Jeremiah 23:9-40

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). 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). 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) 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..