Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 23:16-22

"Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of Jehovah. They say continually unto them that despise me, Jehovah hath said, Ye shall have peace; and unto every one that walketh in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, No evil shall come upon you. For who hath stood in the council of Jehovah, that he should perceive and hear his word? who hath marked my word, and heard it? Behold, the tempest of Jehovah, [even his] wrath, is gone forth, yea, a whirling tempest: it shall burst upon the head of the wicked. The anger of Jehovah shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall understand it perfectly. I sent not these prophets, yet they ran: I spake not unto them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, then had they caused my people to hear my words, and had turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings." — Jeremiah 23:16-22 (ASV)

1. Here, the prophet speaks of the various methods of deception.

First, he exposes them. Second, he addresses them summarily with the words, therefore, behold, I am against the prophets (Jeremiah 23:30).

Concerning the first point, their exposure, there are two aspects. The first is their method of deception through false words, where they had seen nothing but pretended to have received a vision from the Lord. The second is their method of deception through vain dreams, where they presented fantastical dreams as divine revelations; this begins at the verse, do you think that I am a God near at hand? (Jeremiah 23:23).

Regarding the first aspect, deception through false words, the first point is the prohibition given to the people, so that they would not listen to such false prophets by obeying or believing them: do not listen. If there should arise in your midst a prophet, or one who says he has seen a dream, and if he should predict a sign and a portent, and what he has said should come to pass, and he say to you, ‘Come let us go, and follow strange gods, whom you do not know, and let us serve them,’ do not listen to the words of that prophet, or dreamer (Deuteronomy 13:1–3).

Second, the deception of the prophets who falsely said they were messengers of God is exposed: they speak the vision of their own heart. As it is written, Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit, and see nothing (Ezekiel 13:3). This is seen with regard to their false promise: they say to those who blaspheme. As it says above: and they would heal the bruise of the daughter of my people with shame, saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ And there was no peace (Jeremiah 6:14). It is also seen with regard to their erroneous proof: for who was present? They asked this because it is said, who was his counselor? (Isaiah 40:13). They wanted to undermine the warnings of the true prophets, as if those prophets were ignorant of God’s counsels, so that they would not be believed. They were wrong, because that verse does not exclude knowledge of God’s counsel received through revelation, but rather knowledge comprehended by the human intellect. They distinguished between what was seen, as if present, and what was considered, as if absent. You err not knowing the Scriptures (Matthew 22:29).

Next, the prophet shows their falseness in three ways:

1. First, with regard to their false promise, he speaks of their punishment: behold, the whirlwind, scattering the captives; a storm of severe affliction will come upon the head of the wicked, to whom they were promising peace. This makes it clear that they were not good prophets. If that prophet shall predict in the name of the Lord, and it does not come to pass, the Lord has not spoken this (Deuteronomy 18:22). A fire goes before him, burning his enemies round about (Psalms 97:3). He also rules out mercy: the fury shall not turn back. So shall be the word which goes forth from my mouth, it shall not return to me empty, but it shall do whatsoever I desired, and it shall prosper in those things for which I have sent it (Isaiah 55:11). He then sets forth the effect of the punishment: at the end of days, meaning when you have endured the punishments, you shall understand by experience. The Lord shall be known when he carries out judgment (Psalms 9:16).
2. Second, with regard to their presumed authority: I did not send. As it says above: I have not sent them, and I have not commanded them, neither have I spoken to them (Jeremiah 14:14).
3. Third, with regard to their false proof: if they had stood in my counsel, as true prophets do, I would surely have turned them—that is, the people or the prophets themselves. As it says above: if you will turn, I will turn you (Jeremiah 15:19).