Jeremiah 23:9-40

Jeremiah 23:9-Matthew : . The Prophets.— Jeremiah is overcome by the stern message given him to deliver. The evil of the land is encouraged by prophet and priest ( Jeremiah 6:13), even the Temple being dishonoured ( 2 Kings 21:5); for this they shall be thrust down a dark and slippery way ( Jeremiah 23:9-2 Kings :). The immorality of the southern prophets is worse than was the false religion of the northern ( Jeremiah 23:13). Hence their punishment ( Jeremiah 23:15; cf. Jeremiah 9:15). They inspire baseless hopes (“ teach you vanity” , Jeremiah 23:16), which are without Divine warrant ( Jeremiah 14:14) and prophesy well-being ( Jeremiah 23:17, as mg.) . They have had no entrance into Yahweh’ s heavenly council ( Jeremiah 23:18; cf. Jeremiah 23:22, Job 15:8 mg.; whereas true prophets have, Amos 3:7). Jeremiah 23:19 f., describing the ultimate judgment, appears to be an interpolation from Jeremiah 30:23 f. The teaching of the true prophet can be known from its moral quality ( Jeremiah 23:22). But Yahweh is omnipresent and omniscient ( Jeremiah 23:23 f.) and knows the falsity of the appeal made by these prophets to their dreams as revelation ( cf. Job 4:13 ff.). Let the dream be put forward for no more than it is; the (direct) word of Yahweh shall be known by its powerful effects ( i.e. its appeal to the sanctions of history, Jeremiah 23:29). Yahweh is against this imitative, second-hand prophecy ( Jeremiah 23:30), which is without inner confirmation ( Jeremiah 23:31, and see on Jeremiah 20:9), and Divine commission ( Jeremiah 23:32). This passage is important for the study of the prophetic consciousness, especially of the distinction of true from false prophecy ( cf. Jeremiah 14:13 ff., Ezekiel 13:1-Nehemiah :). The implied marks of false prophecy are superficial optimism ( Jeremiah 23:17), immoral teaching ( Jeremiah 23:22), futility of result ( Jeremiah 23:29), lack of originality and inner conviction ( Jeremiah 23:30).— There follows ( Jeremiah 23:33-Matthew :) a rather obscure denunciation of the term “ burden” , as used of an oracle, i.e. of something “ taken up” on the prophet’ s lips. When men scornfully ask about Yahweh’ s “ burden” , the answer, playing on the term, shall be “ Ye are the burden” ( Jeremiah 23:33 mg.) . Men make their own words into Yahweh’ s “ burden” ( Jeremiah 23:36 mg.) . If men persist in using this term “ burden” of Yahweh’ s oracles, he will “ take them up” ( Jeremiah 23:39 mg., again with play on the word) and fling them away.

Jeremiah 23:9 . shake: “ be soft,” i.e. strengthless.

Jeremiah 23:10 . Read mg.; “ for because . . . dried up” interrupts the connexion.

Jeremiah 23:13 . folly: lit. “ unsavouriness” , Job 6:6.

Jeremiah 23:23 . at hand: must be taken to mean “ locally limited” , in view of context. Jeremiah 23:26. The verse is corrupt: Driver suggests “ how long? is (my word) in the heart, etc.” .