A Contemptuous Use of the Phrase, The Burden of the Lord
Jeremiah 23:37-40
Thus shall you say to the prophet, What has the LORD answered you? and, What has the LORD spoken?…


Ye shall not say, "The burden of the Lord." But this was a phrase which the prophets themselves had used, and did use afterwards. They spoke of the burden of Babylon, Moab, Dumah, Egypt, &c. It was not, therefore, the expression itself, so much as the spirit in which these people repeated it, that was the offence. It might perhaps be partly in the way of jeering contempt, turning the office of the prophet to ridicule; representing it thus — "What is the burden this time? Let's hear it." They did show all this profane lightness sometimes. But probably it was with many of them a deeper, graver feeling. It was to many an expression of grievance in hostility to the will and dictates of God. "Well, you are here again, in the name of God! a most unwelcome sight you are; what is it you have now to say? Is it to be another solemn aggravated recital of our crimes? There seems to be a very careful register kept in heaven of our sins. We wonder our little failings should occupy such attention there. And you have a strange liking for your office of accuser. If it were something pleasant to be said to us you would not be so ready." Or, "Is it that God forbids us some one thing more of the few indulgences to our wills that are left us? We thought we had already a sufficient number of the 'Thou shalt not,' but a complete law is long in making!" Or, "Is it some additional load to our long list of duties? Already we cannot turn any way, but there is something for us to do we don't like." Or, "Is there some new threatening of judgment and vengeance?" Now, such a spirit of remonstrance against God is common in ancient time and to our own; frightful as the spirit may seem when it is expressed in plain terms.

(John Foster.).



Parallel Verses
KJV: Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken?

WEB: You shall say to the prophet, What has Yahweh answered you? and, What has Yahweh spoken?




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