Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Jeremiah · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
HEre for twelve verses together is nothing else but a relation, how the Lord commanded Jeremiah to take a linen Girdle, and having worne it a Vers. 1, 2, 3, &c. to V. 12.while to go and hide it by the river Euphrates at Babylon, and after a certain time to go and take it up out of the ground again, which he doing found it corrupted so, that it was good for nothing. Whereupon the Lord saith, That Israel was to him as a Girdle, which he had put near about his loins, the seat of his affections, to shew his great love unto that people, but whereas he expected to have had praise and glory from them, they contrariwise by their wickedness were so corrupted that he had now rejected them. All the question that can be moved here is, at what time this was done? Why the Lord would teach this by a Girdle, and whether Jeremiah did indeed, as it is here said, or spiritually and in vision only? Ierom thinks that it was done in the Hieron.dayes of Zedekiah when Nebuchadnezzar came against the Jews, and that therefore it could not be done indeed, but in vision, for want of time; and he thinketh it somewhat absurd, that he should indeed go so long a journey in a loose-garment girt to him amongst a people at so great enmity with the Jews to do this thing, as not being likely to be permitted by them. And this is also followed by Calvin, saying, that it is absurd to hold that it was done so Calvin.indeed, because to go to Euphrates, and come again, and after many dayes to go and come again, would require a long time, the journey being six hundred and eighty miles from Ierusalem to Babylon, where this river was, and Anathoth was within three miles of Ierusalem, so that it would require many moneths to do this, besides the time coming between one going, and another which is said to be At the end of many dayes, and this phrase, At the end of dayes, is commonly put for a year, as Gen. 4. therefore by these words, From the end of many dayes must be meant a year at the least, if not more, unlesse we shall hold that the dayes wherein this Girdle lay in the cleft of a rock there, were numbred as answering to the years that the Jews should continue in captivity, viz. seventy in all, which time they should lie in obscurity, putrifying and corrupting through manifold miseries. For so he seems to understand the hiding of this Girdle there, till it was corrupted, as significative of the Jews being carried thither, and detained there in misery. It is therefore saith he, spoken per hypotyposin after the manner of Rhetoricians who are wont to set forth things, as so or so done, the more lively to expresse that which they would, the more to affect the hearers. And of this kinde of teaching the Jews had need, by reason of their great stupidity and dulnesse of understanding. And if this had been really done so, it must be granted, that Jeremiah intermitted his Ministry all this time, which is improbable. Thus also Lyra and Vatablus. But the most learned of the Hebrew Expositors take it to have been really done, because the Lord set his Prophets not only to teach by word, but also by their actions for more evidence, so Isa. 20. he went naked, and Ezek. 4. 12. he ate the dung of beasts; the one to shew the naked carrying away of the Jews into Captivity; the other, the famine that should be amongst them, forcing them to eat most base food. Thus also Theodoret, Hugo, Theodor. Hugo. Th. Aquinas.Thomas Aquinas, Isidor. And if it were the Lords will that Jeremiah should go and do thus, and spend much time so, and till that he had done all this, did forbear any other prophesying, I see not any absurdity in it. For the time when this was done, from Chap. 3. 6. hitherto the time is not set down of his prophesying, but only there, In the dayes of Josiah. Only Chap. 21. mention is made of the time of Zedekiah, and Chap. 22. of Jehoiakin or Choniah, who reigned immediatly before him a very short time. But after Josiah before Jehoiakin was Jehoiakim an eleven years, and before Jehoiakim, Jehohaaz three moneths; and Chap. 1. without distinction of the times of the Kings reigns, it is generally said, in Josiah his time, anno 13. of his reign, and of Jehoiakim to the eleven years of Zedekiah. So that this must needs be either in Iosiah his time or Iehoiakims, not in Zedekiahs, as Jerom conjectureth, for of that there is no probability. For the thing taken, a linen Girdle, and that unwashed with water, hereby is meant one black and not whited nor smooth, but rough, and so without all beauty, and undecent and unpleasing to be worn: for a linen Girdle or any thing made of linen is first put in water, and then laid a whiting, and finally washed with lie and sope. But the Lord would not have this Girdle washed, but taken as it is first made, to shew, that the Jewish Nation when the Lord first chose it, was black by sinne, and nothing amiable, but by him taken and girt, as it were, to him, by that dear affection which he bare unto it, being by this election sanctified and made white and glorious before all the Nations round about, in expectation that it should be a glory and praise vers. 11. unto him, which the Church is, when she liveth in obedience to his Laws, but otherwise a dishonour and occasion of blaspheming his holy name, as it is said Rom. 2. Calvin saith, That the word may either be rendred linen Girdle or Breeches, such as the Priests sometime did wear; but it is generally taken for a Girdle, and so it best agreeth. For a linen Girdle signifieth chastity, as Pierius sheweth in his Hieroglyphicks both Pier. Hierogl. 