John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 27:9

"But as for you, hearken ye not to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreams, nor to your soothsayers, nor to your sorcerers, that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:" — Jeremiah 27:9 (ASV)

As Jeremiah had declared to the king, as well as to the citizens, that they could not escape the punishment that was at hand, he now confronts that vain confidence in them, which was an obstacle, so that they were not touched by threats, nor did they receive wholesome warnings. For the false prophets deceived them by their flatteries and promised that all things would happen prosperously for them. Therefore, when the Prophet saw that the ears both of the king and of the people were closed against him, so that he could achieve little or nothing by exhorting and threatening them, he added what he considered necessary: namely, that everything the false prophets vainly said was entirely fallacious.

He therefore said, Hear ye not your prophets and your diviners; for קסם (kosam) means to divine. Then he adds, your dreamers; in the fourth place, your augurs; and in the fifth place, your sorcerers, or charmers. Some indeed regard עננים (onnim) as observers of time, for עונה (oune) is a stated time. Therefore, those who imagine that a thing is to be done on this or that day, and promise a favorable outcome, were called, according to this view, עננים (onnim), because they superstitiously observed hours and periods of time. But as ענן (onen) means a cloud, those who divined by the stars, and therefore took counsel about what should be done, may also be called עננים (onnim).

But let us now inquire whether Jeremiah is speaking of such dreamers and others who were among the Jews, or whether he also includes those found among the neighboring nations. It seems probable to me that what he says should be confined to the Jews, for I take the word ye as emphatic in Hear ye not, etc. Afterwards, an explanation follows: According to these words have I spoken to the king; and then he adds that he spoke to the priests and to the people. Therefore, we conclude that this entire part was probably addressed to the Jews alone.

Divinations, auguries, and incantations were indeed prohibited in the Law, but we know well how often the Jews gave themselves up to these tricks of the devil, completely despising the Law of God. It is no wonder then if at this time there were magicians among them, as well as augurs and diviners, despite the clear prohibition of the Law.

However, we may understand these words to mean that the Prophet compared these false prophets to diviners, as well as to augurs and sorcerers. He mentions prophets first, but in doing so, he seems to mark them with disgrace because they had departed from their own office and had assumed another character; for they deceived the people, just as augurs, diviners, and magicians customarily deceived the nations.

It is indeed certain, as I have reminded you before, that the Prophet spoke, not for the sake of other nations, but so that the Jews might be made inexcusable or, if there was any hope of repentance, that they might be reminded not to continue in their usual course. Thus, we see the meaning of the words, and at the same time, we perceive the design of the Prophet, or rather of the Holy Spirit, who spoke through his mouth.

I said at the beginning that the Prophet countered an objection that might have diminished or undermined the authority of his teaching; for it was no small trial that the false prophets denied that any evil was at hand. For the title 'prophet' was always held in great esteem and respect among the Jews.

But we also see today, and experience teaches us sufficiently, that people are more ready to accept error and vanity than to receive the Word of God. And so it was then: the Jews imagined that they honored God because they paid attention to His prophets. But when anyone faithfully performed the prophetic office, he was often despised. The Jews, therefore, were preoccupied only with a mere name and thought they did all that was required by saying that they listened to the prophets, while at the same time they boldly despised the true servants of God.

It is so today: while the name of the Catholic Church is boasted of under the Papacy, it seems that regard is shown for God. But when the Word of God is brought forward, when what has been spoken by apostles and prophets is presented, it is regarded as almost nothing. Thus, we see that the Papists, so to speak, separate God from Himself, just as the Jews formerly did.

And thus we also see how necessary it was for Jeremiah to remove such a stumbling block. For the Jews might have stubbornly insisted on this objection: "You alone threaten us with exile; but we have many who glory in being prophets and who promise safety to us. Would you have us believe you alone rather than these many others?" Thus the Prophet, being alone, had to contend with the false prophets, who were many.

And we now have a similar conflict with the Papists, for they boast of their number. Then they object that nothing would be certain if everyone were allowed to appeal to the Word of God. They therefore conclude that we ought simply to believe the Church and to accept whatever is presented under the pretense of being Scripture.

But Jeremiah had confidence in his own vocation and had truly proved his divine mission and that he proclaimed the messages he had received from the mouth of God. Since he had given certain proofs of his vocation, he had a right to oppose all those false prophets, and not only to disregard their lies but also, in a way, to tread them under his feet, as he seems to have done: Hear ye not, he says, your prophets.

He concedes an honorable name to them, but improperly. It is therefore a catachrestic way of speaking when he names them prophets; but he leaves them their title, as it was not necessary to contend about words. Yet at the same time he shows that they were wholly unworthy of being heard. Therefore, no authority was left to them, though a mere empty name was conceded.

It is the same today when we call those priests, bishops, and presbyters who cover themselves with these masks, and yet show that there is in them nothing episcopal, nothing ecclesiastical, and, in short, nothing that belongs to the doctrine of Christ or to any lawful order.

He afterwards adds, Who say to you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon. We have said that the last clause is interpreted by some as an exhortation, Serve ye not the king of Babylon, as though the false prophets were urging the Jews to shake off the yoke. But the proper meaning of the verb can still be retained: Ye shall not serve.

For we know that the false prophets, when they came forward, pretended to be God’s ambassadors, sent to promise tranquility, peace, and prosperity to the Jews. Thus they feigned to act, even though God, as has been stated and as we will see again shortly, had testified that there was no other remedy for the people than to submit to the king of Babylon.