Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 23:17
They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
17. that despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye ] The mg. is supported by Syr., and is to be preferred, involving only a change of vowels. The MT. for “hath said” is an expression which does not elsewhere introduce the words of the Lord.
stubbornness ] See Jer 3:17.
No evil shall come upon you ] Cp. Jer 4:10, Jer 6:14, Jer 14:13.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Still – Continually. This verse gives the chief test by which the false prophet is to be detected, namely, that his predictions violate the laws of morality.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Lewd and corrupt ministers are a hatred and abomination in the house of the Lord to all serious good people, and are therefore obliged to make themselves a party of those that are like themselves, whose favour they cannot have without indulging them in their lusts. Hence they prophesy
peace to the vilest and worst of men, who have no patience of being daily alarmed with hearing of the wrath of God due and like to come upon them for their sins. Hence they promise no evil to those that walk according to the counsels of their own heart, that is, sinfully, for, Gen 6:5, Every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is only evil, and that continually. Hence a sinful course is very often expressed in Scripture under this notion of walking after the imaginations of our own heart, as Deu 29:19; but it is most in prophecy; see Jer 3:17; 7:21; 9:14; 13:10; 16:12; 18:12. Hence a religious walking is called a self denying. None have a worse guide of their actions in their lapsed state, before regeneration, than their own hearts.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. say stillHebrew,“say in saying,” that is, say incessantly.
peace (Jer 6:14;Eze 13:10; Zec 10:2).
imaginationHebrew,“obstinacy.”
no evil (Mic3:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
They say still unto them that despise me,…. That despised the word, worship, and ordinances of the Lord; with such mockers and scoffers at religion, such abandoned creatures, they associated themselves; finding that their prophecies and doctrines met with approbation and success among them. The Septuagint version is, “they say to them that put away the word of the Lord”; reject it, and cast it behind their backs; see Ac 13:46;
the Lord hath said, ye shall have peace; all manner of prosperity; that they should dwell in their own land, and not go into captivity, and enjoy the good things of it in peace and prosperity; this they pretended they had from the Lord; which was an aggravation of their sins; not only to tell a lie, but to tell it in the name of the Lord, and in direct opposition to what the true prophets said from the mouth of the Lord, particularly Jeremiah:
and they say unto everyone that walketh after the imagination of his own heart; which is evil, and that continually, Ge 6:5; whose course of life is after the lusts of his own wicked heart; and a worse guide than these a man cannot well have: and this is a true character and description of an unregenerate man, who walks after the flesh, and not after the Spirit; after his own carnal heart, and the dictates of it; and not according to the will and word of God: and yet to such, to whom the Lord says, “there is no peace”, the false prophets said,
no evil shall come upon you; no evil of punishment for the evil of sin, as the prophets of the Lord had threatened; such as the sword, famine, pestilence, and captivity.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Jeremiah introduces another mark by which the false prophets might be known as different from the true prophets, — they flattered the ungodly and wicked despisers of God. He thus repeats what he had before said, that they strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that they became hardened in their impiety, and threw aside every care for repentance. Though he uses different words, yet the meaning is the same, that they promised peace, or prosperity, to the despisers of God, for the word שלום, shalum, means to live well or happily.
They say, then, to those who despise or reject me; for נאף, nats, means both. The doubling of the word for “saying,” is also emphatical, אמרים אמור, amrim amur: (96) for we know with how much haughtiness and confidence the false prophets dared to announce their dreams; for they were led by the spirit of pride, as they were the children of Satan. Hence then was their confidence, so that they made their declarations as though they had come down from heaven. They say, then, by saying; that is, they promise, and that with great effrontery, that peace would be to all the despisers of God; and not only so, but they pretended God’s name, Spoken, has Jehovah (97) They wished to be deemed the instruments or agents of the Holy Spirit, while they were vainly announcing, as it has been said, their own imaginations. And hence Jeremiah applied to them, though improperly, the word vision, They speak the vision of their own heart By using this word he makes a concession; for he might have said only, that they adduced nothing but trifles, even the falsehoods which they themselves had devised, but he mentions the word חזון, chezun, which in itself ought to be deemed of high import. And yet he means that they were only apes as prophets, when they prattled of visions and confidently declared that they brought forward the revelations of the Spirit. He then concedes to them, though improperly, that they saw visions; but what did they see? even that Jehovah had spoken, Peace shall be to you
Then he says, They promise to those who walk in the wickedness of their own heart, that all things shall turn out well to them, No evil shall come upon you; as though he had said, “They promise impunity to all the wicked.”
