Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 23:26
How long shall [this] be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, [they are] prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
26. The opening words are evidently corrupt. Co. accepts Du.’s suggestion to substitute (by a not violent change in MT.) a third “I have dreamed” (cp. Jer 7:4, Jer 22:29) for “How long,” and for “shall this be prophets” to read (by a different division of words) “Will the heart of the prophets turn.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Some translate, How long? Is it in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, and prophesy the deceit of their heart – do they purpose to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they tell one to another?
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Will these prophets never have done? Have they not deceived people long enough with their lies, and the deceit of their own hearts; and that not unwarily, and by involuntary mistake, but of set purpose, it being in their heart, their purpose and design, to do it. Some join it to the following verse, and make the sense this: Do these prophets, that publish lies, and the deceits of their hearts, for my revealed will, think to cheat my people always, and to cause my people to forget my name? as it followeth in the next verse.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
26. prophetsa differentHebrew form from the usual one, “prophesiers.” “Howlong,” cries Jeremiah, impatient of their impious audacity,”shall these prophecy-mongers go on prophesying lies?”The answer is given in Jer23:29-34.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies?…. To invent such lies, and deceive the people, and turn them away from God; agreeably to the preceding and following verses: this shows that this was not through ignorance and inadvertence; it was a meditated and studied thing by them; they contrived it in their hearts, and they were resolute and bent upon it, and took much delight and pleasure in it; their hearts were in it, and it was in them to do as they did; and in this way they had been long, but should continue no longer. Or the words may be rendered, “how long?” h and a stop be put there, being a short abrupt expression, like that in Ps 6:3; and the sense be, how long shall they go on thus, pretending to dreams, and visions, and revelations from the Lord, and so impose upon the people? shall they always go on after this manner? no, they shall not: and then the next words may be read, “is there any thing in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies?” i nothing that is good; truth is not there; nothing but lies and deceit; the word of God is not there, as it is with the true prophet of the Lord, “he that hath my word”, as in Jer 23:28; there is no fear of God, nor knowledge of him and his will, nor faith in him, nor love to him, or any regard to his honour and glory;
yea, [they are] prophets of the deceit of their own hearts; they prophesy nothing but what their own deceitful hearts suggest to them, whereby they are deceived themselves, and deceive others, 2Ti 3:13.
h “quousque?” Cocceius, Schmidt; “quousque tandem”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator “usque quando?” De Dieu. i “an est in corde prophetarum?”, De Dieu, Gataker, Schmidt.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here God reproves the false prophets, and also promises to his people what was especially to be desired, — that he would cleanse his Church from such pollutions. He then shews that it was his purpose to take vengeance, because the false prophets had dared in such an impious and bold manner to abuse his sacred name. For it ever occurred to their minds, “How is it that God permits this? Is it because he cares not for the safety of his people? or does it give him any delight when he sees truth mingled with falsehood, and light with darkness?” Hence God here shews that he for a time bore with that sacrilegious audacity which the false prophets practiced, but that he did not so connive at it as not at length to punish them.
How long? he says, which is the same as though he had said, “It shall not be perpetual; though I may delay, yet they shall know that they have with extreme perverseness abused my forbearance.” And he also enhances their crime by saying, How long shall it be in the heart of the prophets to prophesy falsehood? By this way of speaking he intimates, that they erred not through ignorance, as many do, who through want of knowledge bring forth what they do not understand; but God here complains that these prophets, as it were designedly, rose up to suppress the truth. Then by heart is to be understood thought or purpose; as though he had said, that they designedly made a false pretense as to his name, that it was their settled purpose to deceive the people. (108)
He adds, that they were prophets of the deceit of their own heart. This deceit of the heart is put in opposition to true doctrine; and thus God intimates that whatever men bring forward from themselves is deceitful, for nothing can proceed from them but vanity. There is yet no doubt but that he condemns that foolish conceit, of which the false prophets proudly boasted, that they were alone wise, as the case is now under the Papacy; how arrogantly do unprincipled men prattle whenever they speak of their own figments? Nothing can be more silly, and yet they think that they surpass the angels in acuteness and in high speculations. Such was the arrogance displayed by the false prophets of old. But God declares that whatever men invent, and whatever they devise, which they have not received from his mouth, is only the deceit of the heart.
