Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Jeremiah · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
RƲn to and fro in the streets of Jerusalem; That it might appear to all the world that God was not more severe to the Jews in judging them, as Vers. 1.hath been before said, then they deserved; he here laieth open the universal overspreading of sinne in the holy City Jerusalem, where it was chiefly to be expected, that there should be some executing judgement, that is, walking exactly according to the rules of righteousness, and seeking the truth, that is, of an upright heart void of deceit and falsood in their speeches, but there was not a man, no not one such. And to shew that there was not one, he useth so many words, Go to and fro, search and enquire. If it be said, How can this be true, when as besides Jeremiah himself there was Baruch and Obedmelech Calv.that are spoken of; and it is not to be doubted but there were some others, though very few? Calvin answers, That the few righteous which were there, are to be considered apart from the body of the City against which the judgements of God were before denounced, and that which is here spoken, as against that body only, consisting of the King, his Counsellours, Priests, common People and false Prophets, who were many thousands, but not one righteous amongst them all. And he saith further, as speaking of a ground of this distinction, that Isa. 8. 16. Seal the Law, binde the Testimony for my Disciples, doth plainly make this distinction; To the righteous who are Gods Disciples, this is not spoken, but they being set apart; and then the multitude considered, who were before threatned, that which is here said is to be understood of them. But against this it may well be said, If the righteous be considered apart that were in Jerusalem, that which is here said by way of challenge is spoken in vain, beeing that if every righteous person be put by in any place, it will be manifestly lost-labour to search amongst others, though never so many, for one righteous man. Leaving this therefore, let us see what answers are brought by us. Isidor saith, It is hyperbolical. Lyra, that Isidor. Lyra. Hierouym.by one, a few are meant. But Jerom best, by one man understands one man of eminency for his standing for Judgement and Truth, and by his authority endeavouring to suppresse the contrary. For so the word foreign Ish here used is commonly put, as Exod. 15. 3. Judg. 7. 14. Psal. 4. 3. Psal. 48. 3. Isa. 46. 11, &c. of which see Chrysostom more fully, Hom. 23. in Gen. Ezek. 22. 30. I have Chrysost.sought a man that might stand in the gap, whereupon he saith, Such a man is to be understood as retaineth the image of God safe, and is most virtuously disposed; and Jerom, A man like Moses, Aaron or Samuel; Likewise upon Isa. 50. 2. I came and there was not a man, yet a man here spoken of, is not so to be understood, as if none but a man of authority were meant: for the contrary appeareth vers. 4. I said, these are poor and understand not the judgement of the Lord: Therefore this search is first made amongst the common sort, there was not a man amongst them to be found, as he also sheweth that there was not amongst the nobler, v. 5. There were a very few haply besides Jeremiah and Baruch, that for their piety should themselves be saved, but not a man of zeal and courage as Phineas, that by opposing sin in others might stop the course of Gods judgments according to his power. Jeremiah indeed and Baruch sought to do it, but they stood now as representing God, who challenged all the rest, as hath been said. And this challenge was necessary to vindicate the Lord from severity, and more harshness towards his own people, then towards the Sodomites, whom he would have spared, if in that City there had been ten righteous, for that being the least number that he then condescended to, now he goeth lower to the Jerusolymitans, If there be but one man, I will spare it, that executeth judgement, seeking by all means that he can to stop the course of sin, and seeking the truth, by encouraging hereunto, and against falshood and deceit.
Although they say, The Lord liveth, surely they swear falsly. Heb. foreign Therefore, Vers. 2.or for this they swear falsly; Whereby he doth not only tax their hypocrisie in speaking after the manner of the most godly, The Lord liveth, as was prescribed Chap. 4. 1. but also their horrible prophaning of the Lords name, in swearing falsly thereby to deceive others, that upon their sayings thus believe them, but after finding them false are moved to blaspheme this holy name, if vengeance be not taken on them with speed. Thus Calvin. But we Calvin.may more briefly take the sense thus, Although they say, The Lord liveth, whereby they may be conceived by men not to be so bad, yet they are most wicked; and this their saying addeth to their wickedness, for by reason of this outward shew of piety, they imbolden themselves to commit this foul sin of perjury, thinking to passe for a godly people notwithstanding, seeing they swear not by Idols, but by the living God, as Gods people are commanded to do.
