Jeremiah 23:33 - Exposition

What burden ? etc. The Hebrew text, as usually read, is extremely difficult; the Authorized Version is entirely unjustifiable. It is just possible to explain, with Ewald, "As to this question, What is the burden? the true meaning of the word is that," etc. But how harsh and artificial! By a change in the grouping of the consonants (which alone constitute the text), we may read, Ye are the burden . So the Septuagint, Vulgate, Hitzig, Graf, Payne Smith. We must in this case continue, and I will cast you off , as the same verb is to be rendered in Jeremiah 7:29 ; Jeremiah 12:7 . Instead of carrying you with the long-suffering of a father ( Deuteronomy 1:31 ; Isaiah 46:3 , Isaiah 46:4 ; Isaiah 63:9 ; Psalms 28:9 ), I will east you off as a troublesome load ( Isaiah 1:14 ).