Geremia 23:8 Commento

In this chapter the prophet, in God's name, is dealing his reproofs and threatenings, I. Among the careless princes, or pastors of the people (Jer 23:1, Jer 23:2), yet promising to take care of the flock, which they had been wanting in their duty to (Jer 23:3-8). II. Among the wicked prophets and priests, whose bad character is here given at large in divers instances, especially their imposing upon the people with their pretended inspirations, at which the prophet is astonished, and for which they must expect to be punished (v. 9-32). III. Among the profane people, who ridiculed God's prophets and bantered them (Jer 23:33-40). When all have thus corrupted their way they must all expect to be told faithfully of it.

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 23 This chapter contains threatenings to the Jewish governors, and to their priests and prophets, on account of their manifold sins; intermixed with gracious promises to the Lord's people, and particularly with a famous promise of the Messiah. The pastors or governors of Israel are charged with scattering and driving away the Lord's flock, for which they are threatened, Jer 23:1; and a promise is made of the gathering of the remnant of them, and of setting up other shepherds over them, under whom they should increase, and be comfortable, Jer 23:3; particularly the Messiah is promised; as David's righteous Branch; as a prosperous and righteous King; as the author of righteousness to his people, under whom they should have salvation and safety, Jer 23:5; so that in comparison of this salvation, the deliverance out of Egypt should not be spoken of, Jer 23:7; and then follows a sad complaint of the priests and prophets; of their profaneness, their adultery, swearing, lying, hypocrisy, and deception of the people; for all which they are severely threatened, Jer 23:9; wherefore the people are exhorted not to hearken to them, promising them peace and safety; whereas, by attending to the word of God, it might easily be seen that a storm of wrath was gone forth, and was ready to break, and would fall upon the head of the wicked, to the executing of the thoughts and purposes of God's heart, Jer 23:16; and the Lord declares he had not sent these prophets, as might be known from their not turning the people from their evil ways, Jer 23:21; whose conduct and behaviour could not be hid from the sight of the Lord, nor their prophecies from his ears, which were no other than dreams, and the deceits of their own hearts; and there was as great a difference between them and the word of the Lord, as between chaff and wheat; seeing his word in his hand is of great virtue and efficacy, whereas there was none in theirs, Jer 23:23; wherefore the Lord declares himself to be against these prophets, for stealing his word from their neighbour; for making use of his name, when they were not sent by him; and for causing the people to err by their lies, Jer 23:30; and both people, priest, and prophet, are severely threatened for jeering and scoffing at the word of the Lord, calling it the burden of the Lord; which phrase they are forbid to use in a sneering way; and should they persist in it, they are told that God would forsake and forget them, and cast them out, and everlastingly punish them, Jer 23:39.

But, the Lord liveth,.... Or they shall swear by the living God; or declare the power of the Lord, as the Targum, in their redemption by the Messiah: which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them: which respects not only the deliverance of the Jews from Babylon, which lay north of Judea; but the conversion of many of the ten tribes, through the preaching of the Gospel in the several countries where they were, to which the apostles of Christ were sent with it; and also the gathering of them together at the latter day, when they shall turn to the Lord, and return to their own land; as follows: and they shall dwell in their own land: which has never been fulfilled as yet of the seed of the house of Israel, or of the ten tribes; but will be when all Israel shall be saved. (i) This passage is applied in the Talmud (k) to the days of the Messiah; See Gill on Jer 16:14 and See Gill on Jer 16:15. (i) This was written about 1730. Although the Jews are now in their land, they remain in unbelief to this present time and this prophecy will yet have a more complete future fulfullment. Editor. (k) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 12. 2.

The church is the seed of Abraham. Jeremiah says, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘The Lord lives, who led the children of Israel from the north country and from every region where they had been driven.’ He will restore them to their own land which he gave to their ancestors,” so that we may know that he who “raises up from the stones children to Abraham” in the New Testament is he who will gather, according to the Old Testament, those who will be saved from all the nations.

(Vers. 7, 8.) Because of this, behold, days are coming, says the Lord. And they shall no longer say, As the Lord lives, who brought the sons of Israel up from the land of Egypt; but they shall say, As the Lord lives, who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where I had driven them, and they shall live on their own soil. This entire chapter is not found in the Septuagint. The meaning here is that the people of God will not be delivered from Egypt by Moses, but by Jesus Christ from all the corners of the earth, to which they had been dispersed. What is now being completed in the world in part will be completed in its entirety when those from the East and the West, the North and the South come and recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matthew 8). So that after the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then all Israel will be saved (Romans 11). To the Prophets (or in the Prophets, or against the Prophets). This designation, as we have said above, is placed at the end of the previous chapter in the Septuagint edition, where we read the following script: and this is the name by which the Lord will call him Josedech, in the Prophets. Many ignorant people, not knowing this, invent various delusions of explanation. And it would have been much better to simply confess their ignorance than to make others heirs to their incompetence. But this is a discourse against the prophets, rather, the false prophets of Jerusalem and Samaria, whom he now calls collectively and commonly Prophets, concerning whom it is written in the following passages: And in the prophets of Samaria I saw wickedness; and immediately after: And in the prophets of Jerusalem I saw horrible things. However, when he uses the conjunction 'and', he shows that the previous statements were said by the Lord concerning the prophets themselves, who also turned out to be like false prophets.

THE WICKED RULERS TO BE SUPERSEDED BY THE KING, WHO SHOULD REIGN OVER THE AGAIN UNITED PEOPLES, ISRAEL AND JUDAH. (Jer. 23:1-40) pastors--Shallum, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah (Eze 34:2).