O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, &c. Having Vers. 3.discovered their hypocrisie and false-confidence in a shew of piety, now he turns from them, as unworthy to be spoken to any more, to the Lord, that they might be the more moved to be ashamed, and being brought hereby to know their vanity in doing as was before said, be stirred up to repent. For although they might deceive men, they could not deceive God, whose eyes pierce into the secrets of mens hearts, looking therefore that his servants should speak nothing with their tongues but what is in their hearts, when they swear by him, 1 Sam. 16. 16.
Wherefore a Lion out of the forest shall stay them, and a Wolf of the evenings. Vers. 6.Having searched and found none righteous either amongst the common people or the nobles, vers. 4, 5. now he returns to threaten them again, as Chap. 4. 13. where a Lion is spoken of, but here both a Lion, Wolf and Leopard, whereby one and the same destroyer is most commonly understood, viz. Nebuchadnezzar, with whose coming, as by a terrible judgement out of the North he threatned them, Chap. 1. and so continueth to do throughout his Prophecie. Others understand him by the Lion, the Persian Monarchy by the Wolf, and the great Emperour of Grecia Alexander by the Leopard, as he is set forth Dan. 7. But the first is the best, one Nebuchadnezzar was all these unto them, destroying and tearing them in pieces, as if all the beasts of the forest had broken in amongst them, or found them out of the City. But to set forth the divers Nations which came with him, he mentioneth not only a Lion, but a Wolf and Leopard also, for the Assyrians and Edomites, infest enemies of the Jews, assisted him in making this cruel destruction. A Wolf is called the Wolf of the evenings, because that having gotten no prey all day, he is very hungry in the evening, and sets upon whatsoever he can finde most eagerly.
How should I pardon thee for this, thy children have for saken me, and sworn by Vers. 7.them that are no gods. Here he makes them Judges, whether or no they were adjudged to such punishments, as are before-threatned; For here are two such grosse sins, Idolatry and adultery laid to their charge, that no man can say, but that what punishments soever they should suffer, they were justly dealt withall, because the Lord is the great Judge of all the world, and if he should suffer such to go unpunished, or lightly punished after long waiting with patience for their repentance in vain, he should not be just, which were to his great dishonour. By swearing by other gods is meant, ascribing to them omniscience, power to revenge for perjury, and justice doing to every one according to his deserts, and whoso doth thus by any creature makes a god of him. For their adultery, he saith, when he had fed them full, they assembled together in harlots houses, hereby is denoted the greatest impudency in going about this sin that might be, because adulterers commonly go secretly about this foul wickedness, but they in companies, as not being any whit ashamed of it, with the like to which they are charged, Isa. 3. 9. hereby is also set forth the commonness of that sin amongst them. And in setting this forth there is in Heb. an elegant Paranomasie, in the word swearing and filled, the one being Jeshbagna, the other Eshbagn.
Go ye up upon the wals and destroy, but make not a full end. See the like speech Vers. 10.Chap. 4. 27. and here again vers. 18. it is understood by some, as if it were meant that all the people should not be destroyed, but a remnant saved, but by others better, That when they had suffered the things before-spoken of, more miseries were yet by the Jews to be expected from their enemies, as indeed it came to passe when their City being destroyed they were carried into Babylon, where their sufferings were greater and long-lasting, and although they that would returned home again at the end of seventy years, yet their sufferings were not at an end, but they were alwaies after under heathen Kings, many of whom did most cruelly persecute them, and tyrannize over them. The word foreign here used, fignifieth a consumption, but it is often put for an end also. Take away her battlements, for they are not the Lords, Vulg. Her offsprings, as if children were hereby meant, and that they should not be spared, Septuagint Props, or Basis, or Bulwarks. The word signifieth properly offsprings, but metaphorically it is put for pins of wals, and it agreeth best to some defensible buildings more prominent then the wals affixed to them to keep off enemies, because he spake before of their going up upon the wals. And in bidding go up, and take away, he doth most aptly meet with their vain confidence in these things, for by reason of them they thought their City safe enough from any enemy. They are not the Lords, that is, for sin God hath cast off the care of them, and will no more defend them.
They have belied the Lord, and said, It is not he. Here he chargeth them with Vers. 12.the height of all wickedness, that is, with Atheism, for it is as much, as if he had objected against them that they said, The Lord is not God, for in the Hebrew it is, He is not, and of this sinne do all make themselves guilty that are not moved by the threatning of his judgements to repentance; for hereupon Jeremiah gathereth against the Jews, that they falsly denied God, and not without good reason, because such say, either he is not omniscient, or not omnipotent, or not just to do as he hath said, and to deny him to be any of these, is to deny him to be God, and to belie him.
