Jeremiah 23-26
Barnes writes: Messiah is here called Yahweh. This puts Christ on the same level as "God, the Father". They have it wrong, it is not Christ who is called Jehovah, it is Jerusalem which, in the future will be called Jehovah, the righteousness of us. About this particular verse, Sir Anthony Buzzard writes: It is amazing how some clutch desperately; trying to prove the doctrine of the Trinity even where it is not to be found.
Even for those who insist that the name refers to Christ, notice how various Bibles translate this phrase, but in no case, is Christ called Jehovah:
Jehovah says, Behold, I am against the prophets who use their tongues and say, He (the Lord) says. 23:31. Likely most of us have heard a televangelist or even a local preacher shouting out something like: Last night the Lord said to me. When, in fact, it was not the Lord's voice he heard; maybe it was the accountant's voice which said, ask for financial donations, we are running short of funds. The Lord says I am against the prophets who ... say, He says. False prophets (preachers) were prevalent then and they still are. See Ezekiel 13.
He: Jerusalem
Perhaps some would accuse me of always "harping" on the doctrine of the Trinity, even when the Bible does not mention it. However, let me say this in my defence; I almost never bring up the doctrine of the Trinity unless the Trinitarians have first tried to make the Bible speak of it, where the Bible does not. Then I focus on it again, to prove that the given text does, in fact, not speak of the Trinity. Here is a case in point.
In the following verses notice that the "he" is the masculine pronoun denoting the city of Jerusalem. In Hebrew, as in many other languages, every noun is classified as either male or female. For example, in my native tongue, cars were called "she" and trucks were called "he". With grammar like that in mind, it is not at all surprising that a city could be called a "he". In his days (after Christ's return) Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. And this is His (Jerusalem's) name by which He (Jerusalem) shall be called, JEHOVAH, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 23:5-6.
In spite of the fact that the Barnes commentary is trinitarian in its outlook, the commentary writes, The name Yahweh our Righteousness was given to the righteous Sprout: here (in 23:6) it (that name) is given to Jerusalem. Jeremiah, in 33:16 applies the name, JEHOVAH, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, also to Jerusalem. Barnes. This is the same stance that Sir Anthony Buzzard takes. According to him in Hebrew the name reads, Jehovah, the righteousness of us.
Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and act wisely, and shall do judgment and justice in the earth. It is agreed that "righteous Branch" refers to Christ. Trinitarians jump on the chance to prove their point and say, Christ, will be called, JEHOVAH, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
In spite of the fact that the Barnes commentary is trinitarian in its outlook, the commentary writes, The name Yahweh our Righteousness was given to the righteous Sprout: here (in 23:6) it (that name) is given to Jerusalem. Jeremiah, in 33:16 applies the name, JEHOVAH, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, also to Jerusalem. Barnes. This is the same stance that Sir Anthony Buzzard takes. According to him in Hebrew the name reads, Jehovah, the righteousness of us.
Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and act wisely, and shall do judgment and justice in the earth. It is agreed that "righteous Branch" refers to Christ. Trinitarians jump on the chance to prove their point and say, Christ, will be called, JEHOVAH, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Barnes writes: Messiah is here called Yahweh. This puts Christ on the same level as "God, the Father". They have it wrong, it is not Christ who is called Jehovah, it is Jerusalem which, in the future will be called Jehovah, the righteousness of us. About this particular verse, Sir Anthony Buzzard writes: It is amazing how some clutch desperately; trying to prove the doctrine of the Trinity even where it is not to be found.
Even for those who insist that the name refers to Christ, notice how various Bibles translate this phrase, but in no case, is Christ called Jehovah:
- And this is the name by which he shall be called; The Lord, the Author of our happiness.”
- Dr. Blayney seems to follow the Septuagint; he translates thus, “And this is the name by which Jehovah shall call him, Our Righteousness.”
- In my old MS. Bible, the first English translation ever made, it is thus: And this is the name that thei schul clepen him: oure rigtwise Lord. (They shall call him: our righteous Lord.)
- Coverdale’s, the first complete English translation of the Scriptures ever printed, (1535), has given it thus: And this is the name that they shall call him: even the Lorde oure rightuous Maker. Clarke. In none of these translations does Jeremiah even come close to calling Christ, Jehovah.
False prophets
Jehovah says, Behold, I am against the prophets who use their tongues and say, He (the Lord) says. 23:31. Likely most of us have heard a televangelist or even a local preacher shouting out something like: Last night the Lord said to me. When, in fact, it was not the Lord's voice he heard; maybe it was the accountant's voice which said, ask for financial donations, we are running short of funds. The Lord says I am against the prophets who ... say, He says. False prophets (preachers) were prevalent then and they still are. See Ezekiel 13.
Then Jehovah said to me, What do you see, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs are very good, and the bad are very bad, so that they cannot be eaten, they are so bad. 24:3.
Next Jeremiah gives his listeners an object lesson. Like these good figs, so I will acknowledge the exiles of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. By becoming prisoners they saved their lives as Jeremiah had said they would.
And I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am Jehovah; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. For they shall return to Me with their whole heart. When Cyrus, king of Persia, allowed them to return to Israel.
And I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am Jehovah; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. For they shall return to Me with their whole heart. When Cyrus, king of Persia, allowed them to return to Israel.
And like the bad figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad; surely so says Jehovah, So I will give ... the rest ... who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt; I will even make them a ... proverb, a gibe and a curse, there in all places where I shall drive them. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the plague among them until they are destroyed from the land that I gave to them and to their fathers. 24:3-10
The Lord told Jeremiah to Stand in the court of Jehovah's house and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Jehovah's house. 26:2. He was to speak to the people who "go to church", those who gather in Jehovah's house.
They did not like what they heard, so they said to him, You shall surely die! However, before they could take action the rulers of the city came to intervene. And the priests and the prophets spoke to the rulers and to all the people, saying, Let a death sentence be for this man. 26:11. The priests and the prophets asked for a death sentence for Jeremiah because he had spoken the truth; truth they did not like to hear.
The Lord told Jeremiah to Stand in the court of Jehovah's house and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Jehovah's house. 26:2. He was to speak to the people who "go to church", those who gather in Jehovah's house.
They did not like what they heard, so they said to him, You shall surely die! However, before they could take action the rulers of the city came to intervene. And the priests and the prophets spoke to the rulers and to all the people, saying, Let a death sentence be for this man. 26:11. The priests and the prophets asked for a death sentence for Jeremiah because he had spoken the truth; truth they did not like to hear.
What is so sad about this is that the same scenario has repeated itself time and again throughout history. The priests and the religious leaders have incessantly clamoured for blood: eg.
It is absolutely amazing how many of the church's leaders, throughout history, have lost sight of the basic premise of Christianity: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!
- the crusades sanctioned by the popes;
- the Spanish Inquisition (Inquisición española), was established in 1478 by Catholic Monarchs;
- Michael Servetus (because he did not believe in the Trinity) - burned at the stake by John Calvin;
- John Huss - burned at the stake,
- etc, etc, with an almost endless list. Wikipedia.
It is absolutely amazing how many of the church's leaders, throughout history, have lost sight of the basic premise of Christianity: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!
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