demands u. distinct declaration thnt their order. And ny, 'He saith. The word drenme aro but dreams, and not equal in rendered "he saith " is one which the pro- nutliority to the Divine word. For, as he phets ho.bitnally used to affirm the revealed continues, What is the ohaft' to the wheat l character of their teaching. It is the par- Whnt right have you to mix the worthless ticiple of the verb rendered "say." Adopt- chnff with the pure, winnowed gmin? How, ing n Miltonic verb, we might render, "1md he impliee,can such an adulterated meseng-e oracle oracles." The "false prophets" o.clopt produce the designed effect of a prophetic the same forms as the true; but they arc to revelation? (St. Paul hos a eomewho.t similar them only forms. figure, l Cor. iii. 10-13.) So Naegelsbach. Ver. 32.-That prophesy false dreams Keil, however, denies that there is any (see on vcr. 25). By their lightness. The thought of an adulteration of the Divine word is an uncommon one, o.nd implies word by the "false prophets." According e.rrogo.nce or boastfulness ( comp. Zeph. to him, the question in this verse is simply iii. 4); the root means "to bubble over." meant to emphasize the contrast between Therefore they shall not profit; rather, and the false, dream-born prophecy of J eremiah's they cannot profit. opponents and the true revelations. How Vere. 33-40.-The abase of II consecrated can the false prophecy pretend to be the phrase. The prophets were accustomed to true? 'fhey are ae different as chaff and apply the term massa to their propbetio wheat. Both views are admissible. Naegele- decle.rntions in the sense of "oracle," or bach introduces anew element by suggesting "utterance "-a sense derived from the use the intermixture of fa.lee and true in the of the cognate verb for" to lift up the voice," utterances of the "false prophets ; " but i.e. to pronounce clearly nod distinctly. hie view ie not inconsistent with what the But the word massa was also in common use prophet has stated before, anrl it is favoured for "load, burden," and hence the " [o.lse by ver. 30 and by the command, Let him prophets" applied the term derisively to speak my word faithfully; i. e. in its genuine Jeremiah's discomscs. "Rightly does he form; comp. eh. ii. 21, "A faithful or trust- call his word a massa; it is not merely a worthy [i.e. a genuine] seed ; " o.lso, for the solemn utterance, but o. heavy burden;" ns general sense, 2 Cor. ii. 17. De Wetto puts it, not merely a We'issagung, Ver. 29.-Is not my word like ae a fire 1 but a Wehsagung. 'fhe passo.ge is importo.nt As in vere. 19, 20, eo here, the prophet con- as indicating the sense in which tile tn10 trasts the meeenge of tho false prophets with prophets understood the term. It should be tho.t of the true. The former flatter their o.dded that the term massa is prefixed to o.t henrcrs with promises of peace ; the latter lee.et four Biblical pnesages which, not being epeo.k o. stern but potent word, which burns of threatening import, do not ndmit of heing like o. fire, o.nd crushes like o. hammer. entitled "burdens"(Zoch. ix. l; xii. I; Prov. Observe, the prophet does not define the xxx. 1; xxxi. 1; comp. Lnm. ii. H). How activity of the fire as he does tho.t of the remnrkable is tl10 line o.rloptcd by J eremiab I hnmmer ; for the fire ho.a a twofold effect- Ho simply abnndons the use of the term protection to God's friends and destruction massa, consecrated as it was by the practice to hie enemies. On the figure of the ham- of inspired mon I Detter to adopt o. new mer, comp. eh. I. 23; Ii. 20. phrase, than to run the risk of misunder- Vere. 30-32.-The punishment solemnly sto.nding or, even worse, profnnity. introduoed by a three times ropeated, Behold, Ver. 33.-What burden 1 etc. The He- I am against, etc., corresponding to three brew toxt, ns usually rend, is extremely sovornl feo.turee of the conduct of the false difficult; the Authorized Version is entirdy prophete. First we o.ro told thnt the pro- unjustifio.ble. It is just possiblo to explain, phets steal my words every one from hie witl1 Ewnld, " As to this quostion, Who.t neighbour. The latter part of the phrase is the burden ? the true meuning of the reminds us of ver. 27, but the "neighbour" word is thnt," eto. But how harsh and in this case must meo.n, nt o.ny rnte primarily, nrtificial I By o. ohnngo in the grouping of o. fellow-prophet, one who has reo.lly received the consonants (which alone constitute the o. revelation o.t flrst-hnnd from Jehovah. text), we may rend, Ye are the burden. So Tho " fo.lse prophets," not trusting to their the Septuo.gint, Vulgnte, Hitzig, Gro.f, Payne. "drenms" alone, listen greedily to tho dis- Smith. Wo must in this cnse continue, and courses of men like Jeremiah, not with o. I will cast you off, as the same verb is to be view to epititu:il profit, but to making their rendered in eh. vii. 29 ; xii. 7. Instonu o( own utteranci,s more effective. We must co.rrying you with tho long-suffering of n remember that they lived by their prophesy- father (Deut. i. 31; Isa. xlvi. 3, 4; !xiii. 9; ing (lllico.h iii. 5). Pe. xxviii. 9), I will cast you off as o. trouble- Ver. 31.-That use their tongues; literally, some lond (Isa. i. 14). that take their tongue, like n workmnn's tool Ver. 35.-What bath the Lord answered 1 -as if prophecy could be turned out to i.e. a simpler phraseology is to be used. 618 THE BOOK 01<' 'l'HE PHOPHE'l' JEltEMlAH. [oa. XXIII. 1-40.
.Jehovah hath a11s1~e1·cd, saying, or, Jehovah expression, the threntening already uttered hath spok·en, acoordiug as n definite question sho.ll come into operntion. hnd been put before tlie prop!tet or n0t. Ver. 39.-I, even I, will utterly forget Ver. 36.-And the burdon of the Lord, you; rather, I will et•en talte you up, and etc. ; i.e. ye shall no longer use the word cmit you off. This involves e. slight differ- .,,assa nt all. Every man's word shall be ence in the pronunciation of tho text from his burden; mther, the burden f-0 every ma11 that adopted by the l\iassorotes, but is adopted shall be his word; i.e. his derisive use of by the Septungint, Peshito, Vulgo.te, a few the word massii silall be a burden which mauusc1·ipts, and most critics; it is, in fact, sho.11 crush him to the ground. Ye have nlmost required by the figure which fills tho perverted; "i.e. have turned them round, verse. And c.ist you out of my presenoe. and put them into a ridiculous light" (Payne "And cast you" is not in the Hebrew; nor Smith). is it necessury to supply the words, if the Ver. 88.-But sinoe ye say, etc.; rothcr, preceding clauses be rightly translated. But (f ye say, etc. In case the false pro- Ver. 40.-With this verse, comp. oh. phets disobey, and persist in using the old x.x. 11. -