The Prophets are winde, the word is in them, so shall it be done to them. Vers. 13. Calv.Calvin, The last words here are the words of the hard-hearted and unbelieving Jews; as if they had said, The Prophets threaten us with the sword and famine, but we think them vain in so doing, we will therefore requite them with the like, as they say to us, so we to them, These evils that they threaten shall come upon them, as soon as upon us. Lyra better, Because they so Lyra.sleight the Prophets comminations, it shall be so to them, as here followeth, and as went before also, they shall certainly be destroied by these judgements. Vatablus expounds it of false prophets, as the threatning of Jeremiah against Vatabl.them for keeping the people by their false prophesying from repentance, but he saith, their prophesying is vanity, and so it shall be done therefore to them. But because he is inveighting against the wicked in this respect, that they put the lie upon him when he threatned them v. 12. it is most probable, that he goeth on here to shew how they sleighted his Prophets, for which they are threatned again, as hath been already said.
I will put my words in thy mouth as fire, and they shall be as stubble. That is, Vers. 14.According to thy Word they shall be destroied, as the stubble is by the fire; and when this shall come to passe, it shall appear, that thy words were not winde, and to be despised, but that theirs were such, being no more able to stand against thine, then the Inchanters rods in Egypt against the rod of Moses, but were devoured thereby.
A Nation most ancient. For such were the Caldees having continued ever Vers. 15.since Nimrod, and accustomed to subdue such as they warred upon, and therefore they could not but expect to be subdued also by them. And he addeth, Of a language not understood, to shew that they should in vain crave to be spared by them, for they should not one understand another.
Yet I will make an end. A like speech to this see before c. 4. 27. expounded.Vers. 18.
Vers. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. He presseth the same further upon them, and by reasoning from this almighty power shewed in ruling the raging sea, seeks to strike the fear of the Lord into them.
Your iniquities have turned away these things. He spake vers. 24. of rain and Vers. 25.seasonable times given by God to move them to fear and serve him, now he sheweth, that when it is otherwise, no rain falleth, or it cometh down immoderately, sin is the cause of it, the force thereof reacheth up to heaven, and thus troubleth the course of nature. And in particular the sin of craft and cruelty in circumventing men, and craftily getting their estates from them, as 26, 27.if a trap were set to take them. And by this means they growing rich thought themselves most happy, v. 26.
The Prophets prophesie falsly, and the Priests bear rule by their means, &c. To prepare to this, he saith vers. 30. An horrible thing is committed. For what Vers. 31could be more horrible in the City Jerusalem, where the Temple and chief Priests were continually to direct the people aright, then that there should be false Prophets, and those countenanced by the said Priests. But he toucheth upon the cause, in saying, The Priests fill their hands by their means, as the words properly signifie, that is, of their false prophesying made advantage to increase their worldly wealth, which is when false prophets by their prophesying magnifie the Priests, as the men by being liberal to whom, and submitting themselves to be rule by them, they shall provide for their everlasting good, and be temporally blessed also. For if the people be once perswaded of this, they will think nothing too much to give unto them, and so they shall be greatly inriched, and if they be not ruled by them, they think that much misery attendeth them. Such false prophets for the Priests were the Pharisees, Matth. 15. saying, Corban; and the Friers for the Pope, for which they were wont to say, that their four Orders were the four-wheeled chariot, wherein the Pope was drawn about in such pomp. And not unlike to these are those flattering prophets of our times, that magnifie Subjects in Authority, as if all power were in their hands, whereby so great gain cometh in unto them, and they lord it over their brethren and fellows, as Kings, imprisoning and divers waies punishing them that dare to gainsay this their unlimited power. For that which was then done to the Priests is now done to men in high Authority in the Commonwealth; but to the poor Priests contrariwise, they are pulled down every where from that which of right belongs unto them, and despised and trodden under foot. But ye may thank your selves, that in your prosperity were so proud, covetous and domineering over the Lords heritage, and take this as a judgement of God coming upon you to correct these abominable vices. And will ye do in the end thereof? That is, when the City shall be destroyed, and all your wealth taken away, and ye made miserable captives to your savage and mercilesse enemies. A good warning to all in the condition Note. before-spoken of, in time to repent, that they may be saved from so horrible a destruction hanging over their heads for such horrible things doing, as vers. 30.