Word of HaShem Will Have Many Meanings

Is not My word like as fire? Saith HaShem; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces.

Yirmiyahu 23.29

Why does God Liken His Words like a Fire? Why Does God Liken His Word into a Hammer?

As Fire can strike everything into ashes and a hammer can break a rock into pieces, so that the Words of HaShem will yield many meanings, just like rock been hit with a hammer, it split into pieces.

Why a Hammer and not rock God Has Liken its words to?

The reason is this, the words of God is the Hammer, and the rock is our understanding.

As the 'Hammer' strikes the 'rock', our understanding, will split as in one will perceives it as such and such and the other will perceive it as such and such. However, the pieces are just original fragments from the rock, each are legitimate account of the true 'rock'.

Thus the the Words of God is an instrument, an instrument for us to interpret in a numbers of legitimate ways (of course there are rules toward this). This is the account for the Midrashic Teaching.

However, this verse also has another meaning viz.

God is Telling the Prophets of the Danger and Awesome Power of Prophecy. Prior to this, God is rebuking the false prophets that talk falsely.

However, Rabbinically speaking, this verse yields its meaning as I have expounded above.

This is the reason why sometimes you will see many a time, a sentence from the Torah can be interpreted in such and such manner. Words of God usually have several layers of meaning i.e. the literary layer, the metaphorical layer, the spiritual layer, as well as the wisdom layer, usually referred to as Chassidut.

I might be wrong though so do consult a Rabbi that is authorised to interpret this, if I am wrong, do tell me! This article serves as a spark for you to gain more insight, a spark for you to get moving in your right path. :-)

Shalom.