34 If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, 'This is a message from the Lord,' I will punish them and their household.
34 And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the Lord, I will even punish
34 And as for the prophet, priest, or one of the people who says, 'The burden of the Lord,' I will punish that man and his household.
34 "And if anyone, including prophets and priests, goes around saying glibly 'God's Message! God's Message!' I'll punish him and his family.
34 And as for the prophet and the priest and the people who say, 'The oracle of the Lord!' I will even punish that man and his house.
34 "If any prophet, priest, or anyone else says, 'I have a prophecy from the Lord,' I will punish that person along with his entire family.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 23:34
Commentary on Jeremiah 23:33-40
(Read Jeremiah 23:33-40)
Those are miserable indeed who are forsaken and forgotten of God; and men's jesting at God's judgments will not baffle them. God had taken Israel to be a people near to him, but they shall now be cast out of his presence. It is a mark of great and daring impiety for men to jest with the words of God. Every idle and profane word will add to the sinner's burden in the day of judgment, when everlasting shame will be his portion.