Jeremiah 5:31

King James Version (KJV)

The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

The prophets prophesy falsely - The false prophets predict favorable things, that they may please both the princes and the people.

The priests bear rule by their means - The false prophets affording them all that their influence and power can procure, to enable them to keep their places, and feed on the riches of the Lord's house.

And my people love to have it so - Are perfectly satisfied with this state of things, because they are permitted to continue in their sins without reproof or restraint. The prophets and the priests united to deceive and ruin the people. The prophets gave out false predictions; by their means the priests got the government of the people into their own hands; and so infatuated were the people that they willingly abandoned themselves to those blind guides, and would not hearken to the voice of any reformer. In my Old Bible the words stand thus: - Stonyng and mervailis ben made in the erthe, prophets prophecieden lesing; and prestis flappiden with joye with ther bondes, and my peple lovid siche thingis. False prophets and worldly priests have been in all ages the bane of religion, and the ruin of many souls. When profligate people stand up on behalf of profligate priests, corruption must then be at its height.

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Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

Verses 20-31

Against the God

(1) of Creation Jeremiah 5:22, and

(2) of Providence Jeremiah 5:24,

They sin, not merely by apostasy, but by a general immorality extending to all classes Jeremiah 5:25-28. It is in this immorality that their idolatry has its root.

Jeremiah 5:22

The sea is the symbol of restless and indomitable energy, chafing against all resistance, and dashing to pieces the works whereby man endeavors to restrain its fury. Yet God has imposed upon it laws which it must obey, and keeps it in its appointed place, not by barriers of iron but by a belt of sand. Modern science has shown that the resisting power of sand is enormous. A wave which would shatter rocks fails powerless upon sand.

Can they not prevail - The opposite of “thou couldest” Jeremiah 3:5. The sea, the mightiest of God‘s works, cannot prevail, cannot break God‘s laws, because He has not endowed it with free-will. Man, physically impotent, can prevail, because, being made in God‘s image, he is free.

Jeremiah 5:23

The heart, or will of the Jews was first “revolting,” literally a will that “drew back” from God, because it disliked His service; and secondly it was “rebellious,” a will that actively resisted Him. Compare Deuteronomy 21:18, Deuteronomy 21:20.

Jeremiah 5:24

As God‘s Providence addresses itself chiefly to the thoughtful, Jeremiah says in their heart. By the intelligent study of God‘s dealings men perceive that they are not merely acts of power but also of love.

The appointed weeks - literally, He guardeth, maintaineth, for us the weeks which are the statutes or settled laws “of the harvest.” These were the seven weeks from the Passover to Pentecost, and were as important for the ingathering of the crops as the rainy seasons for their nourishment.

Jeremiah 5:25

It was not that the rains did not fall, or that the harvest weeks were less bright; the good was there, but the wickedness of the community blocked up the channels, through which it shou d have reached the people. The lawlessness and injustice of the times kept the mass of the people in poverty.

Jeremiah 5:26

Rather, he spieth about like the crouching down of fowlers; they have set the fatal snare; “they catch men.”

Trap - literally, “The destroyer;” it was probably a gin, which strangled the birds caught in it.

Jeremiah 5:27

Deceit - The wealth gained by deceit and fraud.

Jeremiah 5:28

Fatness is admired in the East as a sign of wealth.

They shine - This word is used of the sleekness of the skin, soft and smooth as ivory.

They overpass the deeds of the wicked - literally, “They have overpassed words of wickedness,” i. e., they go to excess in wickedness.

Yet they prosper - Or, that they (the orphans) may prosper, enjoy their rights.

Jeremiah 5:30

Rather, A terrible “and horrible thing” has happened “in the land.”

Jeremiah 5:31

Bear rule by their means - Rather, “The priests” rule at their hands, i. e., govern according to their false prophecies, guidance, and directions.

My people love to have it so - False teaching lightens the yoke of God‘s Law, and removes His fear from the conscience: and with this, man is ready to be content.