(96) Some, as Venema and Blayney, think that אמרים belongs to the preceding verse; but this would not consist with the Hebrew idiom, where a participle often precedes a verb in the future tense, but never follows it; nor is this countenanced by any of the Versions or the Targ. The words as they stand are indeed unusual; the probability is that אמור should be אמרו, and all the Versions give it as such, “they say.” Then it would be, “Saying they say;” which imports the boldness and the confidence of the false prophets; that is, “They boldly say.” — Ed
(97) There is a difference in the early versions as to this clause; it is connected in the Sept. and Arab. with the preceding, “They say to those who reject the word of the Lord,” etc., and Blayney has followed this arrangement. The Vulg., the Syr., and the Targ., take it as a separate clause, and render it as here. The Hebrew no doubt admits of either constructions, but the Lord appears to be the speaker, and therefore the latter construction ought to have the preference, —
17. They boldly say to those who despise me, Spoken hath Jehovah, “Peace shall be to you;”
And to every one who walks in the resolutions of his own heart, They say, “Not come upon you shall evil.” This rendering also corresponds more with what is said in Jer 23:25, that the prophets prophesied lies in God’s name. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(17) Imagination.As before (Jer. 3:17 and elsewhere), stubbornness. The tendency of all that the false prophets uttered was to confirm the people in their sins, not to lead them to repentance. It is noticeable that the Hebrew verb for hath said is not the same as the received formula of the true prophets, The Lord hath spoken. The prophet seems to indicate in this way that those whom he condemns placed the Divine message on a level with a mans every-day utterance. They were self-convicted by the very phrase they used.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 23:17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
Ver. 17. They say still to them that despise me. ] They promise security to the impenitent, and flatter people in their sinful and sensual practices. Socinians set up man’s reason; Arminians, his free will; libertines, his unruly lusts; and Papists gratify his senses with their forms and pomp. In their humble supplication to King James for a toleration, they pleaded for their religion as that which was most agreeable to man’s nature. Sir Walter Raleigh knew what he said, that were he to choose a religion for sensual delights and licentious liberty, he would be a Papist. No sin past, but the Pope can pardon it; none to come, but he could dispense with it; no matter how long they have lived in any sin (thought the sin against the Holy Ghost), yet extreme unction at last will salve all.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
They say still. Figure of speech Polyptoton. Hebrew = saying they say = keep on saying.
imagination = stubbornness.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
that despise: Num 11:20, 1Sa 2:30, 2Sa 12:10, Mal 1:6, Luk 10:16, 1Th 4:8
Ye: Jer 4:10, Jer 6:14, Jer 8:11, Jer 14:13, Jer 14:14, Jer 28:3-9, Isa 3:10, Isa 3:11, Isa 57:21, Lam 2:14, Eze 13:10, Eze 13:15, Eze 13:16, Eze 13:22, Mic 3:5, Mic 3:11, Zec 10:2
imagination: or, stubbornness, Jer 3:17, Jer 7:24, Jer 9:14, Jer 13:10, Deu 29:19
No: Jer 18:18, Amo 9:10, Mic 3:11, Zep 1:12
Reciprocal: Jdg 2:19 – stubborn 1Ki 13:18 – But 1Ki 22:11 – Thus saith 2Ch 18:5 – Go up 2Ch 18:10 – Thus Ecc 11:9 – walk Isa 30:10 – speak Jer 5:12 – neither Jer 18:12 – we will walk Jer 23:14 – walk Jer 23:31 – He Jer 28:11 – Thus Jer 37:19 – your Eze 13:19 – to save Hos 9:7 – the prophet Mic 2:11 – I will Joh 10:1 – He Rom 16:18 – by 2Ti 4:3 – but 2Pe 2:1 – there were
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 23:17, The main subject of these false prophecies was peace. They pacified the people by assuring them that no trouble was in store for them. Such false prophecies were not only a denial of the word of God, but also encouraged the people not to make any improvement in their lives.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
23:17 They say still to them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye {o} shall have peace; and they say to every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
(o) Read Jer 6:14; Jer 8:11 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
They were falsely assuring the people, who despised Yahweh and resisted His will, that nothing bad would happen to them. Peace would continue and calamity would never overtake the people, they claimed.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
CHAPTER XXVI
INTRODUCTORY
“I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”- Jer 31:1
IN this third book an attempt is made to present a general view of Jeremiahs teaching on the subject with which he was most preoccupied-the political and religious fortunes of Judah. Certain (30, 31, and, in part, 33) chapters detach themselves from the rest, and stand in no obvious connection with any special incident of the prophets life. These are the main theme of this book, and have been dealt with in the ordinary method of detailed exposition. They have been treated separately, and not woven into the continuous narrative, partly because we thus obtain a more adequate emphasis upon important aspects of their teaching, but chiefly because their date and occasion cannot be certainly determined. With them other sections have been associated, on account of the connection of subject. Further material for a synopsis of Jeremiahs teaching has been collected from chapters 21-49, generally, supplemented by brief references to the previous chapters. Inasmuch as the prophecies of our book do not form an ordered treatise on dogmatic theology, but were uttered with regard to individual conduct and critical events, topics are not exclusively dealt with in a single section, but are referred to at intervals throughout. Moreover, as both the individuals and the crises were very much alike, ideas and phrases are constantly reappearing, so that there is an exceptionally large amount of repetition in the Book of Jeremiah. The method we have adopted avoids some of the difficulties which would arise if we attempted to deal with these doctrines in our continuous exposition.
