Quod onus Jehovae? Tunc dices illis, Quod onus? Derelinquam vos, inquit Jehova. (continued)
JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS
prophetic word is announced, we have a sure and a clear evidence of God's presence, as though he wished to be connected with us. But when the ungodly not only reject so remarkable a benefit, but also furiously repel, as far as they can, such a favor, they desire and seek the absence of God. Therefore God says, ``Ye cannot bear my word, by which symbol I shew that I am present with you; I will forsake you;'' that is, ``I will no longer endure this indignity, but I will depart from you; there shall be hereafter no prophecy.'' 116
At the first view this was not deemed grievous to the Jews; for as I have said, the ungodly desire nothing more than that God should be silent, and they thought that they had gained their greatest happiness, when with consciences lulled to sleep they indulged themselves in their filth. It was then their chief wish that God should depart from them. But yet there was nothing more to be dreaded. The Prophet then shews here that they were extremely infatuated and wholly fascinated by the devil, for they could desire nothing more dreadful than that God should depart from them; as though he had said, ``My word is a weariness to you, and I in my turn will now avenge myself, for I am weary of forbearing you, when I see that you can by no means be healed; and as I have been hitherto assiduous in instructing you, and have found you unteachable, I will now in my turn leave you.'' It follows, ---
Jeremiah 23:34
34. And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.
34. Et propheta et sacerdos et populus qui dixerit, Onus Jehovae, visitabo super virum illum (hoc est, quicunque fuerit, sive propheta, sive sacerdos, sive homo quispiam vulgaris, visitabo super virum illum,) et super domum ejus.
Prophecy might indeed have been called a burden, when anything sad was announced; but it might also have been so called, when men were aroused to fear
God, or when they were exhorted to repent. But God has a reference here to that wicked impiety, when men dared in ridicule to call any prophecy a burden. And hence it appears, that they were all so given up to their sins, that the very name of God's judgment was hated by them. We now then perceive the Prophet's meaning when he said, that God would punish all those who called his word a burden; for the Prophets themselves were wont to speak thus; and we find that Jeremiah in many places used this word. He does not then speak here generally, but points out, as by the finger, a vice which prevailed; for the Jews had so hardened themselves in hatred to sound doctrine, that they said, ``He! these Prophets do nothing but terrify us by threatenings and by denouncing ruin on us; and what will be the end of all this?'' God says, that he would take punishment on all who thus spoke and on all their families.
116The latter part of the verse is rendered by the Septuagint, "Ye are the assumption. ({λὢμμα},) I will dash you to pieces, saith the Lord;'' by the Vulgate, ``Ye are the burden, I will surely cast you away, saith the Lord;'' by the Syriac, ``This is the word of the Lord; I will pluck you up, saith the Lord;'' and by the Targum, ``Such is the prophecy; I will cast you away, saith the Lord.'' Blayney considers that these words {}מח-{}משא{ }אתought to be thus arranged
{}המשא{, }אתםconsistently with all the Versions and the Targum; the letters are the same, only differently connected. This, doubtless, is the right reading, though not found in any MS.; both the Versions and the sense being in its favor. Then as to the verb, the most suitable meaning here is to cast off, as Blayney renders it. The verse then would read as follows, --- 33. And when ask thee shall this people, Or a prophet or a priest, saying, ``What is the burden of Jehovah?'' Then say to them, ``Ye are the burden;'' And I will cast you off; saith Jehovah. It was a suitable answer to mockers, who made, as it were, a sport of the true
Prophets. --- Ed.