Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Jeremiah · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
HEnce the Prophet is bidden by another sign, to declare that which he had Vers. 1.prophesied of the evil death whereby they should die that were of the Land of Judea, viz. by not taking a wife there, nor begetting children, because the people of that Land should die miserably, and their dead bodies should be as dung upon the earth. It is impertinent here, either to question whether Jeremy were not marryed already, or it be hereby intimated, that a single life is commended to Prophets. It is most probable, that he was not, for if he had, this prohibition should not have been needfull, seeing he would not have taken another wife doubtless, when he had one living. For although Polygamy was practised by other men in those dayes, even by Abraham, and Jacob occasionally and for a mysticall signification, yet it was not by any other Prophet, but rather condemned, Mal. 2. 15. And what a weak argument were this, God forbad Ieremy to take a wife, and beget Children in a Land being now ready to be destroyed, therefore it is his will, that Prophets should take none, but lead a single life? It doth rather shew, that such as well as other men were commonly left to their own liberty for this matter; and now to restrain from the liberty given by God, is a thing that cometh from a contrary spirit, that is, the Devil, as is plainly taught, 1 Tim. 4. 1.
Enter not into the house of mourning, for mourning Hebr. is foreign signifying, Vers. 5.either mourning, or a mourning Feast made for the dead, to which Friends being called, the Friends of the dead did somewhat lighten their sorrow by their company, and to this agree the words of v. 7. Neither shall men give them the cup Vers. 7. Calvin.of consolation to drink for their Father or Mother. And Calvin observes from some passages in Tully, that Feasting was used amongst the Romans at burials to put away sorrow, and to procure mirth, as who did think their dead friends to be now taken into the number of the gods. And Ierom saith, It was the manner in Hieron.mourning at Funerals both amongst the Greeks and Latines, to make Feasts called by the Greeks foreign, by the Latines Parentalia, because they were made, when they buried fathers or mothers, and Prov. 31. 6. It it said give wine to them that mourn. Of this also see Tob. 4. 18. Of this also Perseus, Pliny, Lucian, Pollux, and Herodotus write: the Vulg. Lat. therefore renders it, go not into the house of feasting. But this is improper, and if it be so rendred, the same thing is forbidden twice, for vers. 8. he saith, go not into the house of Feasting, as opposing that to this, and speaking so both here, and there, as that he plainly meaneth contrary things: wherefore this is better expounded by mourning, or Feasting made to lenify mourning in respect of the dead. And the reason was, because, as followeth in the next words, they that died should not be buryed, but lye partly for a prey to Beasts, and fowls, and partly for dung upon the earth, as was said before, therefore to shew before, that such doings, as had been used at burials, and were still used, should cease, he must not come to any place upon such occasions. For hereby he made a more full Declaration of that which he spake by word of mouth, that the deeper impression might be made by that which they saw in him, of their miserable case, when every ones own sorrow, that lived still, should be so great for his own sufferings and dangers, as that none should intend Funerall rites any more, as they had used to do, not doing any more like men, but as bruit Beasts suffering dead corpses to lie here and there, to rot upon the ground without any burying or lamenting them, as men of all Countreys, and Nations used to do; whereas he addeth, that they should not pluck off their hair or cut themselves, he doth not hereby approve such doings out of passion Levit. 21. 1.and extremity of sorrow, for it is forbidden, as heathenish; but because they probably did so, as well as idolize after the manner of the heathen.
Neither shall tear themselves in mourning to comfort them for the dead; Vulg: neither shall break bread to him that mourneth, to comfort him over the dead. Hebr. Vers. 7.They shall not break to them upon the mourning, or the mourner, to which it is to be thought, that bread is to be supplyed, because the next words are, neither shall they drink to him the cup of consolation, neither doth the word foreign signifie tearing, but breaking cutting or dividing, and of cutting and tearing their hair enough was said before vers. 6. And forsomuch as at Funerals Feasts were made to mitigate sorrow, as hath been said, and this was used amongst the Jews, how can we expound the word breaking, more aptly, then by breaking bread, and giving, and moving the sorrowfull friends of the dead to eat, that through grief had already fasted too long, according to Lucian, speaking of Funerall rights, and saying, After all these, a Funerall Supper remaineth; and now friends are present to comfort the Parents of the dead, and they perswade them to take meat, although they be unwillingly in a manner forced unto it, albeit through a three dayes fast, almost killed with famine. And this exposition is confirmed further by the next words of drinking to them, whereas if it be expounded, tearing themselves, here would be no congruity. And of Feasting at Funerals both Clemens makes mention amongst Christians, and Clem. lib. 8. Const. 24. Chrys. Hom. 37. in Math.Chrysostom also.