Our general sketch of the prophets teaching is naturally arranged under categories suggested by the book itself, and not according to the sections of a modern treatise on Systematic Theology. No doubt much may legitimately be extracted or deduced concerning Anthropology, Soteriology, and the like; but true proportion is as important in exposition as accurate interpretation. If we wish to understand Jeremiah, we must be content to dwell longest upon what he emphasised most, and to adopt the standpoint of time and race which was his own. Accordingly in our treatment we have followed the cycle of sin, punishment, and restoration, so familiar to students of Hebrew prophecy.
NOTE SOME CHARACTERISTIC EXPRESSIONS OF JEREMIAH
This note is added partly for convenience of reference, and partly to illustrate the repetition just mentioned as characteristic of Jeremiah. The instances are chosen from expressions occurring in chapters 21-52. The reader will find fuller lists dealing with the whole book in the “Speakers Commentary” and the “Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges.” The Hebrew student is referred to the list in Drivers “Introduction,” upon which the following is partly based.
1. “Rising up early”: Jer 7:13; Jer 7:25; Jer 11:7; Jer 25:3-4; Jer 26:5; Jer 29:19; Jer 32:33; Jer 35:14-15; Jer 44:4. This phrase, familiar to us in the narratives of Genesis and in the historical books, is used here, as in 2Ch 36:15, of God addressing His people on sending the prophets.
2. “Stubbornness of heart” (A.V. imagination of heart): Jer 3:17; Jer 7:24; Jer 9:14; Jer 11:8; Jer 13:10; Jer 16:12; Jer 18:12; Jer 23:17; also found Deu 29:19 and Psa 81:15.
3. “The evil of your doings”: Jer 4:4; Jer 21:12; Jer 23:2; Jer 23:22; Jer 25:5; Jer 26:3; Jer 44:22; also Deu 28:20; 1Sa 25:3; Isa 1:16; Hos 9:15; Psa 28:4; and in slightly different form in Jer 11:18 and Zec 1:4.
“The fruit of your doings”: Jer 17:10; Jer 21:14; Jer 32:19; also found in Mic 7:13.
“Doings, your doings,” etc., are also found in Jeremiah and elsewhere.
4. “The sword, the pestilence, and the famine,” in various orders, and either as a phrase or each word ocurring in one of three successive clauses: Jer 14:12; Jer 15:2; Jer 21:7; Jer 21:9; Jer 24:10; Jer 27:8; Jer 27:13; Jer 29:17-18; Jer 32:24; Jer 32:36; Jer 34:17; Jer 38:2; Jer 42:17; Jer 42:22; Jer 44:13.
“The sword and the famime,” with similar variations: Jer 5:12; Jer 11:22; Jer 14:13; Jer 14:15-16; Jer 14:18; Jer 16:4; Jer 18:21; Jer 42:16; Jer 44:12; Jer 44:18; Jer 44:27. Cf. similar lists, etc., “death . . . sword . . . captivity,” in Jer 43:11 : “war . . . evil . . . pestilence,” Jer 28:8.
5. “Kings . . . princes . . . priests . . . prophets,” in various orders and combinations: Jer 2:26; Jer 4:9; Jer 8:1; Jer 13:13; Jer 24:8; Jer 32:32.
Cf. “Prophet . . . priest . . . people,” Jer 23:33-34. “Prophets . . . diviners . . . dreamers . . . enchanters . . . sorcerers,” Jer 27:9.