And this ought to be carefully noticed; for there are many plausible refinements, in which there is nothing solid, but they are mere trifles. If, then, at any time these vain thoughts seem pleasing to us, let us bear in mind what Jeremiah says here, that whatever proceeds not from God is the deceit of the heart; and further, that though the whole world applaud falsehoods and impostures, we ought yet to know that everything is a deceit which has not God himself as its author.
(108) Emendators have been very busy in correcting the first words in this verse, without the authority of any MSS., or of the early versions. When there is a meaning and a striking one, emendations, merely conjectural, are surely to be repudiated. Houbigant, Blayney, and Horsley, have their corrections, but we can do without them. What seems to have prompted conjectural emendations has been the ה prefixed to יש; but Gataker removed this difficulty; his version is substantially as follows, —
How long! — Is it in the heart of these prophets, To be prophesying falsehood, And prophesying the deceit of their own hearts?
To be “in the heart” is to be resolved, to form a purpose or determination. See Isa 63:4. It is the same, as though it was said, “Are these prophets resolved?” To be “in the heart” means also to delight in a thing. See Psa 40:8. The meaning then may be, “Is it the delight of these prophets?” etc. But the first sense is the most suitable. “How long!” is an exclamation of wonder at their perseverance in their wicked course. They had been often warned, and yet they continued. Then follows a question, whether it was their settled purpose to persevere in prophesying falsely? — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(26) How long shall this be . . .?The Hebrew text gives a double interrogative: How long? Is it in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, prophets of the deceit of their own hearts? Do they think to cause my people . . .? A conjectural alteration of the text gives How long is the fire in the heart of the prophets . . .? as if anticipating the thought of Jer. 23:29, and reproducing that of Jer. 20:9.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26. How long, etc. Rather, How long? Is it in the minds of the prophets that prophesy falsehood in my name the prophets of the deceit of their heart? Impatient of their impious audacity Jeremiah cries out, “How long?” and then draws out his question more explicitly.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 23:26. How long, &c. How long shall there be among my people prophets who prophesy false things, and proclaim the deceits of their own heart?
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 23:26 How long shall [this] be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, [they are] prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
Ver. 26. How long shall this be in the hearts? &c., ] q.d., Will they never give over lying to the Holy Ghost, Act 5:3 and flying against the light (of their own consciences), as bats do. Nam quod argute commenti sunt, haec aiunt ex Spiritu se dicere; studio enim suis mendaciis plebi imponunt, falsumque data opera docent; a for they father their falsities upon the Spirit of truth, cozening the credulous multitude. And this they do wittingly and incessantly.
a Oecolamp.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
How long . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis.
shall this be = shall this exist. Hebrew. yesh. See notes on Jer 31:6, Jer 31:16, Jer 31:17. Pro 8:21; Pro 18:24, and Luk 7:25.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
How: Jer 4:14, Jer 13:27, Psa 4:2, Hos 8:5, Act 13:10
prophets of: Jer 14:14, Jer 17:9, Isa 30:10, 2Th 2:9-11, 1Ti 4:1, 1Ti 4:2, 2Ti 4:3, 2Pe 2:13-16
Reciprocal: Jer 5:31 – prophets Jer 7:8 – ye trust Jer 8:10 – from the prophet Jer 20:6 – thy friends Jer 23:14 – walk Jer 23:16 – a vision Eze 13:2 – prophesy against 2Co 5:21 – we Gal 1:7 – pervert
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 23:26. This verse is the same in thought as verse 16.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
How long would these prophets continue to make the people forget the Lord’s Word by continually claiming that they had received some new revelation from Him in a dream?! They were really leading the people away from Him, just as their ancestors pursued Baal and forgot the Lord.