Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my
pasture! saith the LORD.
This forms the epilogue to the denunciations of the four kings in
Jeremiah 21:1; Jeremiah 22:1.
WOE BE UNTO THE PASTORS THAT DESTROY AND SCATTER THE SHEEP - Shallum,
Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah ().... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that
feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and
have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your
doings, saith the LORD.
YE HAVE SCATTERED MY FLOCK, AND DRIVEN THEM AWAY, AND HAVE NOT... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries
whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds;
and they shall be fruitful and increase.
Restoration of Judah from Babylon foretold in language which in its
fullness can only apply to the final restoration of bot... [ Continue Reading ]
_BEHOLD, THE DAYS COME, SAITH THE LORD, THAT I WILL RAISE UNTO DAVID A
RIGHTEOUS BRANCH, AND A KING SHALL REIGN AND PROSPER, AND SHALL
EXECUTE JUDGMENT AND JUSTICE IN THE EARTH._
No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and
this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR
RIGHTEOUSNESS.
IN HIS DAYS JUDAH SHALL BE SAVED, AND ISRAEL SHALL DWELL SAFELY -
(cf. Jeremiah 33:16, where "Jerusalem" is substituted for "Israel"
here). Only Judah, and... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no
more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out
of the land of Egypt;
Repeated from Jeremiah 16:14. The prophet said the same things often,
in order that his sayings might make the more impression. The nam... [ Continue Reading ]
Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones
shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath
overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his
holiness.
BECAUSE OF THE PROPHETS - so the Masorites and Targum. But the
Vulgate, Septuagint, etc., ma... [ Continue Reading ]
For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land
mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and
their course is evil, and their force is not right.
THE LAND IS FULL OF ADULTERERS - spiritual, i:e., forsakers of God,
Israel's true Husband () for idols, at th... [ Continue Reading ]
For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I
found their wickedness, saith the LORD.
PROPHET AND PRIEST ARE PROFANE - (; ).
IN MY HOUSE - (). They built altars to idols in the very temple (;
Ezekiel 8:3). (Compare as to covetousness under the roof of the
sanctuary, ; ).... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the
darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring
evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.
THEIR WAY SHALL BE UNTO THEM AS SLIPPERY WAYS IN THE DARKNESS - their
"way" is their false doctr... [ Continue Reading ]
And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in
Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
I HAVE SEEN FOLLY - literally, insipidity unsavouriness () not having
the salt of godliness ().
THEY PROPHESIED IN BAAL - in name of Baal; in connection with his
worship (see ).
CAU... [ Continue Reading ]
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they
commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of
evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of
them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
I HAVE SEEN ALSO IN THE... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets;
Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water
of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth
into all the land.
GALL - poison (note, ; ).... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the
prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a
vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
THEY MAKE YOU VAIN - they seduce you to vanity - i:e., idolatry,
which will prove a vain trust to you... [ Continue Reading ]
They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye
shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the
imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
THEY SAY STILL - Hebrew, say in saying - i:e., say incessantly.
YE SHALL HAVE PEACE - (, "The diviner... [ Continue Reading ]
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?
FOR WHO HATH STOOD IN THE COUNSEL OF THE LORD? A reason is given why
the false prophets should not be heeded; they have not stood in the
counsels of Yahweh-an image from... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a
grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the
wicked.
BEHOLD, A WHIRLWIND OF THE LORD IS GONE FORTH IN FURY - so far from
all posterity awaiting the people, as the false prophets say (Jeremiah
23:17), wrath is in s... [ Continue Reading ]
The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and
till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days
ye shall consider it perfectly.
IN THE LATTER DAYS YE SHALL CONSIDER IT PERFECTLY - i:e., in "the
year of their visitation" (). Primarily the meaning is, the Je... [ Continue Reading ]
I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to
them, yet they prophesied.
I HAVE NOT SENT THESE PROPHETS, YET THEY RAN; I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO
THEM, YET THEY PROPHESIED - "sent" refers to the primary call:
"spoken," to the subsequent charges given to be executed. A call is
requ... [ Continue Reading ]
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.
