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The Doom of Shemaiah Foretold
Jeremiah's letter to the men in exile had evidently caused a great stir among the false prophets in Babylon, who had predicted a speedy termination of the exile. Accordingly, one of their number promptly sent letters to Jerusalem, in the endeavor to stir up the inhabitants of the capital against Jeremiah. But the Lord, in turn, gave His servant the command to proclaim His punishment upon the man who interfered with His commands.
v. 24. Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah, the Nehelamite, a false prophet not mentioned elsewhere, saying,
v. 25. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name, without any authority from the Lord, unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, the priest, the so-called "second priest," or substitute for the high priest, and to all the priests, saying,
v. 26. The Lord hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada, the priest, who was then in exile in Babylon, that ye should be officers in the house of the Lord, men charged with keeping order throughout the Temple-grounds and buildings, for every man that is mad, the inspired prophets often being charged by their enemies with being possessed with a spirit of madness, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks, as Pashur had done with Jeremiah in his day, 20:2.
v. 27. Now, therefore, why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you? He boldly accuses Zephaniah of a gross neglect of duty in not arresting Jeremiah and making it impossible for him to commit further damage.
v. 28. For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long; build ye houses and dwell in them; and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them. Cf v. 5.
v. 29. And Zephaniah, the priest, read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah, the prophet, probably with the object of making him acquainted with the machinations of the false prophets in Babylon.
v. 30. Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying,
v. 31. Send to all them of the captivity, to counteract the activity of Shemaiah, saying. Thus saith the Lord concerning Shemaiah, the Nehelamite, Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie, his message being a falsehood from beginning to end, without the slightest foundation of divine truth,
v. 32. therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will punish Shemaiah, the Nehela-mite, and his seed, his children. He shall not have a man to dwell among this people, his family was to die out very soon, neither shall he behold the good that I will do for My people, saith the Lord, namely, when, at His word, they would repent of their wicked ways, because he hath taught rebellion against the Lord. False teachers not only bring condemnation upon their own souls by their false teaching, but they also transgress against the honor of the true God, who, therefore, will not let them go unpunished.