John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 29:23

"because they have wrought folly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors` wives, and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I commanded them not; and I am he that knoweth, and am witness, saith Jehovah." — Jeremiah 29:23 (ASV)

Because they have committed villany in Israel
Or "folly" {f}; as the sins of adultery, and prophesying falsely, are afterwards mentioned.

This was not the reason why the king of Babylon put them to death; though the Jews ^F7 have a tradition that they attempted the chastity of Nebuchadnezzar's daughter, for which reason he case them into a furnace; but rather it was on account of their prophesying immediate destruction to Babylon; and telling the captives that they should be delivered in a short time; and stirring them up to prepare to go to their own land; but the reasons here given are those which moved the Lord to deliver them into the hands of the king of Babylon for their destruction:

and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives ;
which was a piece of villany, as well as folly; and which abundantly showed that these men were not the prophets of the Lord, or were sent by him, being such impure wretches:

and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them ;
as that the people should return to their own land in a short time; this was another part of their villany and folly, and for which they were given up into the hands of the king of Babylon, to be punished:

even I know, and [am] a witness, says the Lord ;
for though their adulteries might be very secretly committed, and their lying prophecies were not seen to be such by the people in common; yet God, who is omniscient, saw all their impurity, and knew all their lies and falsehood, and was, and would be, a swift witness against them, here and hereafter.

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The Targum is, ``and before me it is manifest, and my word is a witness, says the Lord.''

FOOTNOTES:

• F6: (hlbn) "stultitiam", V. L. Schmidt.
• F7: T. Bab. Sanhedrin. fol. 93. 1.