Jeremiah 28:23

8 . But thou, thyself , shalt , etc.] The emphatic thou is necessary after the intrusion of the previous v . return ] If this be meant in a spiritual sense, the like does not elsewhere occur in Deut.; but is found in Isaiah 10:21 ; Isaiah 19:22 , Jeremiah 3:1 ; Jeremiah 3:7 ; Jeremiah 3:12 ; Jeremiah 3:22 ; Jeremiah 4:1 ; Jeremiah 15:19 ; Jeremiah 18:11 (= Jeremiah 35:15 ), Jeremiah 23:14 , Jeremiah 24:7 , Jeremiah 36:3 , Ezekiel 18:23 , etc. For the rest of this v erse see above Deuteronomy 15:5 , Deuteronomy 28:1 ; Deuteronomy 28:15 .

1–5 (2–6 in Heb.). Against the Prophet of Other Gods 1 . If there arise in the midst of thee ] So Deuteronomy 19:15-16 also Sg. Cp. the synonymous if there be found in the midst of thee Deuteronomy 17:2 , Deuteronomy 18:10 , Deuteronomy 21:1 , Deuteronomy 22:22 , Deuteronomy 24:7 . Steuern takes this as characteristic of the Pl. document, but like the other it occurs with the Sg. address; and we have seen that Deuteronomy 17:2 may originally have belonged to the same section as Deuteronomy 13:1 . No conclusion, therefore, can be drawn. a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams ] In early Israel regarded as identical; cp. the frequency in E of dreams as revelations, e.g. Genesis 20:3 to Abimelech, Deuteronomy 28:10 ff., Deuteronomy 31:11 to Jacob, and the oracle quoted in E, Numbers 12:6 : if there be a prophet among you … I will speak to him through dreams . In later times the dream was discarded by the prophets as a professional delusion, Jeremiah 23:25 ; Jeremiah 23:27 and sharply distinguished from the true word of God: 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 straw to the wheat ? ( id. Jer 23:28); that prophesy lying dreams ( Jeremiah 23:32 ); cp. Deuteronomy 27:9 , Deuteronomy 29:8 f., prophets, soothsayers, sorcerers, diviners, your dreams that ye dream, they prophesy lies in my name, I have not sent them ; Zechariah 10:2 .

For Ezekiel 23:26, compare Ezekiel 16:39. - In Ezekiel 23:27, "from the land of Egypt" is not equivalent to "dating from Egypt;" for according to the parallel ממּך, from thee, this definition does not belong to זנוּתך, "thy whoredom," but to השׁבּתּי, "I cause thy whoredom to cease from Egypt" (Hitzig). - For Ezekiel 23:28, compare Ezekiel 16:37; for Ezekiel 23:28, vid., Ezekiel 23:17 above; and for Ezekiel 23:29, see Ezekiel 23:25 and Ezekiel 23:26, and Ezekiel 16:39. - Ezekiel 23:31 looks back to Ezekiel 23:13; and Ezekiel 23:31 is still further expanded in Ezekiel 23:32-34. Judah shall drink the cup of the wrathful judgment of God, as Samaria has done. For the figure of the cup, compare Isaiah 51:17 and Jeremiah 25:15. This cup is described in Ezekiel 23:32 as deep and wide, i.e., very capacious, so that whoever exhausts all its contents must be thoroughly intoxicated. תּהיה is the third person; but the subject is מרבּה, and not כּוס. The greatness or breadth of the cup will be a subject of laughter and ridicule. It is very arbitrary to supply "to thee," so as to read: will be for laughter and ridicule to thee, which does not even yield a suitable meaning, since it is not Judah but the nations who laugh at the cup.

