14:14 Then the Lord said to me, “Those prophets are prophesying lies while claiming my authority! 8 I did not send them. I did not commission them. 9 I did not speak to them. They are prophesying to these people false visions, worthless predictions, 10 and the delusions of their own mind. 14:15 I did not send those prophets, though they claim to be prophesying in my name. They may be saying, ‘No war or famine will happen in this land.’ But I, the Lord, say this about 11 them: ‘War and starvation will kill those prophets.’ 12
23:13 The Lord says, 13 “I saw the prophets of Samaria 14
doing something that was disgusting. 15
They prophesied in the name of the god Baal
and led my people Israel astray. 16
23:14 But I see the prophets of Jerusalem 17
doing something just as shocking.
They are unfaithful to me
and continually prophesy lies. 18
So they give encouragement to people who are doing evil,
with the result that they do not stop their evildoing. 19
I consider all of them as bad as the people of Sodom,
and the citizens of Jerusalem as bad as the people of Gomorrah. 20
23:15 So then I, the Lord who rules over all, 21
have something to say concerning the prophets of Jerusalem: 22
‘I will make these prophets eat the bitter food of suffering
and drink the poison water of judgment. 23
For the prophets of Jerusalem are the reason 24
that ungodliness 25 has spread throughout the land.’”
7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 34
1 tn Heb “or a dreamer of dreams” (so KJV, ASV, NASB). The difference between a prophet (נָבִיא, navi’) and one who foretells by dreams (חֹלֵם אוֹ, ’o kholem) was not so much one of office – for both received revelation by dreams (cf. Num 12:6) – as it was of function or emphasis. The prophet was more a proclaimer and interpreter of revelation whereas the one who foretold by dreams was a receiver of revelation. In later times the role of the one who foretold by dreams was abused and thus denigrated as compared to that of the prophet (cf. Jer 23:28).
2 tn The expression אוֹת אוֹ מוֹפֵת (’ot ’o mofet) became a formulaic way of speaking of ways of authenticating prophetic messages or other works of God (cf. Deut 28:46; Isa 20:3). The NT equivalent is the Greek term σημεῖον (shmeion), a sign performed (used frequently in the Gospel of John, cf. 2:11, 18; 20:30-31). They could, however, be counterfeited or (as here) permitted to false prophets by the
3 tn Heb “or dreamer of dreams.” See note on this expression in v. 1.
4 tn Heb “the
5 tn Heb “all your heart and soul” (so NRSV, CEV, NLT); or “heart and being” (NCV “your whole being”). See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.
6 tn Heb “or dreamer of dreams.” See note on this expression in v. 1.
7 tn Heb “your midst” (so NAB, NRSV). The severity of the judgment here (i.e., capital punishment) is because of the severity of the sin, namely, high treason against the Great King. Idolatry is a violation of the first two commandments (Deut 5:6-10) as well as the spirit and intent of the Shema (Deut 6:4-5).
8 tn Heb “Falsehood those prophets are prophesying in my name.” In the OT, the “name” reflected the person’s character (cf. Gen 27:36; 1 Sam 25:25) or his reputation (Gen 11:4; 2 Sam 8:13). To speak in someone’s name was to act as his representative or carry his authority (1 Sam 25:9; 1 Kgs 21:8).
9 tn Heb “I did not command them.” Compare 1 Chr 22:12 for usage.
10 tn Heb “divination and worthlessness.” The noun “worthlessness” stands as a qualifying “of” phrase (= to an adjective; an attributive genitive in Hebrew) after a noun in Zech 11:17; Job 13:4. This is an example of hendiadys where two nouns are joined by “and” with one serving as the qualifier of the other.
11 tn Heb “Thus says the
12 tn Heb “Thus says the
13 tn The words “The
14 map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
15 tn According to BDB 1074 s.v. תִּפְלָּה this word means “unseemly, unsavory.” The related adjective is used in Job 6:6 of the tastelessness of something that is unseasoned.
16 tn Heb “by Baal.”
17 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
18 tn Or “they commit adultery and deal falsely.” The word “shocking” only occurs here and in 5:30 where it is found in the context of prophesying lies. This almost assures that the reference to “walking in lies” (Heb “in the lie”) is referring to false prophesy. Moreover the references to the prophets in 5:13 and in 14:13-15 are all in the context of false prophesy as are the following references in this chapter in 23:24, 26, 32 and in 28:15. This appears to be the theme of this section. This also makes it likely that the reference to adultery is not literal adultery, though two of the false prophets in Babylon were guilty of this (29:23). The reference to “encouraging those who do evil” that follows also makes more sense if they were preaching messages of comfort rather than messages of doom. The verbs here are infinitive absolutes in place of the finite verb, probably used to place greater emphasis on the action (cf. Hos 4:2 in a comparable judgment speech.)
19 tn Heb “So they strengthen the hands of those doing evil so that they do not turn back from their evil.” For the use of the figure “strengthen the hands” meaning “encourage” see Judg 9:24; Ezek 13:22 (and cf. BDB 304 s.v. חָזַק Piel.2). The vav consecutive on the front of the form gives the logical consequence equivalent to “so” in the translation.
20 tn Heb “All of them are to me like Sodom and its [Jerusalem’s] inhabitants like Gomorrah.”
21 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.”
22 tn Heb “Therefore, thus says the
23 tn Heb “I will feed this people wormwood and make them drink poison water.” For these same words of judgment on another group see 9:15 (9:14 HT). “Wormwood” and “poison water” are not to be understood literally here but are symbolic of judgment and suffering. See, e.g., BDB 542 s.v. לַעֲנָה.
24 tn The compound preposition מֵאֵת (me’et) expresses source or origin (see BDB 86 s.v. אֵת 4.c). Context shows that the origin is in their false prophesying which encourages people in their evil behavior.
25 sn A word that derives from this same Hebrew word is used in v. 11 at the beginning of the
26 tn Heb “Oracle of the
27 tn The word “The
28 tn Heb “oracle of the
29 sn The verbs are again plural referring to the king and his royal advisers.
30 tn Heb “…drive you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying lies.”
31 sn The same description of a false prophet is found in Micah 2:11.
32 sn The
33 tn Or “confirmed”; NIV “to be fulfilled”; TEV “to come true.”
34 sn Sheep’s clothing…voracious wolves. Jesus uses a metaphor here to point out that these false prophets appear to be one thing, but in reality they are something quite different and dangerous.
35 tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured to you.”
36 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.