Every man to his neighbor . Not merely one prophet to another prophet, for it is "my people" whom they cause to forget my Name (comp. Jeremiah 23:32 ), but the prophet to his fellow man. Have forgotten my name for Baal ; or , forgot my name through Baal . read more
Let him tell a dream ; rather, let him tell it as a dream ; let him tell his dreams, if he will, but not intermix them with Divine revelations. Jeremiah, then, does not deny that there is a measure of truth in what these prophets say; he only demands a distinct declaration that their dreams are but dreams, and not equal in authority to the Divine word. For, as he continues, What is the chaff to the wheat ? What right have you to mix the worthless chaff with the pure, winnowed grain?... read more
The faithful utterance of Divine revelation. If God in very deed reveals his will to men, it is essential that it be simply and truthfully conveyed. I. HUMAN INTERMIXTURES WITH DIVINE TRUTH ARE HURTFUL AND WEAKENING IN THEIR INFLUENCE . The word of human origin is placed on the same level with the Divine. When the former is proved fallible or untrue, the latter is discredited. Efforts after novelty and strangeness generally ensue; and these are condemned by the... read more
Is not my word like as a fire ? As in Jeremiah 23:19 , Jeremiah 23:20 , so here, the prophet contrasts the message of the false prophets with that of the true. The former flatter their hearers with promises of peace; the latter speak a stern but potent word, which burns like a fire, and crushes like a hammer. Observe, the prophet does not define the activity of the fire as he does that of the hammer; for the fire has a twofold effect—protection to God's friends and destruction to his... read more
At hand - Or, near. An appeal to the omnipotence of God in demonstration of the wickedness of the prophets. His power is not limited, so that He can notice only things close to Him, but is universal. read more
In Deuteronomy 13:1 “a dreamer of dreams” is used in a bad sense, and with reason. God communicating His will by dreams was a thing too easy to counterfeit for it not to be misused. read more
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?” read more
To his neighbor - i. e., to one another, to the people about him, to anyone.As their fathers ... - Rather, “as their fathers forgot My name through Baal.” The superstition which attaches importance to dreams keeps God as entirely out of men’s minds as absolute idolatry. read more
A dream ... faithfully - Rather, as “a dream”... as truth. The dream is but a dream, and is to be told as such, but God’s word is to be spoken as certain and absolute truth.The dreams are the chaff, worthless, with nothing in them; the wheat, the pure grain after it is cleansed and winnowed is God’s word. What have these two in common? read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 23:26
How long shall this be in the heart , etc.? i.e. how long shall this be their purpose, viz. to prophesy lies? But this rendering leaves out of account a second interrogative which in the Hebrew follows "how long." It is better to translate this difficult passage, with De Dieu and many moderns, thus: "How long ( quousque durabit haec ipsorum impudentia ) ? Is it in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, and the prophets of the deceit of their own heart; are they thinking (I say)... read more