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Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

Unhumbled hearts are ready to charge God with being unjust in their afflictions. But they may read their sin in their punishment. If men will inquire wherefore the Lord doeth hard things unto them, let them think of their sins. The restless waves obeyed the Divine decree, that they should not pass the sandy shores, which were as much a restraint as lofty mountains; but they burst all restraints of God's law, and were wholly gone into wickedness. Neither did they consider their interest. While the Lord, year after year, reserves to us the appointed weeks of harvest, men live on his bounty; yet they transgress against him. Sin deprives us of God's blessings; it makes the heaven as brass, and the earth as iron. Certainly the things of this world are not the best things; and we are not to think, that, because evil men prosper, God allows their practices. Though sentence against evil works is not executed speedily, it will be executed. Shall I not visit for these things? This speaks the certainty and the necessity of God's judgments. Let those who walk in bad ways consider that an end will come, and there will be bitterness in the latter end.

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SDA Bible Commentary (limited)
Volume 1-7

31. Prophesy falsely. Literally, “prophesy with a lie.”

By their means. Literally, “according to their hands,” that is, at their direction. The priests exercised their functions in subservience to these false prophets. This subservience of the priests to the false prophets is illustrated in ch. 29:24-26.

Love to have it so. Undoubtedly this explains the success of the false prophets and the priests. They catered to that which appealed to the heart of the populace. The people were willingly misled.

The end. The united wickedness of the leaders and the people made an “end” inevitable. The nation was challenged to give consideration to that sober fact. While the false prophets thought only of the present and their immediate prosperity, Jeremiah was concerned with the ultimate fate of the nation in the future.

5. Outline.I. The Prophet’s Call and Commission, 1:1-19.

A. Identity of the prophet, 1:1-3.

B. The call of Jeremiah, 1:4-6.

C. The investment with authority, 1:7-10.

D. The vision of the almond branch, 1:11, 12.

E. The vision of the boiling caldron, 1:13-16.

F. The prophet’s commission, with promises of protection, 1:17-19.

II. Prophecies Concerning Judah and Jerusalem, 2:1 to 35:19.

A. A description and denunciation of the evil in Judah, 2:1-37.

1. Judah’s ingratitude and unfaithfulness in return for God’s love, 2:1-13.

2. Judah’s sin and obstinacy under punishment, 2:14-28.

3. Judah’s disregard of God’s past corrections, 2:29-37.

B. The call to the faithless people of Israel to return, 3:1 to 4:4.

1. Her shameful unfaithfulness and forfeited privileges, 3:1-5.

2. Judah’s guilt exceeds that of the ten tribes, 3:6-11.

3. A renewed call to both houses of Israel to repent, with promises of reunion and restoration, 3:12-20.

4. A prayer of confession for Israel, 3:21-25.

5. The demand for true heart conversion, 4:1-4.

C. Judgment by an invading nation, 4:5 to 6:30.

1. A description of the approaching danger, 4:5-31.

2. Causes of the impending judgments, 5:1-31.

a. The universal lack of integrity making judgment inevitable and pardon impossible, 5:1-9.

b. Unbelief in the prophetic messages and false trust in fortified cities, 5:10-19.

c. Obstinacy, deceitfulness, and flagrant disobedience, 5:20-31.

3. A description of the doom and its causes, 6:1-30.

D. The Temple discourse, 7:1 to 10:25.

1. Denunciation of Judah’s shameless idolatry and pollution of the Temple, 7:1 to 8:3.

2. Announcement of fearful punishment because of the people’s impudent wickedness, 8:4-22.

3. Lamentation over the people’s treachery and deceit and the resulting calamities, 9:1-26.

4. The folly of idolatry, 10:1-16.

5. The invasion of Judah and the exile of its inhabitants, 10:17-22.

6. Jeremiah’s plea for moderation in punishment, 10:23-25.

E. Preaching the covenant, 11:1 to 13:27.

1. The broken covenant, 11:1-17.

2. Reactions to Jeremiah’s preaching, 11:18 to 12:6.

a. The plot of the men of Anathoth against him, 11:18-23.

b. The plot in the prophet’s own family, 12:1-6.

