Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 23:9-10

"Concerning the prophets. My heart within me is broken, all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of Jehovah, and because of his holy words. For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. And their course is evil, and their might is not right;" — Jeremiah 23:9-10 (ASV)

Here, he speaks of the threat against the prophets, as the title itself declares. The commentary is structured in two main parts:

1. The threat against the prophets.
2. The threat against the visions of the prophets, mentioned at therefore, if this people shall ask you (Jeremiah 23:33).

Concerning the first point, the threat against the prophets, there are two aspects:

1. The deception of the prophets.
2. The variety of their deceptions, mentioned at thus says the Lord (Jeremiah 23:16).

Concerning the first of these, the deception of the prophets, there are two points:

1. The effect of the deception on the people.
2. The sin of the deceiving prophets, mentioned at for the prophet and the priest are defiled (Jeremiah 23:11).

Concerning the first of these, the effect on the people, there are two points:

1. The prophet’s compassion regarding the future destruction. He reveals this by the breaking of his heart: my heart is broken;The words here translated as “destruction” and “breaking” share the same root verb, contrero, which can signify “to grind,” “to break,” “to crumble,” “to destroy,” etc. by the trembling of his body: all my bones are shaken, as regularly happens to those who are troubled; and by the impairment of his thinking: I have become like a drunk man, who does not have the use of his reason. This is because of the magnitude of his shock: like a man soaked with wine, who still has the use of his reason, but it is impeded by heavy drinking. This shock comes from the face of the Lord—that is, from the presence of His revelation, which tells me He is angry with the Jews—and from his holy words, by which He informed me of their guilt and predicted their punishment. All my bones are scattered, my heart within me has become as melting wax in the midst of my bowels (Psalms 21:15). Be astonished and wonder, waver and stagger, be drunk and not from wine, be moved and not from drunkenness (Isaiah 29:9).
2. The dissipation of the people, which is shown in three ways:
   • First, with regard to the magnitude of their sin: for with adulterers—namely, with idolatry and other sins—the land of the Jews is filled. His land is filled with idols (Isaiah 2:8).
   • Second, with regard to the infliction of punishment: because of the curse of God, the earth mourned, meaning it was made barren. The land mourned, and faded away, and was made weak (Isaiah 24:4).
   • Third, regarding their obstinacy: and their course has become evil, because they are set on doing evil on account of their sins. Their feet run to evil (Proverbs 1:16). Their strength is unequal to that of their holy fathers, who would discipline themselves in the service of God. The heart of the fool shall be unequal (Proverbs 15:7).