@Jer 11:1-23. EPITOME OF THE COVENANT FOUND IN THE TEMPLE IN JOSIAH'S REIGN. JUDAH'S REVOLT FROM IT, AND GOD'S CONSEQUENT WRATH.
2. this covenant--alluding to the book of the law (@De 31:26)
found in the temple by Hilkiah the high priest, five years after
Jeremiah's call to the prophetic office (@2Ki 22:8-23:25).
Hear ye--Others besides Jeremiah were to promulgate God's will to
the people; it was the duty of the priests to read the law to them
(@Mal 2:7).
3. (@De 27:26 Ga 3:10).
4. in the day--that is, when. The Sinaitic covenant was made some
time after the exodus, but the two events are so connected as to be
viewed as one.
iron furnace--(@De 4:20 1Ki 8:51). "Furnace" expresses the
searching ordeal; "iron," the long duration of it. The furnace was
of earth, not of iron (@Ps 12:6); a furnace, in heat and
duration enough to melt even iron. God's deliverance of them from such
an ordeal aggravates their present guilt.
do them--namely, the words of the covenant (@Jer 11:3).
so, &c.--(@Le 26:3,12).
5. oath--(@Ps 105:9,10).
a land flowing with milk and
honey--(See on Nu 14:8).
as it is this day--These are the concluding words of God to the
Israelites when formerly brought out of Egypt, "Obey . . . that I may
at this time make good the promise I made to your fathers, to give,"
&c. [MAURER]. English Version makes the words apply to
Jeremiah's time, "As ye know at this time, that God's promise has
been fulfilled," namely, in Israel's acquisition of Canaan.
So be it--Hebrew, Amen. Taken from @De 27:15-26. Jeremiah
hereby solemnly concurs in the justice of the curses pronounced there
(see @Jer 11:3).
6. Jeremiah was to take a prophetic tour throughout Judah, to proclaim
everywhere the denunciations in the book of the law found in the temple.
Hear . . . do--(@Ro 2:13 Jas 1:22).
7. rising early--(@Jer 7:13).
8. imagination--rather, "stubbornness."
will bring--The words, "even unto this day" (@Jer 11:7), confirm
English Version rather than the rendering of
ROSENMULLER: "I
brought upon them."
words--threats (@Jer 11:3 De 27:15-26).
9. conspiracy--a deliberate combination against God and against Josiah's reformation. Their idolatry is not the result of a hasty impulse (@Ps 83:5 Eze 22:25).
11. cry unto me--contrasted with "cry unto the gods," (@Jer 11:12).
not hearken--(@Ps 18:41 Pr 1:28 Isa 1:15 Mic 3:4).
12. cry unto the gods . . . not save--(@De 32:37,38). Compare this
verse and beginning of @Jer 11:13 Jer 2:28.
in the time of their trouble--that is, calamity (@Jer 2:27).
13. shameful thing--Hebrew, "shame," namely, the idol, not merely shameful, but the essence of all that is shameful (@Jer 3:24 Ho 9:10), which will bring shame and confusion on yourselves [CALVIN].
14. There is a climax of guilt which admits of no further intercessory
prayer (@Ex 32:10, in the Chaldee version, "leave off praying";
@Jer 7:16 1Sa 16:1 15:35 1Jo 5:16). Our mind should be at one with
God in all that He is doing, even in the rejection of the reprobate.
for their trouble--on account of their trouble. Other manuscripts
read, "in the time of their trouble" a gloss from @Jer 11:12.
15. my beloved--My elect people, Judea; this aggravates their
ingratitude (@Jer 12:7).
lewdness with many--(@Eze 16:25). Rather, "that great
(or, manifold) enormity"; literally, "the enormity, the manifold"; namely,
their idolatry, which made their worship of God in the temple a mockery
(compare @Jer 7:10 Eze 23:39) [HENDERSON].
holy flesh--(@Hag 2:12-14 Tit 1:15), namely, the sacrifices,
which, through the guilt of the Jews, were no longer holy, that is,
acceptable to God. The sacrifices on which they relied will, therefore,
no longer protect them. Judah is represented as a priest's wife, who, by
adultery, has forfeited her share in the flesh of the sacrifices, and
yet boasts of her prerogative at the very same time
[HORSLEY].
when thou doest evil--literally, "when thy evil" (is at hand).
PISCATOR translates, "When thy calamity is at hand
(according to God's threats), thou gloriest"
(against God, instead of humbling thyself).
English Version is best (compare @Pr 2:14).
16. called thy name--made thee.
olive--(@Ps 52:8 Ro 11:17). The "olive" is chosen to represent
the adoption of Judah by the free grace of God, as its oil is
the image of richness (compare @Ps 23:5 104:15).
with . . . noise of . . . tumult--or, "at the noise," &c. namely,
at the tumult of the invading army (@Isa 13:4)
[MAURER]. Or, rather,
"with the sound of a mighty voice," namely, that of God, that is, the
thunder; thus there is no confusion of metaphors. The tree stricken with
lightning has "fire kindled upon it, and the branches are
broken," at one and the same time [HOUBIGANT].
17. that planted thee--(@Jer 2:21 Isa 5:2).
against themselves--The sinner's sin is to his own hurt
(see on Jer 7:19).
18, 19. Jeremiah here digresses to notice the attempt on his life
plotted by his townsmen of Anathoth. He had no suspicion of it, until
Jehovah revealed it to him (@Jer 12:6).
the Lord . . . thou--The change of person from the third to the
second accords with the excited feelings of the prophet.
then--when I was in peril of my life.
their doings--those of the men of Anathoth. His thus alluding to
them, before he has mentioned their name, is due to his excitement.
19. lamb--literally, a "pet lamb," such as the Jews often had in
their houses, for their children to play with; and the Arabs still have
(@2Sa 12:3). His own familiar friends had plotted against the
prophet. The language is exactly the same as that applied to Messiah
(@Isa 53:7). Each prophet and patriarch exemplified in his own
person some one feature or more in the manifold attributes and
sufferings of the Messiah to come; just as the saints have done since
His coming (@Ga 2:20 Php 3:10 Col 1:24). This adapted both the more
experimentally to testify of Christ.
devices--(@Jer 18:18).
tree with . . . fruit--literally, "in its fruit" or "food," that is,
when it is in fruit. Proverbial, to express the destruction of cause
and effect together. The man is the tree; his teaching, the fruit. Let
us destroy the prophet and his prophecies; namely, those threatening
destruction to the nation, which offended them. Compare @Mt 7:17,
which also refers to prophets and their doctrines.
20. triest . . . heart--(@Re 2:23).
revealed--committed my cause. Jeremiah's wish for vengeance was
not personal but ministerial, and accorded with God's purpose revealed
to him against the enemies alike of God and of His servant
(@Ps 37:34 54:7 112:8 118:7).
21. Prophesy not--(@Isa 30:10 Am 2:12 Mic 2:6). If Jeremiah had not uttered his denunciatory predictions, they would not have plotted against him. None were more bitter than his own fellow townsmen. Compare the conduct of the Nazarites towards Jesus of Nazareth (@Lu 4:24-29).
22. The retribution of their intended murder shall be in kind; just as in Messiah's case (@Ps 69:8-28).
23. (@Jer 23:12).
the year of . . . visitation--The Septuagint translates, "in the year of their," &c., that is, at the time when I shall visit them
in wrath. JEROME supports English Version. "Year" often means
a determined time.