Jeremiah 23:18
New International Version
But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?

New Living Translation
“Have any of these prophets been in the LORD’s presence to hear what he is really saying? Has even one of them cared enough to listen?

English Standard Version
For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened?

Berean Standard Bible
But 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?

King James Bible
For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?

New King James Version
For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, And has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it?

New American Standard Bible
“But who has stood in the council of the LORD, That he should see and hear His word? Who has paid attention to His word and listened?

NASB 1995
“But who has stood in the council of the LORD, That he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened?

NASB 1977
“But who has stood in the council of the LORD, That he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened?

Legacy Standard Bible
But who has stood in the council of Yahweh, That he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and heard?

Amplified Bible
“But who [among them] has stood in the council of the LORD, That he would perceive and hear His word? Who has marked His word [noticing and observing and paying attention to it] and has [actually] heard it?

Christian Standard Bible
For who has stood in the council of the LORD to see and hear his word? Who has paid attention to his word and obeyed?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For who has stood in the council of the LORD to see and hear His word? Who has paid attention to His word and obeyed?

American Standard Version
For who hath stood in the council of Jehovah, that he should perceive and hear his word? who hath marked my word, and heard it?

Contemporary English Version
But I, the LORD, tell you that these prophets have never attended a meeting of my council in heaven or heard me speak.

English Revised Version
For who hath stood in the council of the LORD, that he should perceive and hear his word? who hath marked my word, and heard it?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Who is in the LORD's inner circle and sees and hears his word? Who pays attention and listens to his word?

Good News Translation
I said, "None of these prophets has ever known the LORD's secret thoughts. None of them has ever heard or understood his message, or ever listened or paid attention to what he said.

International Standard Version
But who has stood in the LORD's council to see and hear his message? Who has paid attention to his message and obeyed it?

Majority Standard Bible
But 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?

NET Bible
Yet which of them has ever stood in the LORD's inner circle so they could see and hear what he has to say? Which of them have ever paid attention or listened to what he has said?

New Heart English Bible
For who has stood in the council of the LORD, that he should perceive and hear his word? Who has marked my word, and heard it?

Webster's Bible Translation
For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?

World English Bible
For who has stood in the council of Yahweh, that he should perceive and hear his word? Who has listened to my word, and heard it?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For who has stood in the counsel of YHWH, "" And sees and hears His word? Who has regarded My word, and listens?

Young's Literal Translation
For who hath stood in the counsel of Jehovah, And seeth and heareth His word? Who hath regarded My word, and hearkeneth?

Smith's Literal Translation
For who stood in the consultation of Jehovah, and will see and hear his word who attended to his word and will hear?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord, and hath seen and heard his word? Who hath considered his word and heard it?

Catholic Public Domain Version
For who has been present in the counsel of the Lord, and who has seen and heard his word? Who has considered his word and heard it?

New American Bible
Now, who has stood in the council of the LORD, to see him and to hear his word? Who has heeded his word so as to announce it?

New Revised Standard Version
For who has stood in the council of the LORD so as to see and to hear his word? Who has given heed to his word so as to proclaim it?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD and has seen him and heard his word? or who has given ear to his word and heard him?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
For who has stood in the counsel of LORD JEHOVAH and has seen him and has heard his word, or who has paid attention to his word and has listened to him?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For who hath stood in the council of the LORD, That he should perceive and hear His word? Who hath attended to His word, and heard it?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and seen his word? who has hearkened, and heard?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Lying Prophets
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? 19Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone out with fury, a whirlwind swirling down upon the heads of the wicked.…

Cross References
Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.

1 Corinthians 2:16
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Isaiah 40:13
Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or informed Him as His counselor?

Romans 11:34
“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”

Job 15:8
Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?

Ezekiel 13:3
This is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit yet have seen nothing.

1 Kings 22:19-23
Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. / And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that. / Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. ...

1 Corinthians 2:10-12
But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. / For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. / We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

Isaiah 41:21-23
“Present your case,” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob. / “Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell the former things, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome. Or announce to us what is coming. / Tell us the things that are to come, so that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do something good or evil, that we may look on together in dismay.

Deuteronomy 29:29
The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.

2 Peter 1:20-21
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. / For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 8:19-20
When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? / To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Ezekiel 22:28
Her prophets whitewash these deeds by false visions and lying divinations, saying, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ when the LORD has not spoken.

Matthew 7:15-20
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. / By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? / Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ...


Treasury of Scripture

For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, and has perceived and heard his word? who has marked his word, and heard it?

who.

Jeremiah 23:22
But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

1 Kings 22:24
But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?

Job 15:8-10
Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? …

counsel.

Psalm 25:14
The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

John 15:15
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

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Jeremiah 23
1. He prophesies a restoration of the scattered flock.
5. Christ shall rule and save them.
9. Against false prophets;
33. and mockers of the true prophets.














