ירמיהו, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ל״ה

When the people seek to discuss prophetic messages, they are instructed on the proper and respectful way to frame their conversations [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The guidance focuses specifically on how a person should address their friend when asking about divine communications.

The instructions present two distinct ways to ask about a message: inquiring about what God has answered, and asking what God has spoken. The primary approach among commentators is that these represent fundamentally different situations. An inquiry about God answering applies specifically to moments when the people have brought a question before Him through the prophet and are waiting for His response. Conversely, asking about what God has spoken refers to prophecies or messages that God initiated on His own, without any prior question from the people [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם].

However, another perspective suggests that there is no real difference between the two concepts. In this view, the idea of God answering does not imply a response to a specific question. Rather, it simply serves as a synonym for speaking, meaning both forms of inquiry are asking the exact same thing about what God has communicated [רד״ק].