Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 23:14
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
14. all of them ] the prophets and their hearers alike.
thereof ] of Jerusalem.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Rather, But in the prophets of Jerusalem etc. Their conduct is more strongly condemned than that of the Baal-priests.
They strengthen … – First by neglecting to warn and rebuke sinners: secondly by the direct influence of their bad example.
They are all of them – They have become, all of them, i. e., the people of Jerusalem, and not the prophets only.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Jer 23:14
They strengthen also the hands of evil-doers.
Strengthening the hands of the wicked
1. All sin is horrible in its nature, as being contrary to the character and will of God.
2. To strengthen the hands and hinder the repentance of sinners is to oppose the great plan of the Divine government.
3. It tends to the misery of mankind, and is the reverse of that benevolence which ought to govern us in all our conduct.
4. It is to operate with that evil spirit who works in the children of disobedience.
5. It is a horrible thing, because we thus become partakers of their sins.
6. It is directly contrary to Gods commands, and marked with His peculiar abhorrence. (J. Lathrop, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 14. I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem] That is, the prophets of Jerusalem, while professing a pure faith, have followed the ways, and become as corrupt as the prophets of Samaria.
They are all of them unto me as Sodom] Incorrigible, brutish sinners, who will as surely be destroyed as Sodom and Gomorrah were.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
An horrible thing; the word signifies
filthiness, stench, or an abominable thing, things every whit as bad, in some kind worse, than what I saw in the prophets of the ten tribes.
They commit adultery; they commit not spiritual adultery only, but carnal adultery, they are whoremongers.
And walk in lies; and they make it their business to instil falsehoods into people, and entitle me to them; and this is their trade, not a single act, but their ordinary practice.
They strengthen also the hands of evil-doers, that none doth return from his wickedness: this is the great aggravation of the sin of those that occupy the place of spiritual guides, that they encourage profane men, either by their false doctrine, extenuating sin, and putting a fair gloss upon them; or at least by their mealy mouths fearing or forbearing to tell sinners of their wicked courses; or by their wicked examples, the most of people thinking they may do what their teachers do, by which means sinners, instead of being brought to a sense of their sins, and a repentance for them, are hardened in their wicked courses. By this means all of them, either of their prophets and priests, or all of the people, (the first seemeth chiefly here intended,) are become to me as contemptible and abominable as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah: though they were the sons of Aaron, and of the priestly order, yet living lewd lives, and acting quite contrary to the end of their holy calling, God declares himself to value them no more than as the vilest of men, such were the Sodomites. Or by those words God threatens that he would destroy them with as notorious a destruction as he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Thus the comparison is used Isa 1:9, and consonant to this are the words in the next verse.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. “Jerusalem” andJudah were even worse than “Samaria” and the ten tribes;the greater were the privileges of the former, the greater was theirguilt. They had the temple in their midst, which the ten tribes hadnot; yet in the temple itself they practised idolatry.
strengthen . . . hands ofevildoers (Eze 13:22).
as Sodom (Deu 32:32;Isa 1:10).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing,…. Or “but”, or “so have I seen”, c. as before observed even in the prophets of Jerusalem, where the temple was, and where the pure worship of God was professed to be observed, and that now, at the present time; as he had formerly seen and observed what was foolish, ridiculous, and impious, in the prophets of the ten tribes, and had punished them for it; so now at this instant he sees that in the prophets of Judea which was enough to make a man’s hair stand an end, as the word u signifies; or, as it may be derived from another root, what was “filthy” w and obscene; as follows:
they commit adultery; or, “in committing adultery” x; with their neighbours’ wives; for this rather than idolatry or spiritual adultery seems to be meant:
and walk in lies; or, “walking in lies” y; constantly speaking lies in their common talk and conversation; so that they were not to be believed in anything they said; which was monstrous; and delivering out false doctrines in the name of the Lord, pretending they received them from him; which was worse than prophesying in the name of Baal:
they strengthen also the hands of evil doers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they hardened them in sin; partly by their false doctrines, extenuating their sins, putting a false gloss upon them, and promising them peace, though they lived in sin; and partly by their own wicked examples; the people concluding that what the prophets did they might do also; so that they never thought of repentance for their sins, or amendment of their lives; but went on in sin without remorse or reformation; not thinking anything about it, and not seeing any need of it; see Eze 13:22;
they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah; the prophets were all of them in God’s account as the men of Sodom; who were exceeding great sinners before the Lord, daring and impudent in sinning; and the people, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that were led by them into the same wicked sentiments and practices, were like unto Gomorrah; and as they were like to them in sinning, So they would be in punishment; or a like punishment would be inflicted upon the prophets and people of Jerusalem as were upon Sodom and Gomorrah; see Isa 1:9.
u a , “pilus”. w “Turpitudinem”, Munster, Montanus. x “adulterando”, Junius Tremellius, Schmidt. y “et eundo in mendacio”, Schmidt “et ambulando in falsitate”, Junius & Tremellius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
It follows, They commit adultery, and walk in deception Expositors think that there is a change of number; but what if these words be applied to the people? as though Jeremiah had said, “When any one is an adulterer, when any one walks in deception, that is, when any one is fraudulent, they strengthen, the hands of the wicked.” And, doubtless, this sense seems here to be the most correct. Then Jeremiah shews how they surpassed other prophets in impiety, even because they dissimulated when they saw on one hand adulteries prevailing, and on the other frauds, plunders, and perjuries; and not only so, but they undertook the patronizing of the wicked, and strengthened the hands of the ungodly, and added audacity to their madness. For as fear weakens the hands, so does shame; as, then, these prophets removed shame as well as fear from the wicked and ungodly, so they strengthened their hands; that is, they gave them more confidence, so that they rushed headlong into every evil more freely and with greater liberty.