3. Punishment and redemption, 12:7-17.

4. Reproof of pride in Judah, the chosen people, 13:1-27.

a. The symbolic action with the girdle and the interpretation, 13:1-11.

b. A symbolic utterance concerning wine flagons and the interpretation, 13:12-17.

c. A message to the king and queen mother, 13:18, 19.

d. A lamentation for the calamity coming upon Jerusalem, 13:20-27.

F. Personal experiences of the prophet, 14:1 to 16:9.

1. The drought; Jeremiah’s intercession denied, 14:1 to 15:9.

2. Jeremiah’s inner conflict, 15:10-21.

3. Jeremiah forbidden to marry or to participate in mourning and festal assemblies, 16:1-9.

G. The causes of Judah’s calamities and messages of comfort, 16:10 to 17:18.

H. Exhortation regarding the observance of the Sabbath, 17:19-27.

I. Symbols of the destruction of the nation, 18:1 to 19:13.

1. The potter’s vessel, 18:1-23.

2. The broken potter’s vessel, 19:1-13.

J. Jeremiah persecuted, 19:14 to 20:18.

1. Jeremiah beaten and placed in the stocks by Pashur, 19:14 to 20:6.

2. Jeremiah’s inner conflict,20:7-18.

K. Denunciation of Judah’s civil and spiritual leaders, 21:1 to 24:10.

1. Zedekiah’s appeal to Jeremiah and the prophet’s announcement of the capture of Jerusalem, 21:1-14.

2. An appeal to the royal house, 22:1-9.

3. Judgments upon the royal house, 22:10 to 23:8.

a. The fate of Jehoahaz, 22:10-12.

b. The sinful conduct and the fate of Jehoiakim, 22:13-19.

c. The effect of the loss of her kings upon Judah, 22:20-23.

d. The fate of Jehoiachin, 22:24-30.

e. Promises of Israel’s restoration, 23:1-8.

4. Denunciation of the false prophets, 23:9-40.

5. The vision of two baskets of figs and its interpretation, 24:1-10.

L. The announcement of judgment, 25:1-38.

1. Judgment on Judah; the seventy years of exile, 25:1-14.

2. Judgment on all nations, 25:15-38.

M. Conflicts with professed prophets, 26:1 to 29:32.

1. Conflict regarding the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, 26:1-24.

a. Prediction of the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, 26:1-6.

b. The demand for Jeremiah’s death and his defense, 26:7-15.

c. The princes’ and elders’ defense of Jeremiah, 26:16-24.

2. Conflict regarding the yoke of Babylon, 27:1 to 28:17>28:17.

a. Warning to the nations not to revolt against Babylon, 27:1-11.

b. Counsel to Zedekiah to submit to Babylon’s yoke, 27:12-22.

c. The conflict with Hananiah, 28:1-17.

3. Conflict with the false prophets in Babylon 29:1-32.

a. Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles, 29:1-23.

b. A message against the false prophet Shemaiah, 29:24-32.

N. Prophecies of restoration, 30:1 to 33:26.

1. The deliverance and restoration of Israel, 30:1-24.

2. The restoration and reunion of both houses under a new covenant, 31:1-40.

a. Israel’s share in the coming restoration, 31:1-22.

b. Judah’s share in the coming restoration, 31:23-26.

c. The new covenant made with both houses, 31:27-40.

3. The purchase of the field and its significance, 32:1-44.

4. Promises of a glorious future for Israel, 33:1-26.

a. Renewed promises of the elevation of Jerusalem to a place of honor among the nations, 33:1-13.

b. Promises of the re-establishment of the kingly and priestly office, 33:14-26.

