Jer 23:33-40 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Jer 23:33-40: 23:33-40 The Lord presented a hypothetical conversation to show Jeremiah how to handle the false prophets. 23:33 These false prophets might taunt Jeremiah by asking for the latest message the Lord had burdened him with. • You are the burden! This is a wordplay—it was common for a prophetic message to be called “a burden.” The false prophets were a heavy load that the Lord would throw off and abandon .

a23:33-40►

b23:33►

c23:34-35►

dNum 16:27-32►

eJosh 7:24-25►

f23:36►

gExod 20:7►

hMatt 20:25-28►

i23:37-40►

j23:40►

‏ Jeremiah 23:33-40

Summary for Jer 23:33-40: 23:33-40 ^a The Lord presented a hypothetical conversation to show Jeremiah how to handle the false prophets. 23:33 ^b These false prophets might taunt Jeremiah by asking for the latest message the Lord had burdened him with.

• You are the burden! This is a wordplay—it was common for a prophetic message to be called “a burden.” The false prophets were a heavy load that the Lord would throw off and abandon.
Summary for Jer 23:34-35: 23:34-35 ^c Someone might falsely brag that he had heard a prophecy from the Lord. However, such a person and his entire family would be punished (cp. Num 16:27-32 ^d; Josh 7:24-25 ^e).
23:36 ^f The Lord warned that no one should claim to have a prophecy from the Lord in order to exert authority over other people. Doing so would be contrary to God’s words and constitute a misuse of his name (Exod 20:7 ^g; see also Matt 20:25-28 ^h).
Summary for Jer 23:37-40: 23:37-40 ⁱ What is the Lord saying? The Lord had decreed that he would punish the people of Judah and expel false prophets. Any prophecy that stated otherwise was not a prophecy from the Lord.
23:40 ^j The false prophets would be an object of ridicule. Their predictions would be proved false when Jerusalem was destroyed and the people of the city were taken into exile.