Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 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.
36. every man’s own word shall be his burden ] mg. is his burden, and ye pervert, etc. Either ( a) he who has jokingly enquired after the “burden of the Lord” shall find that those lightly spoken words of his are in very deed the heaviest load to bear, or ( b) (rendering for “shall be” is) no alleged prophetic utterance has in fact any higher authority than the speaker himself.
ye have perverted, etc.] The LXX omit this clause; also the greater part of Jer 23:37 (which is Jer 23:35 repeated). The accumulation of epithets in Jer 23:36 renders the clause suspicious.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Every mans word … – Rather, every mans 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.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The burden of the Lord shall ye mention no more; not in scorn and derision, as not believing there were any such judgments as they threaten; nor hardly, as if I sent yon no other messages but burdens. These false and irreverent speeches, which are in every mans mouth, shall be burdensome to them, being such as shall bring down Divine vengeance upon them; because you have derided or misinterpreted the words of God, the living God; the sin of which is the more aggravated against you, because he is the living, mighty God, and because he hath been our God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
36. every man’s word . . . hisburdenAs they mockingly call all prophecies burdens,as if calamities were the sole subject of prophecy, so it shall proveto them. God will take them at their own word.
living Godnot lifelessas their dumb idols, ever living so as to be able to punish.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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; and which is aggravated by their being the words of “the living God”, who is the true God and his words true; and he lives and is able to resent and punish any ill usage of him, and ill treatment of his words; and not the oracles of lifeless idols: and they are the words of “the Lord of hosts”, of all armies above and below, and so was able to make them good: and besides, they were the words of “our God”, the God of Israel; who had in all ages kept his covenant with them, performed his promises to them, and had done great and good things for them.
u “quia onus erit unicuique verbum suum”, Schmidt; “[vel] verbum ejus, nempe, Dei”, Dieu.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
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 else in view in addressing men, but to call them to salvation. The word of God then in itself ought to be deemed sweet and delightful. Whence then is this bitterness and hatred towards it? even from the wickedness of men alone. As when a sick person, eating the most wholesome food finds it turned into poison, the cause being in himself; so it is with us, it is our own fault that the word of God becomes a burden. It was, moreover, the Prophet’s design to shew that the Jews had no reason to complain that prophecies were grievous to them, and always announced some trouble; for God wishes to address men with lenity and kindness, but he is forced by their wickedness to deal sharply with them. The Prophet seems, however, to go still farther, as though he had said, “Though prophecies should cease, yet every one shall be a prophet to himself; for as they murmur against God, and cannot bear his judgment, however silent God’s ministers may be, they will yet afford a sufficient cause for condemnation, who dare thus to rise up against God.”
We now see the design of the Prophet in saying, Ye shall no more mention the burden of Jehovah; that is, “This shameful proverb, which brands God’s word with disgrace, shall no more be used by you; this wicked practice shall cease, for else to every one of you; his word shall be a burden;” so the causal particle כי, ki, is to be rendered. But if another sense be preferred, I feel no objection, that is, that they ought to have considered the reason why God did not deal more mildly with them; which was, because they were of a perverse disposition, and thus they refused the paternal kindness which he was prepared to shew, provided they received it. (118)
This passage is entitled to special notice, for we see how the greater part cannot bear threatenings and terrors when announced to them. Hence they entertain contempt and hatred towards heavenly doctrine; and yet none consider why God so often threatens and terrifies them in his word. For if men ceased to sin, God would cease to contend with them; but when they continually provoke him, is he to be silent? and further, are his prophets to suffer everything just to be violated, and God himself to be despised? Let us then know that the fault is in us when God seems to deal rigidly with us, for we do not allow him to use such a paternal language as he always would, were it not that we put a hinderance in the way.
The Prophet also adds, For ye have corrupted the words of the living God, of Jehovah of hosts our God So ought the words to be rendered. Here he justly accuses them, that they perverted the words of God, and in two ways, because they constrained God by their wickedness to speak otherwise than he wished, and also, because they were preposterous interpreters of his dealings. For though God may severely chastise us, yet it is our duty to receive his reproofs with a meek spirit, as they are necessary for us; but when we murmur and become refractory, we pervert the word of God. We hence see that the word of God is not only perverted in one way, but when we furiously oppose him, we prevent him to deal gently and kindly with us; and we do the same when we submit not to his reproofs, but rage against him whenever he summons us to judgment. And as their wantonness was in this instance so great, the Prophet here sets up against them in express terms the power of God.
He says first, that he is the living God; and by this term he reminded them that the ungodly, who vomited thus their blasphemies against him, would not go unpunished; “See,” he says, “with whom ye have to do; for you contend with the living God; this audacity will rebound on your own heads; ye then carry on a fatal war.” He, secondly, adds, that he is Jehovah of hosts; by which expression he again shews his power. And, thirdly, he says, that he is the God of that people; as though he had said, that not only their impiety was madness in daring to contend with God, but that it was also connected with ingratitude; for God had adopted them as his people, and had promised to be their God.
