THEOSISJerome of Stridon
The Hebrew term massa, as rendered by Aquila as "burden," refers to a sense of heaviness, which is also reflected in the translations by Simmachus, the Septuagint, and Theodotion. In contexts where the Lord pronounces threats accompanied by toil, labor, and unbearable weight, it is described as "heaviness." Conversely, when the Lord offers promises of goodness or follows threats with assurances of better outcomes, the term shifts to "vision" or "the word of the Lord." From the titles used in prophecy, one can discern whether the message carries heaviness or offers a vision from God.
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The prophets often communicated sorrowful tidings to a sinful nation, warning them of impending judgement in hopes of leading them toward repentance. Yet, the merciful and gracious Lord postponed the day of reckoning for an extended period. This led the people, misled by the false prophets, to believe that divine threats would not come to pass. They began to mock, treating the serious warnings as trivial jokes, addressing the prophets with derision: "Again, this one sees the weight and burden of the Lord!"
As a result, prophecy lost its noble designation of "vision" and became synonymous with ridicule, being referred to instead as a burden and heaviness. Thus, the Lord instructed that if any individual—whether prophet, priest, or common person—were to inquire of Jeremiah about the nature of this burden from the Lord, he should respond that they themselves embody the burden, as the Lord would take them up, cast them down, crush, and destroy them. Should any prophets, priests, or people dare to label the prophetic vision as a burden from the Lord, the Lord declared He would visit that individual and their household, bringing lasting destruction upon them.
Everyone should communicate what the Lord has revealed, rather than dismiss the old declarations as trivial. The weight of the Lord shall not be trivialized or taken lightly, for every person's words and deeds will be held accountable, as written: "By thy mouth thou shalt be justified, and by thy mouth thou shalt be condemned."