Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 29:21-22

"Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie unto you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes; and of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captives of Judah that are in Babylon, saying, Jehovah make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;" — Jeremiah 29:21-22 (ASV)

Here, the prophet condemns the false prophets themselves. This condemnation is directed first against certain advocates of falsehood, and second, against a certain attacker of the truth, in the passage beginning and to Shemaiah (Jeremiah 29:24).

Regarding the first group, the advocates of falsehood, there are three points:

• He threatens a punishment.
• He rebukes their fault, in the verse because they committed folly in Israel (Jeremiah 29:23).
• He demonstrates the justice of their judgment with the words I am judge, and witness (Jeremiah 29:23).

Regarding the punishment mentioned first, there are three aspects:

• Their descent into guilt is described: “I will give them over,” so that God may have an occasion to punish those whom He had in His power from the beginning. The Lord has given me into a hand from which I will not be able to flee (Lamentations 1:14).
• The infliction of the punishment: “and he will strike.” As it says below: your breach is incurable, your wound very grievous (Jeremiah 30:12).
• The resultant curse: “and from them a curse will be taken up.”

Now, Jewish commentators say that these are the two elders of whom Daniel 13 speaks. From this, they wish to show that the other story is fictitious.In the Jewish canon, the book of Daniel ends with chapter 12; in the Catholic canon, two other chapters, which are thought to be of later composition, are included. For in that account, the elders are said to have been killed by the people, but here, by Nebuchadnezzar.

Furthermore, in that story, they are said to have been stoned, but here, they were burned with fire.

Regarding the first point of contradiction, it can be said that both may be true. It is possible that Nebuchadnezzar ordered the execution by his authority, and the people then carried out that sentence.

Regarding the second point, it should be said that any severe punishment can be metaphorically called “fire” because of the pain it causes. This metaphor is especially fitting here because of its connection to the sin of adultery. All adulterers are like an oven heated by the baker (Hosea 7:4). It is a fire that devours to destruction, and uproots everything that sprouts (Job 31:12).