IF THEY HAD STOOD IN MY COUNSEL - ().
THEY SHOULD HAVE TURNED THEM FROM THEIR EVIL WAY - they would have
given such counsels... [ Continue Reading ]
Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?
AM I A GOD AT HAND ... AND NOT A GOD AFAR OFF? - Let not the false
prophets fancy that their devices () are unknown to me. Are ye so
ignorant as to suppose that I can only see things near me?-namely,
things in heaven, and not earthly th... [ Continue Reading ]
Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith
the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.
CAN ANY HIDE HIMSELF ... THAT I SHALL NOT SEE HIM? (, etc.; Amos
9:2.)
DO NOT I FILL HEAVEN AND EARTH? - with my omniscience. providence,
power, and essential being ... [ Continue Reading ]
I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name,
saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. THE PROPHETS ... PROPHESY LIES
... SAYING, I HAVE DREAMED - I have received a prophetic communication
by dream (; , etc.; ).... [ Continue Reading ]
How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy
lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
HOW LONG SHALL THIS BE IN THE HEART OF ... PROPHETS - [ nibª'eey
(H5012)] - a participle, a different Hebrew form from the usual one.
Translate, 'prophecy-mongers,' 'p... [ Continue Reading ]
Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams
which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have
forgotten my name for Baal.
They "think" to make my people utterly to forget me. But I will oppose
to those dreamers my true prophets.
AS THEIR FATHERS HAVE FORGOTT... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath
my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the
wheat? saith the LORD.
THE PROPHET THAT HATH A DREAM, LET HIM TELL A DREAM - God answers the
objection which might be started, 'What, then, must we do, when l... [ Continue Reading ]
Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that
breaketh the rock in pieces?
IS NOT MY WORD LIKE AS A FIRE? - as the "fire" consumes the "chaff,"
so "my word" will consume the false prophets (; ). "My word," which is
"wheat" - i:e., food-to the true prophet and his hearers,... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that
steal my words every one from his neighbour.
I AM AGAINST THE PROPHETS ... THAT STEAL MY WORDS - a two-fold
plagiarism; one steals from the other and all steal words from
Yahweh's true prophets, but misapply them (see ; ; ).... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their
tongues, and say, He saith.
USE THEIR TONGUES - rather, 'take' [ haloqªchiym (H3947)] their
tongue: a second class (cf. Jeremiah 23:30) require, in order to bring
forth a revelation, nothing more than their tongues, wherewith they... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD,
and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by
their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore
they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
I AM AGAINST THEM THAT PROPHESY F... [ Continue Reading ]
And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee,
saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them,
What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.
WHEN THIS PEOPLE ... SHALL ASK THEE ... WHAT IS THE BURDEN? - play on
the double sense of the Hebrew [ m... [ Continue Reading ]
And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall
say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his
house.
AS FOR THE PROPHET ... THAT SHALL SAY, THE BURDEN OF THE LORD -
whoever shall in mockery call the Lord's word "a burden" shall be
visited (margin) in wrath.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his
brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken?
THUS SHALL YE SAY - the result of my judgments shall be, ye shall
address the prophet more reverentially hereafter, no longer calling
his message a burden, but... [ Continue Reading ]
And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's
word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the
living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.
EVERY MAN'S WORD SHALL BE HIS BURDEN - as they mockingly call all
prophecies burdens, as if calamities were the sole sub... [ Continue Reading ]
_THUS SHALT THOU SAY TO THE PROPHET, WHAT HATH THE LORD ANSWERED THEE?
AND, WHAT HATH THE LORD SPOKEN?_
No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will
forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast
you out of my presence:
I WILL UTTERLY FORGET YOU - just retribution for their forgetting Him
(Hosea 4:6). But God cannot possibly forget His children (Isaiah
49:... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual
shame, which shall not be forgotten.
NOT BE FORGOTTEN. If we translate as the English version, the
antithesis is, though I forget you, your shame shall not be forgotten.
Remarks:
(1) How terrible will be the judgments of God on... [ Continue Reading ]