Yirmeyah 23:9

9 Mine lev within me is broken because of the nevi’im; all my atzmot shake; I am like an ish shikkor, and like a gever (man) whom yayin hath overcome, because of Hashem, and because of Divrei Kadsho (His Holy Devarim).

Yirmeyah 23:9 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 23:9

Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets
The false prophets, as the Targum rightly interprets it. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "to the prophets"; and makes a stop there; which agrees with the original F12; so that it may be considered as the title of what follows; it being directed to them by the prophet, to let them know his concern for them; to expose their sin, and reclaim them; who was so affected with their case, that his "heart" within him was "broken" with grief and sorrow, because of their false doctrines and wicked lives; and because of the mischief they did the people, and the ruin they brought upon them, and themselves also: all my bones shake;
with dread and horror at the iniquities committed and the judgments approaching. The word, as Jarchi says, signifies such a fluttering motion as is made by the wings of a bird hovering over its nest. The same word is used in ( Genesis 1:2 ) ; which Ben Melech refers to here. The prophet shuddered at their dreadful impiety, and at the thoughts of what was coming upon them on that account: I am like a drunken man;
that can neither speak nor stand; that knows not what to say, or which way to go; so confused and astonished was the prophet at what he saw was doing by them, and was likely to befall them: and like a man whom wine hath overcome;
or, "has passed over" F13; like waves and billows, so that he is drowned in it, and mastered by it: because of the Lord, and because of the words of his holiness:
because of the dishonour done to his holy name, and holy truths; because of the profanation of both in the mouths of these false prophets; they pretending to come in the name of the Lord, and to speak his words; and because of the dreadful judgments which he, the prophet, was sent to denounce against them from the Lord.


FOOTNOTES:

F12 (Myabnl) "ad prophetas", V. L. "quod ad prophetat ipsos", Junius & Tremellius; "ad prophetas quod attinet", Piscator.
F13 So Kimchi and Ben Melech. (wrbe) "pertransivit", Vatablus, Montanus; "super quem transiit vinum", Pagninus, Calvin; "penetravit", Schmidt.

Yirmeyah 23:9 In-Context

7 Therefore, hinei, the days are coming, saith Hashem, that they shall no more say, Hashem liveth, which brought up the Bnei Yisroel out of Eretz Mitzrayim;
8 But, Hashem liveth, which brought up and which led the zera Bais Yisroel out of the eretz tzafonah, and from all countries to where I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
9 Mine lev within me is broken because of the nevi’im; all my atzmot shake; I am like an ish shikkor, and like a gever (man) whom yayin hath overcome, because of Hashem, and because of Divrei Kadsho (His Holy Devarim).
10 For ha’aretz is full of mena’afim; for because of a curse ha’aretz mourneth; the pleasant places of the midbar are dried up, and their course is ra’ah, and their gevurah is not right.
11 For both navi and kohen are profane; indeed, in My Beis have I found their wickedness, saith Hashem.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.