Micah and Isaiah, a little later, speak of such opposition, in Judah, as habitual Micah 2:6; Isaiah 30:10-11; much more in Israel, where the opposition to God's law was more fundamental, and where God's prophet's had been all but exterminated. Even Asa, in his degenerate days, imprisoned Hanani for prophesying that he would "have wars" 2 Chronicles 16:7, 2 Chronicles 16:10; Joash killed Zechariah son of Jehoiada 2 Chronicles 24:20-21; Amaziah silenced the prophet who rebuked him, "Art thou made of the king's council? forbear. Why shouldest thou be smitten?" 2 Chronicles 25:15-16. Jehoiakim sent even into Egypt to fetch Uriah and killed him Jeremiah 26:20-23. Jeremiah's life was one continuous encounter with false accusations Jeremiah 20:10; Jeremiah 37:13; Jeremiah 38:4, contradictions by false prophets (Jeremiah 23:17 ff; Jeremiah 27:9-10, Jeremiah 27:14-16; Jeremiah 28; Jeremiah 29), hatred Jeremiah 15:10, mockery Jeremiah 17:15; Jeremiah 20:7-8; Jeremiah 23:33, persecution Jeremiah 17:18, imprisonment Jeremiah 20:2; Jeremiah 32:3; Jeremiah 33:1; Jeremiah 37:15-21; Jeremiah 38:6-13, attempts to destroy him (Jeremiah 11:18-21; Jeremiah 18:18, Jeremiah 18:20-23; Jeremiah 26:8 ff; Jeremiah 36:26). The complaint was, as here, "wherefore dost thou prophesy?" Jeremiah 32:3.

10 . obeyed (lit. hearkened to ) the voice , &c.] So Exodus 15:26 ; Exodus 19:5 ; and especially in Deut. (as Deuteronomy 4:30 , Deuteronomy 9:23 , Deuteronomy 28:1-2 ; Deuteronomy 28:15 ), and Jer. (as Jeremiah 3:13 , Jeremiah 9:13 , Jeremiah 44:23 ). Cf. with this verse Bar 1:18 ; Bar 2:10 . to walk in his laws ] Cf. Jeremiah 26:4 ; Jeremiah 32:23 ; Jeremiah 44:10 ; Jeremiah 44:23 . which he set before us ] See Deuteronomy 4:8 ; Deuteronomy 11:32 ; Jeremiah 9:13 ; Jeremiah 44:10 , and esp. Jeremiah 26:4 (cf. the last clause). Daniel 9:10

This word is rendered "governors" in Daniel 2:48 (see the note at that place), and in Daniel 3:3, Daniel 3:27; Daniel 6:7. It does not elsewhere occur. The Hebrew word corresponding to this - סגנים segânı̂ym - occurs frequently, and is rendered "rulers" in every place except Isaiah 41:25, where it is rendered "princes:" Ezra 9:2; Nehemiah 2:16; Nehemiah 4:14 (7); Nehemiah 5:7, Nehemiah 5:17; Nehemiah 7:5; Jeremiah 51:23, Jeremiah 51:28, Jeremiah 51:57; Ezekiel 23:6, Ezekiel 23:12, Ezekiel 23:23, et al. The office was evidently one that was inferior to that of the "satrap," or governor of a whole province. And the captains - פחותא pachăvâtâ'. This word, wherever it occurs in Daniel, is rendered "captains," Daniel 3:2-3, Daniel 3:27; Daniel 6:7; wherever else it occurs it is rendered governor, Ezra 5:3, Ezra 5:6, Ezra 5:14; Ezra 6:6-7, Ezra 6:13. The Hebrew word corresponding to this (פחה pechâh) occurs frequently, and is also rendered indifferently, "governor" or "captain:" 1 Kings 10:15; 2 Chronicles 9:14; Ezra 8:36; 1 Kings 20:24; Jeremiah 51:23, Jeremiah 51:28, Jeremiah 51:57, et al. It refers to the governor of a province less than satrapy, and is applied to officers in the Assyrian empire, 2 Kings 18:24; Isaiah 36:9; in the Chaldean, Ezekiel 23:6, Ezekiel 23:23; Jeremiah 51:23; and in the Persian, Esther 8:9; Esther 9:3. The word "captains" does not now very accurately express the sense.

