Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 14:13-18

"Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. Then Jehovah said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name; I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake I unto them: they prophesy unto you a lying vision, and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their own heart. Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land: By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them-them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them. And thou shalt say this word unto them, Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous wound. If I go forth into the field, then, behold, the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then, behold, they that are sick with famine! for both the prophet and the priest go about in the land, and have no knowledge." — Jeremiah 14:13-18 (ASV)

1. Here, he takes up his argument from the predictions of the prophets.

1. He gives the intercession of the prophet: a, a, a, for the threefold punishment he had just mentioned. The prophets means false prophets; true peace, a lasting and genuine peace from the enemy. Why have you deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You shall have peace’? And behold the sword has come even unto the soul (Jeremiah 4:10).
2. He gives the Lord’s response: and the Lord said.
   1. He shows the falseness of the prophets regarding the actions they take: I have not sent, meaning to perform anything; I have not commanded, meaning by imposing a duty on them; neither have I spoken, meaning by inspiring them with the gift of prophecy. I did not send prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied (Jeremiah 23:21). And regarding the peace they predicted: a lying vision . . . the seduction of their own heart, that is, words devised to lead others astray. They see vain things, and divine a lie, saying, ‘The Lord has spoken’ when the Lord did not send them (Ezekiel 13:6).
   2. He threatens a punishment for both the prophets who preach and the people who believe: therefore, thus says the Lord. There will be those who bless this people and lead them astray, and those who are blessed will be cast down headlong (Isaiah 9:16).
3. The prophet’s compassion is shown to the people: and you shall speak to them: let my (or your) eyes stream down tears. In this way, the lament of repentance is shown. Stream down tears like a torrent (Lamentations 2:18). The reason for this is given: for with destruction, because of the multitude of the slain; terrible, because of their stubbornness; exceedingly, because of its duration. I shall break them small, as a clay jar is broken with a mighty destruction (Isaiah 30:14).Thomas Aquinas here alters the subject and voice of the quotation.

He then gives the manner of their destruction regarding the punishment of slaughter. If I go out means out of doors, and if I go into means in my thoughts. Without, he shall slay them with the sword, and within, fear—the young man together with the virgin, the nursing mother, and the old man (Deuteronomy 32:25).

Regarding the captivity, he explains the phrase the prophet also. As he said above: I will scatter them among the nations, which they have not known, neither they nor their fathers (Jeremiah 9:16).