Neither go into the house of Feasting, that is, hereby to shew, that their Feastings, and merry meetings shall soon have an end, when all things should by their enemies be brought to ruine, as is declared vers. 9. Whereby we may gather, that when sin abounds in a Land, and Judgements therefore approach Note. or even begin to seise upon it, God would not have Feastings at such times, and if there be, the faithfull ought like Jeremiah to refrain from going to them, least men be hereby blinded from seeing the evils hanging over their heads, and so remain secure, and hardened in their sins, all care and sorrow being drowned in cups and good chear, see Isa. 22. 12. Here is shewed, that when Vers. 10.the Prophet should so severely threaten the wicked Jews, they should with a brazen face ask what their great sins were, for which they should be thus punished, as who should say, Thou dost us wrong, we are not so notoriously faulty as thou wouldst make the world beleeve. For this is the manner of hypocrites, what fowl sins soever they live in, to justifie themselves and have indignation at the Preacher, who reproveth them; but in such the way to repentance is dammed up, their case is desperate.
Because your Fathers have forsaken me, and ye have done worse. Here is a double reason of Gods judgements now coming. 1. The Lord was long ago Vers. 11.provoked by their fathers, which were enough to make him full of wrath against them: for he threatens to visit the sins of the Fathers, upon the Children to the third and fourth generation. 2. They did worse, both because not only their own sins, but their Fathers were together looked upon in them, forasmuch as they tread in their steps, and so made them their own, and also because they had more Prophets to instruct, admonish and presse them to do well, as is intimated in the last words of vers. 12. That they might not hearken Vers. 13.to me. Therefore he threatens to carry them into a land, that they knew not, and that there they should serve other gods, that was, into Caldea, the inhabitants whereof were idolaters, and the Jews being made their servants were by them made to serve their idols by doing all servile offices about them, as the Gibeonites were sometime made to serve the servants of the true God by Josh. 9.being hewers of wood, and drawers of water, to all the congregation: and in this work the Caldees should work them day and night without all mercy, to the wasting of their bodies, and wearing out of their strength, and haply sometimes by sacrificing their children, which would be a great grief unto them. For to serve other gods would not otherwise have been counted so grievous a punishment, sith they did this voluntarily at home, acted, preferred it before serving of the true God, but then, when they should be compelled to do it in baseness and toyl, in derision and hunger, thirst and nakedness, being under the whip also, as the Turks gally-slaves, they should find it to be an intollerable servitude, and so grow to a loathing of their service, repenting that they were so besotted, for such cruell gods, as they proved to them, and helpless to save them from this captivity, to forsake the gracious & true God of their fathers, who had alwayes been so beneficent unto them; a like threatning to which was used to Rehoboam, when he cryed to the Lord against the King of Egypt, that he should be brought into subjection by him, that he might know the difference betwixt serving him, and other gods. Or it may be conceived, that however the Jews now served other gods, yet being smitten and brought to so great misery, and finding no help from the gods which they served, they then changed their minds, and resolved not to serve them any more, but were Note. by their imperious enemies compelled to vex their Souls the more. And so sin was punished in the kind, that abomiuation which they had chosen they being now prostituted unto, even to the wearing of them, and the encrease of their misery.
Therefore the dayes come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, &c. That is, because the miseries of the Jews shall be far greater, in Vers. 14.their Babylonish captivity, then the misery of their fathers in Egypt, forsomuch as this shall not only be corporeall, but spirituall; for they shall be left to sink, as it were, into the gulph of all abominations, in serving other gods, as vers. 13. when they shall herefrom be delivered, the benefit shall be counted so great, that hereby the memory of that out of Egypt shall be drowned, and lie under oblivion, never to be spoken of any more; but this shall be remembred and God shall be praised for it throughout all generations. And under this deliverance that by Jesus Christ is also pointed at, whereby a perfect deliverance is made not only from idolatry, and that base servitude, but from all sin, which whosoever liveth in, is the servant of sin. And this appeareth Joh. 8. 44.further, Chap. 23. 6, 7, 8. where the same words are used again, and this deliverance is expresly saith to be by the righteous branch and King raised up to David, vers. 5. wherefore Jerom is for this, and after him Rabanus and Hugo. Hieron. Raban. Isidor.And Isidor without taking in the deliverance from the Babylonish captivity, reasoneth strongly to prove it to be a prophecie, not of that deliverance, but only of the deliverance by Christ. 