Thomas Aquinas Commentary Jeremiah 29:24-29

"And concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite thou shalt speak, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thine own name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying, Jehovah hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in the house of Jehovah, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in the stocks and in shackles. Now therefore, why hast thou not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who maketh himself a prophet to you, forasmuch as he hath sent unto us in Babylon, saying, [The captivity] is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them? And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet." — Jeremiah 29:24-29 (ASV)

Here, the prophet speaks out against an attacker of the truth. This attacker, a false prophet who promised the people that liberation was near, was angry with Jeremiah because of the letter he had sent to Babylon. In response, he wrote a letter to the high priest in Jerusalem against Jeremiah.

Regarding this, there are two points:

1. The attack against the truth is described.
2. The threat against the attacker is given, starting at Jeremiah 29:30: and the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.

Regarding the first point, there are two parts:

1. The meaning of the false prophet's letter is given. It begins with the incomplete statement, because you sent. This is as if to say, “Surely you will not allow this,” because he will continue after inserting other remarks. In the letter, he makes three points:
   1. He recalls the example of his predecessor: the Lord has made you a priest in the place of Jehoiada, who killed the false prophets, implying that you should do the same to Jeremiah, the false prophet (2 Kings 11:18).
   2. He reminds him of his duty: that you may be the ruler in the house of the Lord over every madman who, seized by an unclean spirit, wrongfully takes on the role of a prophet. For it was the priest's duty to discern between spirits: Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).
   3. He also offers a criticism: for concerning this, he has sent to us in Babylon. This is because Jeremiah preaches what is considered “evil,” rather than good news, as the Scriptures say: They have hated the one who rebuked in the gate, and have abhorred the one who speaks perfectly (Amos 5:10), and, I hate him, because he does not prophesy good to me, but evil, Micah, the son of Imla (1 Kings 22:8).
2. It is shown how the prophet became aware of this: Zephaniah the priest, therefore, read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. This was done in order to rebuke him, as it says earlier: the word of the Lord has become a reproach to me, and a derision all the day (Jeremiah 20:8).