We now then see the design of the Prophet; he first warned them not to entertain hatred in their hearts to prophetic doctrine; secondly, he shewed that the whole fault was in themselves, as they constrained God to deal severely with them; and further, that they perverted the word of God, being false interpreters of it, and closing the door against his kindness when he invited all the pious and the teachable; and lastly, he exalts God’s power and commends his goodness, that he might thus aggravate the sin of the people in daring to carry on war with God himself, and in despising the favor conferred on them. It follows, —
(118) This sentence, as given by the Sept. and Vulg., bears the meaning first mentioned by Calvin, but another, as given by the Syr., “for the word, let it be to man his prophecy,” that is, the Lord’s prophecy. The meaning of which seems to be, that the burden, or prophecy, ought to be deemed by every man as the word of God, or ought to be called his word; it was no longer to be called burden, but God’s word. According to Calvin and many others, the meaning is, “the word, or the phrase,” the burden of the Lord, “which ye use in derision, shall really be a burden to you.” The כי in this case must be rendered else or otherwise. But the following words do not well connect; and as punishment in case of disregarding the injunction here given is afterwards especially specified, to mention it here seems improper. I am therefore inclined to regard the two last clauses as including reasons for the prohibition; and I give this version,
36. And “the burden of Jehovah” ye shall no more mention; For the burden, it is become to every one his word; And ye have perverted the words of the living God, Of Jehovah of hosts, our God.
The word burden was used by all, it had become a common word; and by using it in derision, they turned the words of the living God into contempt, instead of receiving them as his words and obeying them. This was the process, they first ridiculed them, and then despised and neglected them. Hence God prohibited the use of the expression, “the burden of Jehovah.” The only objection to the rendering above is, that היה, a future, is rendered as a present, “it is become;” but this is what is often done. Besides, כי is sometimes conversive as well as the ו. — Ed
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(36) The burden of the Lord shall ye mention no more . . .The misused term was no longer to be applied to the messages of Jehovah. If men continued to apply it to the words of their own heart, they would find it a burden in another sense (the prophet plays once more on the etymology of the word) too heavy to be borne. This would be the righteous punishment of the reckless levity with which they had treated the sacred Name which Jeremiah reproduces in all the amplitude of its grandeur. They had never realised the awfulness of speaking in the name of the living God, the Lord of Sabaoth.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
36. Every man’s word shall be his burden The word “burden” shall have, to him who uses it tauntingly against my faithful prophet, a crushing fulfilment.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 23:36. Every man’s word shall be his burden “Every one of you shall feel the weight of my vengeance, for the insolent discourse which you have pronounced. Your discourse shall be your burden, and the cause of your chastisements.” Houbigant understands these verses somewhat differently; he renders the 35th verse thus: Nor shall a man any more say to his neighbour, or to his brother, What hath the Lord answered, or what is his word? Jer 23:36. Nor shall ye mention any more the burden of the Lord; since every man’s word shall be his burden: nor shall ye any more prevent the words of the living God, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 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.
Ver. 36. For every man’s word shall be his burden.] That jeer of his afore mentioned shall lie heavy upon him, and cost him dear, for under the weight he shall sink and be crushed in pieces.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
perverted. See note on Jer 6:10.
the living God. Both words are plural.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
for every: Psa 12:3, Psa 64:8, Psa 120:3, Psa 149:9, Pro 17:20, Isa 3:8, Mat 12:36, Luk 19:22, 2Pe 2:17, 2Pe 2:18, Jud 1:15, Jud 1:16
for ye: Isa 28:13, Isa 28:14, Isa 28:22, Gal 1:7-9, Gal 6:5, 2Pe 3:16
of the: Jer 10:10, Deu 5:26, 1Sa 17:26, 1Sa 17:36, 2Ki 19:4, Act 14:15, 1Th 1:9
Reciprocal: Isa 5:19 – let the Isa 30:15 – the Holy One Act 13:10 – wilt 1Ti 3:15 – the living 2Ti 2:14 – the subverting
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 23:36. The people had perverted the words of the Lord and hence were unworthy of being speakers of the burden or message of the Lord. So the truth of the matter was that God’s judgments would finally be poured out upon the whole nation.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 23:36. For every mans word shall be his burden You shall be made severely to account for your loose and profane speeches, wherewith you deride and pervert the words and messages of God himself. Or, Every man shall have most reason to regard his own word as hurtful and prejudicial to him. For the words of God were delivered with a salutary tendency, to warn sinners of the danger of their situation, and to call them to repentance. Those, therefore, who made a right use of them would have no cause to complain. But those who despised and rejected them perverted that which should have been for their wealth into an occasion of falling. Blaney.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
23:36 And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man’s {d} word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.
(d) The thing which they mock and contemn will come on them.