28. God answers the objection which might be stated, "What, then, must we do, when lies are spoken as truths, and prophets oppose prophets?" Do the same as when wheat is mixed with chaff: do not reject the wheat because of the chaff mixed with it, but discriminate between the false and the true revelations. The test is adherence to, or forgetfulness of, Me and My law (Jeremiah 23:27). that hath a dream —that pretends to have a divine communication by dream, let him tell it "faithfully," that it may be compared with "my word" (2 Corinthians 4:2). The result will be the former (both the prophets and their fictions) will soon be seen to be chaff; the latter (the true prophets and the word of God in their mouth) wheat (Psalms 1:4; Hosea 13:3). 29. As the "fire" consumes the "chaff," [Jeremiah 23:28], so "My word" will consume the false prophets (Matthew 3:12; Hebrews 4:12). "My word" which is "wheat" [Jeremiah 23:28], that is, food to the true prophet and his hearers, is a consuming "fire," and a crushing "hammer" (Matthew 21:44) to false prophets and their followers (2 Corinthians 2:16). The Word of the false prophets may be known by its promising men peace in sin. "My word," on the contrary, burns and breaks the hard-hearted (Jeremiah 20:9). The "hammer" symbolizes destructive power (Jeremiah 50:23; Nahum 2:1, Margin ). 30.

Ezekiel 11:20 : Jeremiah 7:23 ; Jeremiah 11:4 ; Jeremiah 30:22 ), descriptive of the covenant relationship in which Jehovah stood towards Israel ( Exodus 19:5 ; Leviticus 26:12 ; Deuteronomy 26:17, 18 ), have been chosen by New Testament writers to set forth the relationship of God towards the Christian Church, first here on earth ( 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 ), and afterwards in the heavenly Jerusalem ( Revelation 21:3 ). Ezekiel 36:28

Verse 26. - Mischief... turnout. The combination reminds us of the "wars and rumours of wars" of Matthew 24:6 . The floating uncertain reports of a time of invasion aggravate the actual misery (comp. Isaiah 37:7 ; Jeremiah 51:46 ; Obadiah 1:1 ). They shall seek a vision of the prophet, etc. The words paint a picture of political chaos and confusion. The people turn in their distress to the three representativtes of wisdom - the prophet as the bearer of an immediate message from Jehovah, the priest as the interpreter of his Law ( Malachi 2:7 ), the "ancients" or "elders" as those who had learnt the lessons of experience, - and all alike in vain. (For illustrative facts, see Jeremiah 5:31 ; Jeremiah 6:13 ; Jeremiah 21:2 ; Jeremiah 23:21-40 ; Jeremiah 27:9-18 ; Jeremiah 28:1-9 , and generally Micah 3:6 ; Amos 8:11 ; 1 Samuel 28:6 ; Lamentations 2:9 .) Ezekiel 7:26

2 . they have taken ] i.e. ‘taken wives’ as in Ezra 10:44 ; 2 Chronicles 11:21 ; 2 Chronicles 13:21 . the holy seed ] i.e. the race set apart and consecrated to God, cf. Exodus 19:5-6 . The term ‘the holy seed’ is found also in Isaiah 6:13 . have mingled themselves ] The same phrase occurs in a passage which well illustrates our verse. Psalm 106:34-35 . ‘They did not destroy the peoples (‘ammîm) as the Lord commanded them; but mingled themselves with the nations (haggoyyim) and learned their works’. with the people of those lands ] R.V. with the peoples of the lands , as in Ezra 9:1 . the hand of the princes and rulers ] marg. ‘princes and deputies ’. compare the same phrase Nehemiah 5:7 . The word rendered ‘rulers’ (marg. ‘deputies’) ‘segânîm’ is of Assyrian origin. It occurs in Isaiah 41:25 , and preceded by ‘pekhah’ in Jeremiah 51:23 ; Jeremiah 51:28 ; Jeremiah 51:57 ; Ezekiel 23:6 ; Ezekiel 23:12 ; Ezekiel 23:23 as ‘governors and deputies’; in Nehemiah 4:14 ; Nehemiah 4:19 ; Nehemiah 5:7 ; Nehemiah 7:5 ; Nehemiah 12:40 ; Nehemiah 13:11 as ‘rulers’ (marg. ‘deputies’). ‘The princes’ seem to have been the chief authorities. A ruler or deputy (sagan) held under the governor a post of subordinate responsibility. chief in this trespass ] R.V. marg. first . This is probably more correct; the chiefs and rulers had set the example of wrong-doing, ‘Trespass’ Ezra 9:4 , Ezra 10:6 . Compare the use of this word with reference to national sin, Joshua 7:1 ; Joshua 22:16 .