Because, even because they have seduced my
people
Who were so by profession; otherwise such who are truly the
people of God, though they may be deceived in civil things, yet
not in religious matters, at least not totally and finally; in
this sense it is impossible to deceive the elect of God; but as
false teachers are deceivers, they lie in wait, and use all means
to deceive them, and do deceive nominal professors, which is
resented by the Lord; and this is given as a reason of their
punishment; and which is doubled, as in ( Leviticus
26:43 ) ; to show the heinousness of their sin, and the
certainty of their punishment: saying, peace, and [there
was] no peace;
giving out that peace would be made with the king of Babylon;
that the captives would return to their own land, where, with
those that were in it, they would enjoy great prosperity; when no
such thing came to pass, nor would; but the contrary was certain,
by the predictions of the true prophets sent by the Lord:
and one built up a wall;
one of the false prophets, and of the chief of them, gave out
that Jerusalem would continue a walled city, and abide firm and
impregnable against the Chaldean army, and would never be taken:
and, lo, others daubed it with untempered
[mortar];
others of the false prophets, observing that what the first had
delivered out was pleasing to the people, not only assented to
it, but strongly affirmed it; and, with colourings and specious
arguments, made it look more plausible and probable; when, alas!
the whole was no other than like putting a parcel of loose stones
or bricks together, and throwing some slushy stuff upon them, as,
moistened sand without lime, or clay without straw, as the Targum
and Vulgate Latin versions render it; which would never cement
the bricks or stones together. R. Joseph Kimchi interprets it of
bricks not burnt: so false teachers imitate the true ministers of
the word, in preaching peace; but then they do not direct aright
where it is to be had, which is only in Christ; or the proper
persons, sinners pressed with the guilt of sin, and seeking for
ease and peace in a right way; but publish it to those to whom it
does not belong, for there is no peace to the wicked; and put
them upon making peace themselves by their own works of
righteousness, and their legal repentance, and outward
humiliation; or promise it to them, though they have no faith in
Christ, and are not sensible of their sin and danger: these men
are builders, but not wise master builders; they do not build
upon the foundation Christ, but build up a wall without him;
leaving him out of the building who is the chief corner stone;
deliver out some loose and unconnected doctrines, that are not
according to the Scriptures, nor consistent with each other; and
encourage the people to perform some loose duties and cold
services, without the cement of faith and love; and which is no
other than building upon the sand, or with it; though they fancy
it to be a wall, a shelter, and protection to them, from the
wrath and justice of God, and by which they shall climb up to
heaven; which will prove a bowing wall, and a tottering fence;
and in these mistakes they are buoyed up by false teachers, and
are flattered as being in a fair way for eternal happiness.