Jeremiah 23:11

11 For the prophet as well as the priest is unclean; even in my house I have seen their evil-doing, says the Lord.

Jeremiah 23:11 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 23:11

For both prophet and priest are profane
Being guilty of the afore mentioned sins. The Targum is,

``the scribe and the priest;''

and such were the scribes and priests in the time of our Lord; they played "the hypocrite" ^F17, as some render the word here; and are often charged with the sin of hypocrisy, and called hypocrites, ( Matthew 22:18 ) ( Matthew 23:13-15 Matthew 23:23 Matthew 23:25 Matthew 23:27 Matthew 23:29 ) ; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord;
where they officiated in holy things, or should have done so; where the one should have instructed the people, and the other offered sacrifices for them, according to the will of God; there they committed wickedness, which was an aggravation of their sin, as was the case of Eli's sons, ( 1 Samuel 2:22-24 ) ; perhaps the same sin was committed by these men; or idolatry may be meant; setting up images, and building altars for them in the house of God; see ( Jeremiah 7:30 ) ; or carrying on traffic and merchandise, whereby the temple was made a house of merchandise, as it was in the times of Christ, ( John 2:14-16 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (wpnx) "hypocritae fuerunt", Vatablus, Montanus; "hypocritas agunt", Piscator; "hypocrisin exercent", Schmidt, Cocceius.

Jeremiah 23:11 In-Context

9 About the prophets. My heart is broken in me, all my bones are shaking; I am like a man full of strong drink, like a man overcome by wine; because of the Lord, and because of his holy words.

10 For the land is full of men who are untrue to their wives; because of the curse the land is full of grief; the green fields of the waste land have become dry; and they are quick to do evil, their strength is for what is not right.

11 For the prophet as well as the priest is unclean; even in my house I have seen their evil-doing, says the Lord.

12 For this cause their steps will be slipping on their way: they will be forced on into the dark and have a fall there: for I will send evil on them in the year of their punishment, says the Lord.

13 And I have seen ways without sense in the prophets of Samaria; they became prophets of the Baal, causing my people Israel to go wrong.