Chapter XXIII · Location 23 of 52
Chapter 23 · Open to readFrom Jeremias · Douay–Rheims / Challoner (1749–1752)
What does Jeremias Chapter 23 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?
Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary
Scattered flock and the just branch precede prophetic accusations. Unsent dreams contrast with word, wheat, fire and hammer. Burden wording and its edition explanation retain their limits.
Chapter breakdown
Jeremias 23 pronounces woe on pastors destroying, tearing and scattering the flock without visiting it. The Lord gathers a remnant from all lands to its fields, appoints pastors, and promises no fear, dismay or missing members. A just Davidic branch reigns wisely with justice; Juda is saved and Israel dwells confidently, with the name the Lord our just one. Return from north and dispersed lands becomes the stated oath comparison to Egypt. The heading's Christ interpretation remains edition material.
Broken heart and trembling bones accompany adulterous land, cursing, dry desert, evil course and unlike strength. Defiled prophet and priest face dark slippery ways and visitation. Samaria's Baal prophets deceive; Jerusalem's adulterous lying prophets strengthen wicked hands so none returns, compared to Sodom and Gomorrha. Wormwood and gall accompany repudiation of heart-visions promising peace to blasphemers. The coming whirlwind fulfills divine thoughts, understood in latter days. Unsent prophets ran and spoke; had they stood in counsel and made words known, the Lord says he would have turned hearers from evil.
The Lord's nearness and distance, hidden places and filling heaven and earth precede dreamers' heart lies and forgotten name. Dreams are distinguished from true word, chaff from wheat, with word as fire and rock-breaking hammer. Word-theft, tongues claiming divine speech, lying dreams and wonders receive opposition. The burden question receives the answer that questioners are the burden; speaking it brings household punishment. Permitted questions concern what the Lord answered or spoke. The edition explains mockery and a prohibition at those times. Repeated prohibited wording leads to removal from presence with city and everlasting reproach, without an invented universal vocabulary ban.
The story inside
Opening: Scattered flock and the just branch precede prophetic accusations. Development: Unsent dreams contrast with word, wheat, fire and hammer. Conclusion: Burden wording and its edition explanation retain their limits.
Lessons worth keeping
- 1Scattered flock and the just branch precede prophetic accusations.
- 2Unsent dreams contrast with word, wheat, fire and hammer.
- 3Burden wording and its edition explanation retain their limits.
Test your recall
Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?
Source edition and notes
Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.
Lines 86303–86305
23:5. Behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will raise up to David a just branch: and a king shall reign, and shall be wise: and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
Lines 86393–86394
23:29. Are not my words as a fire, saith the Lord: and as a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
