John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 23:30-32

"Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, that steal my words every one from his neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy lying dreams, saith Jehovah, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; neither do they profit this people at all, saith Jehovah." — Jeremiah 23:30-32 (ASV)

Jeremiah again returns to the false teachers, who were the authors of all the evils; for they fascinated the people with their flatteries, so that all regard for sound and heavenly doctrine was almost extinguished. But while God declares that He is an avenger against them, He does not exempt the people from punishment. We indeed know that a just reward was rendered to the reprobate when God let loose the reins to the ministers of Satan to deceive them with impunity. But as the people acquiesced in those false enticements, while Jeremiah so severely reproved the false teachers, he reminds the people how foolishly they sought refuge under the shadow of those men, thinking they were safe.

1. He says, Behold, I am against the prophets, who steal my words every one from his neighbor. Many explain this verse as if God condemned the false prophets who borrowed something from the true prophets, so that they might be their rivals and, as it were, their imitators. No doubt the ungodly teachers had always from the beginning made certain claims so that they might be considered God’s servants.

   However, it seems a forced view that they stole words from the true prophets, for the words express something different: that they stole every one from his friend. Jeremiah would not have called God’s faithful servants by this name. I rather think that their secret practices are pointed out here: that they secretly and deliberately conspired among themselves, and then spread their own figments in their usual manner.

   For the ungodly and treacherous, to gain credibility among the simple and unwary, consulted together and craftily devised all their plans so that they would not be immediately discovered. Thus, one took from the other what he afterward announced and published. This is what Jeremiah calls stealing, because they secretly consulted and then declared to the people what they had agreed upon among themselves, doing this as if each one had derived his oracle from heaven. Therefore, I have no doubt that the Prophet condemns these hidden consultations when he says that each one stole from his neighbor.

   We indeed see the same thing now under the Papacy, for the monks and unprincipled men of a similar kind have their own false doctrines. When they ascend the pulpit, each one speaks as if he were endowed with some special gift, yet each one steals from his friend.

   For they are like the soothsayers or the magi, who concocted their own falsehoods among themselves and only presented what they considered necessary to deceive the common people. This, then, was one of the vices that the Prophet shows prevailed among the false teachers: no one paid attention to the voice of God, but each one furtively took from his friend what he afterward openly proclaimed.

2. He adds, Behold, I am against the prophets, who mollify their own tongue. Almost all interpreters take לקה, lekech, as meaning to make sweet or soft. They understand that the false prophets are condemned because they flattered the wicked for the sake of gain; for if they had offended or exasperated them, they could not have drawn them to themselves.

   They therefore think that 'to mollify their tongue' here means that they used their tongue to speak smooth and flattering things. But others give another explanation—that they mollified their tongue because they polished their words in imitation of God’s servants, so that their speech was sweeter than honey.

   But as לקה, lekech, means to receive and to take, and sometimes to raise on high, and sometimes to carry, I do not see why it should not be taken in its proper meaning. I certainly see no reason to interpret it metaphorically when it can be understood in its plain sense of 'raising their tongue.' They elevated themselves and boasted in lofty terms that the office of teaching had been committed to them, for we know how haughtily false teachers elevate themselves.

   Therefore, the verse may be understood in this way: that God would punish those impostors who 'raised their tongue,' that is, who proudly boasted and boldly arrogated authority to themselves, as if they were messengers from heaven.

   It afterward follows, And they say, נאם, nam, he saith. We know that it was a common practice for all the prophets to add, נאם יהוה, nam Jeve, 'the saying of Jehovah,' or 'the word of Jehovah,' in order to show that they said nothing but what they had received from above.

   And if we read this verse as connected, we will find true what I have said: that the verb לקה, lekech, does not mean the smoothness or flattery used, but the lofty boasting of the false teachers, who wished to be considered the organs of the Holy Spirit and assumed for themselves all the authority of God.

   For their arrogance was this: they confidently boasted that God Himself had spoken, and said that it was the word; and they did this so that whatever they prattled might appear undisputed, although it was sufficiently evident that they falsely used the name of God.

3. He adds, Behold, I am against those who prophesy dreams of falsehood. It was indeed necessary to say here that although the false teachers arrogated to themselves what alone belonged to the servants of God, they were nevertheless deceitful.

   He afterward adds, They narrate them, and cause my people to err by their falsehoods and their levity. The meaning is that however proudly they might have claimed the name of prophets, they were still impostors who deceived the people by narrating their false dreams to them.

   The word dream is taken here in a positive sense, but the word added to it shows that they boasted of dreams that were only their own. This is again confirmed when Jeremiah says that they deceived the people by their falsehoods; and he adds, by their levity, which some render 'flattery.' I have no doubt that it means their inventions, which were futile because they proceeded only from vain presumption.

   He adds, Though I sent them not nor commanded them. This negation should especially be noticed, for God shows how we are to form a judgment when a question is raised regarding true and false teachers. Whatever, therefore, is without God’s command is like the wind and will vanish away by itself.

   There is, then, no substance in anything but in God’s command. Hence it follows that all those who speak according to their own fancies are deceitful, and that whatever they bring forward has no weight. For God sets these two things in opposition to each other: on one side are falsehood and levity, and on the other, His command and His call.

   It therefore follows that no one, unless he simply obeys God and faithfully declares what he has received from Him, can be of any significance, for his whole weight is lighter than a feather, and all his apparent wisdom is falsehood.

At last he says that they would not profit his people. In these words he warns the people to shun them as the plague. But we see how the world indulges itself in this respect; for those who are spiritually drowsy seek to absolve themselves by pleading ignorance and throw the blame on their pastors, as if they themselves were beyond the reach of danger.

But the Lord here reminded the people that the teachers whom they accepted were destructive. Although for another reason He testified that they were useless, He did this in order that He might shake off the vain confidence of the Jews, who were accustomed to set up this shield against all God’s threatenings: that their false teachers promised them wonderful things.