For who has stood
The phrase "stood" in Hebrew is "עָמַד" (amad), which implies not just a physical standing but a position of readiness and attentiveness. In the context of ancient Israel, standing in the presence of a king or a council was a position of honor and responsibility. This phrase challenges the reader to consider who among the prophets or leaders has truly positioned themselves in a place of divine readiness and attentiveness to God's will.

in the council of the LORD
The "council" (סוֹד, sod) refers to a secret or intimate assembly, often used to describe the divine assembly or the heavenly court. This term suggests a place where God's plans and purposes are revealed. Historically, prophets were expected to receive their messages from such divine encounters. The verse questions the authenticity of those claiming to speak for God, emphasizing the need for true divine revelation.

to see and hear His word?
The dual action of "see and hear" underscores the comprehensive nature of receiving God's revelation. In Hebrew thought, seeing often implies understanding or perceiving beyond the physical, while hearing suggests obedience and attentiveness. This phrase challenges the prophets to not only receive God's word but to fully comprehend and internalize it, ensuring that their messages are genuinely from God.

Who has given heed
"Given heed" translates from the Hebrew "קָשַׁב" (qashab), meaning to pay close attention or to listen carefully. This implies an active engagement with God's word, not a passive reception. The historical context of Jeremiah's time was filled with false prophets who did not truly listen to God. This phrase calls for a deep, intentional focus on God's instructions.

to His word
The "word" (דָּבָר, dabar) of God is central to the prophetic message. In the Hebrew tradition, God's word is powerful, creative, and authoritative. It is not merely spoken language but an expression of God's will and purpose. This highlights the importance of aligning oneself with the divine message, which carries the weight of God's authority.

and obeyed it?
To "obey" (שָׁמַע, shama) in Hebrew means to hear with the intent to act. This phrase emphasizes the necessity of not just hearing God's word but responding to it with faithful action. In the conservative Christian perspective, obedience to God's word is a demonstration of true faith and commitment. This calls believers to a life of action that reflects their understanding and acceptance of God's will.

(18) The counsel.--Better, perhaps, the council, the "assembly" of chosen friends with whom a man shares his secret plans. So in Jeremiah 6:11; Jeremiah 15:17; Psalm 89:7, "assembly." Could any of the false prophets say that they had thus been called as into the privy council of Jehovah? (Comp. Amos 3:7; 1Kings 22:19-23.)

Verse 18. - For who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord; rather, in the council. This verse is connected with ver. 16; it gives the reason why the false prophets were not to be listened to. None of them had been admitted to the secret council of the Lord; the interrogation is here a form of denial. "To stand in the council" is not the same as "to sit" (Psalm 1:1); the latter phrase implies taking an active part in the consultations. It is specially applicable to the true prophets, according to ver. 22, and this, as we gather from other passages, m a twofold sense. Sometimes the prophets had visions, in which their inner eye was granted a sight of Jehovah in consultation with his trusted servants (Isaiah 6:1, comp. 8; 1 Kings 22:19); and the words of Eliphaz, "Weft thou listening in the council of God?" (Job 15:8), appear to be descriptive of a similar experience. But the phrase may also be used in a wider sense of entirely unecstatic revelations. Amos says (Amos 3:7), "Surely the Lord Jehovah will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret counsel unto his servants the prophets; ' and a psalmist extends the term "secret counsel" to the communion which God grants to the pious in general (Psalm 25:14; comp. Proverbs 3:32). Thus there is no hard and-fast line between the experiences of the prophets and those of humbler believers. In so far as the latter are "disciples of Jehovah" (Isaiah 54:13), they too may be truly said to "stand," at least in the doorway, "in the council of Jehovah;" just as a well-known collect inherited from the Latin Church beseeches that "by God's holy inspiration we may think those things that he good." Who hath marked his word? A Jewish tradition, represented by the marginal notes in the Hebrew Bible, has taken offence at this variation in the expression, and would correct the reading to "my word." But such changes of person are of frequent occurrence, and we know that the prophets were thoroughly assured that the word which they spoke was not theirs, but that of him who sent them.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

which of them
מִ֤י (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

has stood
עָמַד֙ (‘ā·maḏ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

in the council
בְּס֣וֹד (bə·sō·wḏ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5475: A session, company of persons, intimacy, consultation, a secret

of the LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

to see
וְיֵ֖רֶא (wə·yê·re)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

and hear
וְיִשְׁמַ֣ע (wə·yiš·ma‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

His word?
דְּבָר֑וֹ (də·ḇā·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

Who
מִֽי־ (mî-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

has given heed
הִקְשִׁ֥יב (hiq·šîḇ)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7181: To prick up the ears, hearken

to His word
דְּבָר֖וֹ (də·ḇā·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

and obeyed it?
וַיִּשְׁמָֽע׃ (way·yiš·mā‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 23:18 For who has stood in the council (Jer.)
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