1. Because it is said to be so great, that it should obscure the deliverance out of Egypt; but such was not that out of Babylon, if we compare them together: for in Egypt they were longer, viz. above 200. years, in Babylon but seventie, out of Egypt they were delivered in a more wonderfull manner by prodigies and miracles, in spight of the King; from Babylon not: and being brought out of Egypt they were made a free people, but when out of Babylon they continued under the Persian Kings; Again, when they were brought out of Babylon they kept the Passeover still, even till the time of the destruction of the Temple. in remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt, whereas is said here that this should be no more be spoken of. Lastly because a clause is here added, into a Land which he gave for inheritance to your Fathers, and from all countreys, whereas Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, their Fathers, never had it given them, but only promised and therefore bringing again into Judea cannot be meant, neither were they carried into all Countreys, but into Babylon; yet some take it as a prophecie only of deliverance from the Babylonish captivity, as Cald. Theod. Tho. Aquin. &c. Against whom most of the reasons before going are very strong. Neither do the words so well agree Ca…d. Par. Theod. Lyra. Dionys. Vatabl.to that of Isidor, seeing that when the Jews came to be delivered by Christ, they shall be no more delivered from the north, then from other parts of the World, where they are scattered. But to the first exposition all things do excellently agree, both deliverances being here understood together, that out of Babylon from the north, and that by Christ from all parts towards the end of the World, according to Rom. 11. where it is shewed, that the Jews shall not alwayes continue in infidelity, but be again graffed in and saved. Calvin alone here stands against all others, denying these words to be Propheticall, Calvin.only he saith, that their deliverance is obliguly touched upon, but who so shall look into vers. 15. shall find it plainly prophesied of, for it is said, I will bring them again into the Land, that I gaveunto their Fathers, which words are peculiar to their return from Babylon, and not pertinent to their deliverance by Christ, which when it shall be wrought, it is not necessary hence to hold, that they shall be brought out of all Countreys to inhabit the Land of Canaan again, seeing the Apostle Paul, that speaks most of it, saith nothing of this, but only of their conversion. I will send for many fishers, and they shall Vers. 16.fish them. This hath been against all sense and reason drawn by many ancient expositours to the Apostles, because the Lord saith, I will make you fishers of men, as by Ierom, August. tract. 10. de util, jeiunij, Origen hom. 12. in Ieron. Tertul. lib. 4. advers. Marcion. cap. 9. Ambr. in Psa. 118. For this is not spoken in way of comfort, but of terror. Having interlaced something consolatory, vers. 14. 15. for the faithfuls sake, now he prosecutes the matter before in hand, shewing how he would carry them into a strange Land, viz. by sending fishers, and hunters, that is, the Caldees, to whom they should be but as fishes to the fisher, taken in nets without resistance, and as conies running into holes, or Foxes, whom the hunters pursuing thither, ferit them or dig them out. So that hereby is meant, that not only such, as appeared, but even they that hid themselves under coverts, as fishes under water, or beasts in burrowes, or in woods, should be found out and carryed away to suffer, as was before threatned. Thus Theod. Hugo, Lyra, Vatabl. Ezek. 12. Theod. Hugo. Lyra.13. It is said, I will stretch over him my net, see also 2 King. 25. 4. Habac. 1. 14. and to this Calvin also agreeth. And this is confirmed further, vers. 17. Because mine eyes are upon all their wayes, they are not hid from my face.
And first, I will recompense their sin double. These words have reference to the Vers. 18.promise made vers. 14. as if he had said, I will bring them again into their own Land, but first I will by bringing fishers and hunters against them, recompense their sin double, where by double he meaneth both by fishing and hunting them, not double to their deserts: see the like threatning before Isa. 40. 1. 61. 1. Hieron.Jerom will have by double meant, double to the punishments of other people, because they had more means, or according to their double sinning in word and in deed, or against God and their neighbour. Isidor, because their sin was Isidor.double to their Fathers, sith their Fathers and theirs were now looked upon together. Some as Levit. 26. he threatneth punishment sevenfold, that is, abundance of punishment: they have defiled my Land with the carkases of abominable things, that is, sacrifices offered to idols, for as sacrifices offered to God, such Calvin, yields a sweet smell unto him, so those that are offered to Calvin.idolds stink, and the bodies of beasts killed for that purpose are stinking and abominable.
My Lord and refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee. Having prophesied, vers. 14. of the conversion of the Jews, after their abundant Vers. 19.punishment, now for greater comfort he prophesieth also of the Gentiles conversion, whereby a far greater increase shall be made of spirituall Jews and so of Abrahams seed. And in preparing to speak of this he calleth God his fortresse and refuge in affliction, speaking in the name of the faithfull Jewes, as if he had said, Thou wilt certainly be a refuge for us to come unto in all one sufferings before threatned, for even the Gentiles from one end of the world to another shall come unto thee, and be saved, therefore we thy first born and eldest sons much more. The beleevers of the Jews and Gentiles making one Church, over which God would be the Protectour, is here intimated. And when this should be, he sheweth, that they should see into their vanity in Vers. 20. 21.serving other gods and abhor from it, from thenceforth acknowledging and worshipping one only true God.