genesis. "What," …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

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