Jeremiah 29:8

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. NEITHER HEARKEN TO YOUR DREAMS WHICH YE CAUSE TO BE DREAMED. The Latin adage saith, 'The people wish to be deceived, so let them be deceived.' Not mere credulity misleads men, but their own perverse "love of darkness rather than light." It was not priests who originated priestcraft, but the people's own morbid appetite to be deceived; e.g., Aaron and the golden calf (Exodus 32:1). So the Jews caused or made the prophets to tell them encouraging dreams (; ;...

As the minds of almost all were taken up, as we have seen, with that vain and false confidence which they had imbibed from false prophecies, that they should return after two years, the Prophet gives this answer, and reminds them to beware of such impostures. And thus we see that it is not sufficient for one simply to teach what is right, except he also restores from error those who have been already deceived or are in danger of being deceived. For to assert the truth is only one-half of the office of teaching, because Satan ever leads his ministers to corrupt the pure doctrine with falsehoods. It is not then enough to proclaim the truth itself, except all the fallacies of the devil be also dissipated, of which there is at this day a manifest instance under the Papacy; for as the minds of almost all are there inebriated with many corrupt inventions, were any one only to shew that this or...

8-19 Let men beware how they call those prophets whom they choose after their own fancies, and how they consider their fancies and dreams to be revelations from God. False prophets flatter people in their sins, because they love to be flattered; and they speak smoothly to their prophets, that their prophets may speak smoothly to them. God promises that they should return after seventy years were accomplished. By this it appears, that the seventy years of the captivity are not to be reckoned from the last captivity, but the first. It will be the bringing to pass of God's good word to them. This shall form God's purposes. We often do not know our own minds, but the Lord is never at an uncertainty. We are sometimes ready to fear that God's designs are all against us; but as to his own people, even that which seems evil, is for good. He will give them, not the expectations of their fears, o...

Verse Jeremiah 29:8. _NEITHER HEARKEN TO YOUR DREAMS_] Rather, _dreamers_; for it appears there was a class of such persons, who not only had acquired a facility of dreaming themselves, but who undertook to interpret the dreams of others....

YOUR PROPHETS AND YOUR DIVINERS - The evils from which the people had suffered so cruelly at home followed them in their exile. DREAMS WHICH YE CAUSE TO BE DREAMED - As long as there was a market for dreams, so long there would be plenty of impostors to supply them....

EXPOSITION Despised and rejected at home, Jeremiah turned his thoughts to those distant brethren in captivity, whom he had already likened to "good figs, very good" (Jeremiah 24:3, Jeremiah 24:5). He had heard with sorrow that they could not readily submit to their altered circumstances; Judah, with its consecrated associations, was still too near to them in spirit. Probably a rumor of the expected confederacy (Jeremiah 27:3) had troubled their minds, and the discontent was increased by the pernicious discourses of prophets and sooth sayers similar to that Hananiah of whom we have just heard. Two of these in particular are mentioned, and a terrible fate is held out to them. The appendix (verses 24-32) de

FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL,.... Jeremiah 29:4; LET NOT YOUR PROPHETS AND YOUR DIVINERS, THAT [BE] IN THE MIDST OF YOU, DECEIVE YOU; their false prophets, as the Targum; and there were many such in the captivity; see Ezekiel 13:2; and such who pretended to divine and foretell future things, and so impose upon the people, who were too apt to believe them; these insinuated, that in a little time they should have their liberty, and return to their own land again, contrary to the prophecies that came from the Lord himself: NEITHER HEARKEN TO YOUR DREAMS WHICH YE CAUSE TO BE DREAMED; for that of a speedy return to their own land was no other than a dream, which they both dreamed themselves; their thoughts running on it in the daytime, t

JEREMIAH 29. THE FUTURE OF THE EXILES IN BABYLON (_c_. 595). Jeremiah sends a letter by royal messengers to tell the exiles in Babylon to settle down there for a lengthy stay, and not to be deceived by those who say otherwise (Jeremiah 29:1). After seventy years (see on Jeremiah 25:11), they shall be restored in accordance with Yahweh's declared purpose (Jeremiah 24:4) and goodwill (Jeremiah 29:1). At this point, an insertion seems to have been made in the original letter. Most of 14 (after I will be found of you) is rightly omitted in LXX; the reference to all the nations does not suit the destination of this particula

See introd. note to section. Instead of looking for an immediate return to Palestine, which would cause the exiles to sit loose to the country where they found themselves, they were to be interested in its welfare and to make homes for themselves. Otherwise they would not only fail to obtain any influence, but would soon dwindle away....

3. _A warning to the captives_ (Jeremiah 29:8-10) TRANSLATION (8) For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not the prophets that are in your midst, and your diviners as well, deceive you, and do not hearken to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. (9) For they are prophesying to you falsely in My name; I have not sent them (oracle of the LORD). (10) For thus says the LORD: When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and I will fulfill for you My good word to bring you back unto this place. COMMENTS In Jeremiah 29:8-9 Jeremiah points to three agents likely to lead the captives astrayprophets, diviners and dreams. False prophets promising a speedy deliverance had arisen in Babylon as well as in Jerusalem. Their o