That they might not return, he says, every one from his wickedness This is added for the sake of explanation; for, as I have said, either the fear of God or shame from men might have checked their audacity; but when they were confirmed and countenanced, they broke out into all excesses, and hardened themselves in their obstinacy: That they might not return, every one from his wickedness.
In the last place he adds, They shall be to me all of them as Sodom, and its inhabitants as Gomorrah We see that the last clause is confined to the citizens of Jerusalem. Then God says, that these prophets would be like the Sodomites, and the citizens of Jerusalem like the citizens of Gomorrah. This is not to be understood only as to crimes, but also as to punishment; as though he had said, that there was no more hope of pardon for them than for the Sodomites, for they had provoked to the utmost the wrath of God, so that he could not now spare them. It then follows, —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(14) They commit adultery, and walk in lies . . .The union of the claim to prophesy in the name of Jehovah with these flagrant breaches of His law was more hateful in the prophets eyes even than the open recognition of Baal. In the terrible language of Isaiah (Isa. 1:10), prophets and people had become like the dwellers in the cities of the plain. Here, also, the language of Deuteronomy (Deu. 29:23; Deu. 32:32) probably influenced that of the prophet.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 23:14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
Ver. 14. I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing. ] a Heb., Fedity, or fetidity; filthiness or stench, such as the devil himself, they say, leaveth behind him going out of a room. It must needs be a horrible thing when doctors turn devils, teaching such impieties, acsi ipse teterrimus Satan eas ore suo docuisset, as if the devil himself, with his own mouth, had taught the same. I would shun a heretic, saith one, as I would do a devil, for he is sent on his errand. Seducers certainly act the part of that horrid fiend, and, together with him, shall be “cast alive into the burning lake.” Rev 19:20
They commit adultery.
And walk in lies.
They strengthen also the hands of evildoers.
They are all become to me as Sodom,
a . – Septuag.
b Hom. iii. in Act.
in the: Jer 5:30, Jer 5:31, Jer 14:14, Jer 23:32, Eze 13:2-4, Eze 13:16, Eze 22:25, Isa 41:6, Isa 41:7, Mic 3:11, Zep 3:4, 2Pe 2:1, 2Pe 2:2
an horrible thing: or, filthiness, Jer 18:13
they commit: Jer 29:23, 2Pe 2:14-19
walk: Jer 23:17, Jer 23:25, Jer 23:26, Jer 23:32, Jer 14:14, Eze 22:25, 2Th 2:9-11, 1Ti 4:2, Rev 19:20, Rev 21:8, Rev 22:15
strengthen: Eze 13:22, Eze 13:23
Sodom: Gen 13:13, Gen 18:20, Deu 32:32, Isa 1:9, Isa 1:10, Eze 16:46-52, Mal 1:1, Mat 11:24, 2Pe 2:6, Jud 1:7, Rev 11:8
Reciprocal: 1Ki 13:18 – But 1Ki 22:6 – Go up 2Ch 18:5 – Go up Ezr 10:18 – the sons Psa 55:9 – I have Isa 5:18 – draw Isa 9:15 – the prophet Isa 56:10 – they are all dumb Jer 5:12 – have belied Jer 6:13 – and Jer 7:8 – ye trust Jer 8:4 – turn Jer 14:15 – Sword and famine shall not Jer 20:6 – thy friends Jer 32:31 – this city Jer 36:2 – against Israel Jer 36:3 – they may Lam 1:5 – for Lam 2:14 – false Eze 12:24 – General Eze 13:19 – to save Hos 6:10 – General Amo 4:8 – yet Mic 2:11 – a man Zec 13:2 – cause Act 13:6 – a false 2Co 11:15 – whose Eph 5:6 – vain
Jer 23:14. Jerusalem was the capital of Judah and many of the prophets resided there or at least were near enough that much of their activity was done in that city. Adultery is continuously compared to idolatry in the Bible because both corruptions constitute unfaithfulness of one partner in a unity to the other. However, we have evidence that when these unrighteous leaders are accused of adultery it refers to the physical kind, for sometimes it is said they commit adultery with their neighbors wives (ch. 29: 23), which would have no meaning were the writer merely considering spiritual evil. Strengthen hands of evildoers was done by not admonishing them of their deeds, which resulted in their continuance in sin through the encouragement given. They are … as Sodom … os Gomorrah means the Lord regarded these false leaders with the same: disfavor as he did those ancient wicked peopie.
23:14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem {k} an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them {l} to me as Sodom, and the inhabitants of it as Gomorrah.
(k) They who should have profited by my rods against Samaria, are become worse than they.
(l) Though to the world they seem holy fathers, yet I detest them as I did these abominable cities.
But the prophets of Jerusalem, the capital of the Southern Kingdom, had been even more unfaithful since they prophesied falsely in Yahweh’s name. They also committed spiritual (and physical) adultery, lived lies, and encouraged evildoers. Consequently, the Judahites had not repented of their wickedness but had become as wicked as the sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah-who espoused departure from God’s will openly (Gen 18:22 to Gen 19:29; Ezekiel 16). Jerusalem could expect severe judgment since the Lord had judged these pagan cities severely.
"Along with easy views of sin go rosy views of judgment . . ." [Note: Kidner, p. 91.]
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)