Jeremiah 23:36

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 subject of prophecy, so it shall prove to them. God will take them at their own word, He will send burdensome calamities on them. YE HAVE PERVERTED THE WORDS OF THE LIVING GOD - not lifeless, as their dumb idols-ever living, so as to be able to punish....

Jeremiah goes on with the same subject, that every one ought calmly and meekly to hear God speaking, he said, as we saw yesterday, that the prophets were to be asked as to what God had spoken and what he had answered; he thereby intimated that there must be docility, in order that God’s word may obtain credit, authority, and favor among us. He again repeats, that the word burden could not be endured by God; for, as we explained yesterday, this word was used commonly by the Jews as expressive of hatred or disdain, being as they were unwilling to receive sound doctrine. In forbidding them to mention the word _burden, _it was the same thing as though he had said, “Let not this form of speaking be any longer in use among you.” He then adds, _For to every one his word shall be his burden. _By these words he shews that what is bitter in prophecies is as it were accidental; for God has nothing...

33-40 Those are miserable indeed who are forsaken and forgotten of God; and men's jesting at God's judgments will not baffle them. God had taken Israel to be a people near to him, but they shall now be cast out of his presence. It is a mark of great and daring impiety for men to jest with the words of God. Every idle and profane word will add to the sinner's burden in the day of judgment, when everlasting shame will be his portion....

Verse Jeremiah 23:36. _EVERY MAN'S WORD SHALL BE HIS BURDEN_] Ye say that all God's messages are _burdens_, and to _you_ they shall be such: whereas, had you used them as you ought, they would have been _blessings_ to you. _FOR YE HAVE PERVERTED THE WORDS OF THE LIVING GOD_] And thus have sinned against your own souls....

EVERY MAN’S WORD ... - Rather, every man’s burden shall be his word; i. e., his mocking use of the word “burden” shall weigh him down and crush him. PERVERTED - i. e., put into a ridiculous light....

EXPOSITION The first eight verses form the necessary conclusion of the group of discourses summarized in Jeremiah 21:1; Jeremiah 22:1. Like Isaiah, our prophet follows up denunciation with consolation, and will have the mind rest on the sure promises of God for the Messianic future. A part of the people has been already scattered abroad. In Jeremiah 24:8, "those who dwell in the land of Egypt" are a section no less important than "those who remain in this land;" and the Babylonian Captivity is an event only too certain to take place (comp. Jeremiah 24:8). Unhappy Judah! for though not free from responsibility, it

AND THE BURDEN OF THE LORD SHALL BE MENTIONED NO MORE,.... Or the word of the Lord under that name, speaking of it in a ludicrous and scoffing manner: FOR EVERY MAN'S WORD SHALL BE HIS BURDEN; every flout, scoff, and jeer of his, at the word of God, shall fall heavily upon him, with weight upon his conscience, and press him with guilt to the lowest hell; or, however, a heavy punishment for his sin shall light upon him: or, as the words may be rendered, "for his word is a burden to everyone" u; that is, the word of the Lord is reckoned by everyone a burden; and with them a burden and the word of the Lord are synonymous terms; which ought not to be, and was offensive to the Lord; and therefore he forbids the use of such a phrase, and threatens to punish for it; FOR YE HAVE PERVERTED THE WORDS OF THE LIVING GOD, OF THE LORD OF HOSTS, OUR GOD; derided them, and put a wrong sense upon them;...

CHAPTER 23:9-40 Condemnation of the False Prophets _ 1. Jeremiah's lament on account of the false prophets (Jeremiah 23:9) _ 2. The condemnation of these prophets (Jeremiah 23:15) 3. Forgotten and forsaken (Jeremiah 23:33) Jeremiah 23:9. The prophet is overwhelmed because of the wicked prophets, because in the LORD's house wickedness was found. The false prophets of Samaria had led the people into idolatry and the prophets of Judah were guilty of all kinds of immoralities. Like priests, like people; they all became unto the Lord as Sodom, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem like Go

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

PERVERTED. See note on Jeremiah 6:10. THE LIVING GOD. Both words are plural....