What Does Jeremiah 23:34 Mean in the King James?
And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
“The burden of the LORD” names a weight someone claims to carry, and this verse places the claimant and his house under its weight.
THE MEANING
The verse places prophet, priest, and people under the same scrutiny: invoking the LORD’s burden does not shield the speaker from judgment. The consequence named here reaches both the person and the household.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
A sacred title or formula makes a claim immune from scrutiny.
THE ROOT
מַשָּׂא
massa
GROWS FROM
נשׂא
nasa
to lift, carry, or bear
מַשָּׂא (massa, “burden” or “oracle”) holds a carried weight and a spoken message together. Here, that weight does not certify divine origin: the person claiming to bear it becomes answerable for the claim.
ALSO GROWS
nasa: to lift, carry, or bear
נָשָׂא
This verb is the root’s basic sense: a burden is something carried, and the verse turns attention to the one claiming to carry the LORD’s message.
nasi: prince or leader; one raised up
נָשִׂיא
The word for a leader also grows from the sense of being lifted up, linking carried weight with the status someone holds.
THE PATTERN
A claim to speak with divine authority leaves its speaker answerable to God.
But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.THE THREAD
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.The same Hebrew noun מַשָּׂא (massa, “burden” or “oracle”) names the prophetic utterance here. Its use in both verses joins the weight of a message to the words someone claims to carry; in Jeremiah, the phrase itself does not shield its speaker.
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