O. The infidelity and punishment of Judah, 34:1 to 35:19.

1. Prediction of the fate of Jerusalem and Zedekiah, 34:1-7.

2. A denunciation of Judah’s breach of faith in re-enslaving freed men, 34:8-22.

3. A lesson from the fidelity of the Rechabites, 35:1-19.

III. Biographical and Historical Narratives, 36:1 to 45:5.

A. Events preceding the desolation of Jerusalem, 36:1 to 39:18.

1. The writing of Jeremiah’s prophecies, 36:1-32.

a. The dictation of the first edition to Baruch, 36:1-8.

b. The reading of the scroll in the Temple courts by Baruch, 36:9-19.

c. The burning of the scroll by Jehoiakim, 36:20-26.

d. The production of the new scroll, 36:27-32.

2. The imprisonment of Jeremiah, 37:1 to 38:28.

a. The temporary lifting of the final siege, 37:1-5.

b. A prediction of the return of the Chaldeans, 37:6-10.

c. Jeremiah falsely accused and imprisoned, 37:11-15.

d. The prophet in the court of the guard, 37:16-21.

e. Jeremiah cast into a miry dungeon, 38:1-6.

f. The prophet’s rescue by Ebed-melech, 38:7-13.

g. Zedekiah’s secret interview with Jeremiah, 38:14-23.

h. The prophet’s confinement in the court of the guard, 38:24-28.

B. The captivity of Judah, 39:1-18.

1. The capture of Jerusalem and the fate of Zedekiah and the people, 39:1-10.

2. The release of Jeremiah, 39:11-14.

3. The promises of the Lord to Ebed-melech, 39:15-18.

C. Events after the desolation of Jerusalem, 40:1 to 44:30.

1. The release of Jeremiah and his return to Gedaliah, 40:1-6.

2. The governorship of Gedaliah, 40:7-16.

3. The murder of Gedaliah and its consequences, 41:1-18.

4. The flight into Egypt, 42:1 to .

5. Warnings against idolatry in Egypt, 44:1-30.

D. The promises of the Lord to Baruch, 45:1-5.

IV. Prophecies Concerning Foreign Nations, 46:1 to 51:64.

A. The superscription to the messages, 46:1.

B. Prophecy concerning Egypt, 46:2-28.

1. The discomfiture of Necho II at the second battle of Carchemish, 46:2-12.

2. A prediction of Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Egypt, 46:13-26.

3. A message of consolation to Israel, 46:27, 28.

C. Prophecy concerning Philistia, 47:1-7.

D. Prophecy concerning Moab, 48:1-47.

1. The destruction proceeding from city to city, 48:1-10.

2. The judgment and its causes, 48:11-30.

3. The utter destruction of Moab, 48:31-47.

E. Prophecy concerning Ammon, 49:1-6.

F. Prophecy concerning Edom, 49:7-22.

G. Prophecy concerning Damascus, 49:23-27.

H. Prophecy concerning Kedar and Hazor, 49:28-33.

I. Prophecy concerning Elam, 49:34-39.

J. Prophecy concerning Babylon, 50:1 to 51:64.

1. The fall of Babylon and the deliverance of Israel, 50:1-20.

2. Babylon’s punishment, corresponding to her crimes, 50:21-28.

3. The completeness of Babylon’s destruction, 50:29-40.

4. The instruments of Babylon’s fall, 50:41 to 51:5.

5. The call of God’s people to flee from Babylon to escape her doom, 51:6-14.

6. God contrasted with idols, 51:15-19.

7. Israel, the Lord’s hammer, 51:20-26.

8. The fall and desolation of Babylon, 51:27-37.

9. The joy of the world at the fall of Babylon, 51:38-49.

10. A final description of Babylon’s fall, 51:50-58.

11. Seraiah and the history of the prophecy regarding Babylon, 51:59-64.

V. Historical Appendix, 52:1-34.

A. Introduction to the appendix, 51:64b.

B. The final capture of Jerusalem, 52:1-11.

C. Events connected with the destruction of Jerusalem, 52:12-27.

1. The desolation of the city and the deportation of the people, 52:12-16.

2. The carrying away of the sacred vessels of the Temple, 52:17-23.

3. The execution of the representatives of the people, 52:24-27.

D. A statement concerning the number of captives, 52:28-30.

E. Jehoiachin’s release from prison, 52:31-34.

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