40. Pausanius. Exod. 28.amongst the Hebrews, Greeks and Latins, and therefore the Virgins of the Trezenians being to marry, dedicated their Girdles to Pallas. And the Priests of the Jews must wear a linen Girdle in their ministration, to put them in minde of continency. Here a Girdle is an embleme of the chast love, wherewith God loved Israel, espousing that state only to himself, and requiring that it should likewise be knit in chast love unto him. But Israel contrariwise committed adultery by worshipping strange gods, for which he biddeth Ieremiah to go and carry this Girdle to Euphrates, and hide it in a cliff of a Rock there for many dayes, to shew the Captivity in the Countrey where Euphrates was, that is, into Babylon, shortly to come, where they should lie rotting, as it were, in basenesse and servility, and sinne together many years, so that if God should have dealt with them after their deservings, even those seventy years being expired, he might have left them still in misery, as a man leaves his rotten Girdle to become dung, but that for his mercies sake, and to magnifie his power he was pleased to bring them home again. Moreover a Girdle is an ensign of honour, being curiously wrought with gold and precious stones, for which Ionathan is said to have given his Girdle to David, and Isa. 22. that Eliakim should be girt with Shebnahs Girdle, and that all the glory of the house of David should be hanged upon him, and Revel. 1. Christ appears gloriously girt about with a golden Girdle. And in this sense it is added here, That thou mightest be unto me a glory and praise. 3. A Girdle is a military implement, for which it is said, Ephes. 6. Your loins girt about with the girdle of verity, which is when we are firm and stedfast in the truth; and Resist the devil stedfast in faith, 1 Pet. 5. 9. as the loins being girt with a Girdle are strengthned to travel. As Israel, so every faithfull person without any desert Note. on his part is dear to God, and is near to him, not as a leather or woollen Girdle above all our apparel, but a linen worn next the skin, as one saith Travellers were wont to sew some money into a linen Girdle, and put it next their skin, that there it might be hidden from thieves. But as God bears so dear an affection to the believer, so he expects reciprocal love again, and if we love him, that we should keep his Commandments, which will be to his glory, and if the believer doth thus, he shall be as his Girdle; but if not, to Euphrates he shall be carried to putrifie in his sins, after which the Lord will reject him, as being unusefull for him any more.
Every bottle shall be filled with wine. Having by the similitude of a Girdle Vers. 12.set forth the basenesse that the Jews should be brought unto, now he sheweth their destruction by another of bottles, wherein men put wine to carry to any place, viz. earthen bottles, which if when they be filled they be broken one against another, are good for nothing; yea much good wine is spilt by the means, and so they are worse then nought. In like manner he sheweth, that it should be to the chief of the Jews, Kings, Priests and Prophets, they should be filled with drunkennesse, and then be broken one against another, whereby he meaneth not the drunkennesse of wine, but by the spirit of errour, as is expressed Isa. 29. 9, whereby one should draw another on to ruine, by making one another secure against Gods judgements coming by the Caldees, whilst they would not believe Gods Prophets threatning them, but that they being Gods peculiar people, and having his Temple amongst them, and Sacrifices there continually to him offered, should be safe enough, notwithstanding all these menaces. For in the time whilst they were thus drunken, the Caldees coming destroyed them all, and their strength upon which they did bear themselves, proved no better then that of earthen bottles, being presently broken with a knock of one against another, although none other force be used. And thus he saith, They shall be broken and not spared, inculcating this for their stupidity three times over. And he doth not plainly bring a similitude from pots, but to stirre them up to more attention, he speaks at the first, as to give them occasion to ask, as wondering why he should tell them such a thing as this from the Lord, that all bottles shall be filled with wine. For hereupon they reply, who knoweth not this, what meanest thou to come to us with such a message. Then they being prepared he makes his application the more effectually, v. 13, 14.
