@Jer 5:1-31. THE CAUSE OF THE JUDGMENTS TO BE INFLICTED IS THE UNIVERSAL CORRUPTION OF THE PEOPLE.
1. a man--As the pious Josiah, Baruch, and Zephaniah lived in
Jerusalem at that time, Jeremiah must here mean the mass of the people,
the king, his counsellors, the false prophets, and the priests, as
distinguished from the faithful few, whom God had openly separated from
the reprobate people; among the latter not even one just person was
to be found (@Isa 9:16)
[CALVIN]; the godly, moreover, were
forbidden to intercede for them (@Jer 7:16; compare @Ge 18:23,
&c. @Ps 12:1 Eze 22:30).
see . . . know--look . . . ascertain.
judgment--justice, righteousness.
pardon it--rather, her.
2. (@Tit 1:16).
swear falsely--not a judicial oath; but their profession of the worship
of Jehovah is insincere (@Jer 5:7 Jer 4:2). The reformation under
Josiah was merely superficial in the case of the majority.
3. eyes upon the truth--(@De 32:4 2Ch 16:9). "Truth" is in
contrast with "swear falsely" (@Jer 5:2). The false-professing Jews
could expect nothing but judgments from the God of truth.
stricken . . . not grieved--(@Jer 2:30 Isa 1:5 9:13).
refused . . . correction--(@Jer 7:28 Zep 3:2).
4. poor--rather, "the poor." He supposes for the moment that this utter depravity is confined to the uninstructed poor, and that he would find a different state of things in the higher ranks: but there he finds unbridled profligacy.
5. they have known--rather, "they must know." The prophet
supposes it as probable, considering their position.
but these--I found the very reverse to be the case.
burst . . . bonds--set God's law at defiance (@Ps 2:3).
6. lion . . . wolf . . . leopard--the strongest, the most ravenous,
and the swiftest, respectively, of beasts: illustrating the formidable
character of the Babylonians.
of the evenings--Others not so well translate, of the deserts. The plural means that it goes forth every evening to seek its
prey (@Ps 104:20 Hab 1:8 Zep 3:3).
leopard . . . watch . . . cities--(@Ho 13:7). It shall lie in
wait about their cities.
7. It would not be consistent with God's holiness to let such
wickedness pass unpunished.
sworn by--(@Jer 5:2 Jer 4:2); that is, worshipped.
no gods--(@De 32:21).
fed . . . to the full--so the Keri (Hebrew Margin) reads,
God's bountifulness is contrasted with their apostasy (@De 32:15).
Prosperity, the gift of God, designed to lead men to Him, often produces
the opposite effect. The Hebrew Chetib (text), reads: "I bound them
(to Me) by oath," namely, in the marriage covenant, sealed at Sinai
between God and Israel; in contrast to which stands their "adultery";
the antithesis favors this.
adultery . . . harlots' houses--spiritually: idolatry in temples of
idols; but literal prostitution is also included, being frequently part
of idol-worship: for example, in the worship of the Babylonian Mylitta.
8. in the morning--(@Isa 5:11). "Rising early in the morning" is a phrase for unceasing eagerness in any pursuit; such was the Jews' avidity after idol-worship. MAURER translates from a different Hebrew root, "continually wander to and fro," inflamed with lust (@Jer 2:23). But English Version is simpler (compare @Jer 13:27 Eze 22:11).
9. (@Jer 5:29 Jer 9:9 44:22).
10. Abrupt apostrophe to the Babylonians, to take Jerusalem, but
not to destroy the nation utterly
(see on Jer 4:27).
battlements--rather, tendrils
[MAURER]: the state being compared
to a vine (@Jer 12:10), the stem of which was to be spared,
while the tendrils (the chief men) were to be removed.
11. (@Jer 3:20).
12. belied--denied.
It is not he--rather, "(Jehovah) is not HE," that is, the true and
only God (@Jer 14:22 De 32:39 Isa 43:10,13). By their idolatry they
virtually denied Him. Or, referring to what follows, and to @Jer 5:9,
"(Jehovah) is not," namely, about to be the punisher of our sins
(@Jer 14:13 Isa 28:15).
