Jeremiah 23:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In the realm of deceitful prophets, Jerusalem witnessed devastation. According to the Hebrew translation, they were 'mixed'—that is, they spread no truth and spoke only words driven by ambition. This is likened to the false prophets of Samaria, who, despite their appearances of order with altars, calf worship, and other visible righteousness, acted out of lawlessness. However, these deceivers exceeded their predecessors in wickedness. They failed to instill the reverence of God in the hearts of their audience, erasing any motivation for self-improvement and keeping all people entrenched in sin. Furthermore, those who were bound did not merely refrain from guiding individuals to abandon their wrongful deeds but rather encouraged them to thrive in wickedness. Who could remain unmoved by such injustice? The view of the earth is as distressing and horrifying as a completely charred body. In ancient Greek translations, it is often rendered as 'the prophetess.'

The prophet and the priest are rendered impure... In the prophets of Samaria, I witnessed deceit: they prophesied in the name of Baal and misled my people. Furthermore, in the prophets of Jerusalem, I observe foolishness, infidelity, and those who live in deception; they all engage in betrayal and are united as a cohort of deceivers... extending their hands to their allies during times of hardship.

He observed not only among the assemblies of heretics but also within the prophets of Jerusalem, who serve as the teachers of the Church, an alarming reality: a multitude of individuals who distort the Word of God and tread the path of deceit, adhering to the falsehoods propagated by heretics, empowering those who commit evil, compounding their own offenses with additional wrongdoings, and leading astray those entrusted to their guidance, ultimately to ruin. Those who engage in such practices should not think themselves free from consequence. They, along with those they align themselves with, will face a fate reminiscent of Sodom, and all who dwell with them without separation will be akin to Gomorrah. Thus, let the wicked teachings thrive as long as they find favor; let the prophets of Jerusalem boast of their triumph through deception and their fortification of evildoers: their end will mirror that of Sodom and Gomorrah.