Give glory to God before he makes it dark, and your feet stumble at the Mountains Vers. 16.of darknesse. That is, seeing the Lord threatens you with so great a judgment, and this shall certainly come, believe it, and fear before him, acknowledge his Power and Justice, as if execution were already done. Thus Iosh. 7. Achan is bidden to give glory to God, and to tell the truth, by acknowledging it to be so as he had by lot discovered, it being before hidden from all mortal eyes: but now by confessing what he had done so wickedly to provoke God, he meaneth, that he should give glory to his wisdom in finding out, and to his justice that would not suffer so foul to go unpunished. And in saying thus both there and here, it is intimated, that he doth not give glory to Note. God, but robs him of his due, that is not moved to fear at his threatning of judgements against his sins, as he is not that goeth on still therein, hardening himself against his terrible threatnings. He shall therefore undoubtedly perish that doth so, as wronging God in his chief Attribute, but he that by his threatnings is moved to believe and repent, giveth him glory and shall have mercy and pardon, and according to his promise, Him that honours me I will 1 Sam. 2.honour, he shall have glory and happinesse in heaven for ever. By the darknesse, which otherwise he threatneth, is meant misery, making a man fall, as one going in the dark stumbleth at the mountains, because in the dark he cannot see them, though never so great. And he nameth dark mountains, because where the ground lieth in their shadow it is dark sooner then in other places that be plain; so that in saying thus, he meaneth the coming of their miseries upon them very speedily. And whilst ye look for light he turn into the shadow of death, that is, when ye expect peace and prosperity, the sad calamities of warre come upon you.
The Cities of the South shall be shut up. That is, the Cities of Judah, which Vers. 19.lay South in regard of Caldea, shall be besieged and destroyed.
Where is the fleek that was given thee? That is, O Iudah, or King of Iudah, Vers. 20.to whom he spake vers. 18. where is the multitude of thy Subjects which were a glory unto thee? As it is said, The glory of a King is in the multitude of his Subjects, but where be they now, when this destruction is come out of the North Countrey Caldea amongst them? Verily it shall be dispersed and brought to nothing.
What wilt thou say, when he shall punish thee, for thou hast taught them to be Vers. 21.Captains? That is, when God shall punish thee by bringing the Caldeans against Iudah, for it shall be justly done when this shall come to passe, because thou hast taught them the way to come and exercise dominion over thee, that is, thou (O Iudah) first when Ahaz sent for the King of Assyria to come and help him against the King of Israel and Syria, Isa. 7. and secondly when Hezekiah shewed the Embassadours of Merodach Baladan, King of Babylon all his treasures in way of vain glory, hereby to tempt that people to come against Iudah to get so great a booty. For so the British Princes Vortiger and Vortimer first taught the Saxons to be Captains, and to get dominion here in England by falling out between themselves, whereupon the one to get the Crown from the other, sent for the Saxons to help him, and having learned to conquer, being also taken with the fertility of the Land, they gat it in possession, the Britains the old inhabitants being driven into Wales and places adjacent.
For the greatnesse of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare. The use of garments being to cover mans shamefull parts, as we may see Vers. 22.Gen. 3. it came into a Proverb, Thy skirts shall be discovered, when it is meant, Thou shalt be put to ignominy and shame; so the servants of David had their garments cut off by the buttocks by Hanun King of Ammonites, and when the enemy prevailed, he stript his Captives naked, and carried them away, 1 King. 10.as it is often threatned, that the Jews should be used by the Caldees. And this calamity is here set forth by their skirts being discovered, and heels made bare.
Can the Ethiopian change his skin. The skin of the Ethiopian is black, and Vers. 23.by no washing can be made white, so cannot one accustomed to live in sinne turn righteous. But by thus saying the Prophet meaneth not either that God cannot do it, where he meeteth not with reluctancy in mans will, for in this case he denieth that he can do it, Isa. 5. Matth. 23. 23. that is, according to that way, which he hath propounded to himself in dealing with sinners about their conversion, which is to move their wils inwardly by his Spirit, as outwardly by his Word; as that there is no free-will in man, as Calvin acknowledgeth, Calvin.but only that these Jews were more desperately enthralled to since by their long using of themselves thereunto; so as that there was now no hope of their conversion, or of their escaping the destruction threatned. Which should be a warning to us all to take heed of continuing in sinne, and Note. therefore the same day that we have sinned, to repent and break off from it again, as it is, To day harden not your hearts, for, Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum August.peccati.