13. Continuation of the unbelieving language of the Jews.
the prophets--who prophesy punishment coming on us.
the word--the Holy Spirit, who speaks through true prophets, is not
in them [MAURER]. Or else, "There is no word (divine communication) in
them" (@Ho 1:2) [ROSENMULLER].
thus, &c.--Their ill-omened prophecies shall fall on themselves.
14. ye . . . thy . . . this people--He turns away from addressing
the people to the prophet; implying that He puts them to a distance from
Him, and only communicates with them through His prophet (@Jer 5:19).
fire . . . wood--Thy denunciations of judgments shall be fulfilled
and shall consume them as fire does wood. In @Jer 23:29 it is the
penetrating energy of fire which is the point of comparison.
15. (@Jer 1:15 6:22). Alluding to @De 28:49, &c.
Israel--that is, Judah.
mighty--from an Arabic root, "enduring." The fourfold repetition
of "nation" heightens the force.
ancient--The Chaldeans came originally from the Carduchian and
Armenian mountains north of Mesopotamia, whence they immigrated into
Babylonia; like all mountaineers, they were brave and hardy
(see on Isa 23:13).
language . . . knowest not--@Isa 36:11 shows that Aramaic was
not understood by the "multitude," but only by the educated classes
[MAURER].
HENDERSON refers it to the original language of the
Babylonians, which, he thinks, they brought with them from their native
hills, akin to the Persic, not to the Aramaic, or any other Semitic
tongue, the parent of the modern Kurd.
16. open sepulchre--(Compare @Ps 5:9). Their quiver is all-devouring, as the grave opened to receive the dead: as many as are the arrows, so many are the deaths.
17. (@Le 26:16).
18. Not even in those days of judgments, will God utterly
exterminate His people.
I will not make a full end with you--(@Jer 5:10 Jer 4:27).
19. Retribution in kind. As ye have forsaken Me (@Jer 2:13), so shall ye be forsaken by Me. As ye have served strange (foreign) gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers (foreigners) in a land not yours. Compare the similar retribution in @De 28:47,48.
21. eyes . . . ears, and--Translate, "and yet" (compare @De 29:4 Isa 6:9). Having powers of perception, they did not use them: still they were responsible for the exercise of them.
22. sand--Though made up of particles easily shifting about, I render it sufficient to curb the violence of the sea. Such is your monstrous perversity, that the raging, senseless sea sooner obeys Me, than ye do who profess to be intelligent [CALVIN], (@Job 26:10 38:10 11 Pr 8:29 Re 15:4).
23. (@Jer 6:28).
24. rain . . . former . . . latter--The "former" falls from the middle
of October to the beginning of December. The "latter," or spring rain
in Palestine, falls before harvest in March and April, and is essential
for ripening the crops (@De 11:14 Joe 2:23).
weeks of . . . harvest--the seven weeks between passover and pentecost,
beginning on the sixteenth of Nisan (@De 16:9). By God's special
providence no rain fell in Palestine during the harvest weeks, so that
harvest work went on without interruption (see @Ge 8:22).
25. National guilt had caused the suspension of these national mercies mentioned in @Jer 5:24 (compare @Jer 3:3).
26. (@Pr 1:11,17,18 Hab 1:15).
as he that setteth snares--rather, "as fowlers crouch"
[MAURER].
trap--literally, "destruction": the instrument of destruction.
catch men--not as Peter, to save (@Lu 5:10), but to destroy men.
27. full of deceit--full of treasures got by deceit.
rich--(@Ps 73:12,18-20).
28. shine--the effect of fatness on the skin (@De 32:15). They
live a life of self-indulgence.
overpass . . . the wicked--exceed even the Gentiles in wickedness
(@Jer 2:33 Eze 5:6,7).
judge not . . . fatherless--(@Isa 1:23).
yet . . . prosper--(@Jer 12:1).
29. (@Jer 5:9 Mal 3:5).
30. (@Jer 23:14 Ho 6:10).
31. bear rule by their means--literally, "according to their hands,"
that is, under their guidance (@1Ch 25:3). As a sample of the priests
lending themselves to the deceits of the false prophets, to gain
influence over the people, see @Jer 29:24-32.
love to have it so--(@Mic 2:11).
end thereof--the fatal issue of this sinful course when divine
judgments shall come.