Yirmeyah 25

1 5 The davar that came to Yirmeyah concerning kol HaAm Yehudah in the fourth year of Y’hoyakim Ben Yoshiyah Melech Yehudah, that was the first year of Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel;

2 The which Yirmeyah HaNavi spoke unto kol HaAm Yehudah, and to all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, saying,

3 From the thirteenth year of Yoshiyah Ben Amon Melech Yehudah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the Devar Hashem hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not paid heed.

4 And Hashem hath sent unto you all His avadim the nevi’im, rising early and sending them; but ye have not paid heed, nor inclined your ozen to hear.

5 They said, Shuvu, make teshuvah now every ish from his derech ra’ah, and from the rah of your doings, and dwell in ha’aretz that Hashem hath given unto you and to avoteichem l’min olam v’ad olam;

6 And go not after elohim acherim to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke Me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no harm.

7 Yet ye have not paid heed unto Me, saith Hashem; that ye might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

8 Therefore thus saith Hashem Tzva’os; Because ye have not paid heed to My Devarim,

9 Hinei, I will send and take all the mishpekhot of the tzafon (north), saith Hashem, and Avdi Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these Goyim all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations.

10 Moreover I will cause to perish from them the kol sasson (voice of gladness), and the kol simchah (voice of joy), the voice of the Choson, and the voice of the Kallah, the sound of the millstones, and the ohr of the ner.

11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these Goyim shall serve Melech Bavel shiv’im shanah (seventy years). [T.N. Note: length of Exile predicted here.]

12 And it shall come to pass, when shiv’im shanah are accomplished, that I will punish Melech Bavel, and that nation, saith Hashem, for their avon, and the Eretz Kasdim (Land of Chaldeans), and will make it perpetual desolations.

13 And I will bring upon that land all My Devarim which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this sefer, which Yirmeyah hath prophesied against kol HaGoyim.

14 For Goyim rabbim and melachim gedolim shall enslave them also; I will recompense them according to their deeds, according to the ma’aseh of their own hands.

15 For thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel unto me, Take this kos hayayin haChemah (wine cup of wrath, see Lk 22:42) from My yad, and cause kol HaGoyim, to whom I send thee, to drink it.

16 And they shall drink, and stagger, and go mad, because of the cherev that I will send among them.

17 Then took I the Kos from the yad Hashem, and made all the Goyim to drink, unto whom Hashem had sent me;

18 Namely, Yerushalayim, and the towns of Yehudah, and the melachim thereof, and the sarim thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a kelalah (curse); as it is this day;

19 Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim, and his avadim, and his sarim and all his people;

20 And all the mixed multitude rabble, and kol melachim of Eretz Utz, and kol melachim of Eretz Pelishtim, and Ashkelon, and Azzah (Gaza), and Ekron, and the she’erit (remnant) of Ashdod,

21 Edom, and Moav, and the Bnei Ammon,

22 And kol melachim of Tzor, and kol melachim of Tzidon, and the melachim of the coastlands which are beyond the yam,

23 Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost [desert] fringes,

24 And kol melachim of Arabia, and kol melachim of the mixed multitude rabble that dwell in the desert,

25 And kol melachim of Zimri, and kol melachim of Eilam, and kol melachim of the Medes,

26 And kol melachim of the tzafon, far and near, one after another, and all the mamlechot ha’aretz, which are upon the face of adamah; and Melech Sheshach [Babylon] shall drink after them.

27 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel; Drink ye, and become shikkor, and vomit, and fall, and rise no more, because of the cherev which I will send among you.

28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the Kos at thine yad to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os, Ye shall certainly drink.

29 For, hinei, I begin to bring ra’ah on the Ir which is called by My Shem, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished; for I will call for a cherev upon all the inhabitants of ha’aretz, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these Devarim, and say unto them, Hashem shall roar from on high, and utter His voice from His Ma’on Kodesh; He shall mightily roar upon His Naveh (Dwelling); He shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of ha’aretz.

31 A noise shall come even to the ends of ha’aretz; for Hashem hath a legal controversy with the Goyim, He will plead His case with kol basar; He will give them that are wicked to the cherev, saith Hashem.

32 Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os, Hinei, ra’ah shall go forth from Goy to Goy, and a sa’ar gadol (great whirlwind) shall be raised up from the farthest ends of Eretz.

33 And the slain of Hashem shall be at that day from one end of ha’aretz even unto the other end of ha’aretz; they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the adamah.

34 Wail, ye ro’im (shepherds), and weep; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye leaders of the tzon; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a precious pottery vessel.

35 And the ro’im (shepherds) shall have no refuge for fleeing, nor the leader of the tzon to escape.

36 A voice of the cry of the ro’im and a wailing of the leaders of the tzon, shall be heard: for Hashem hath destroyed their pasture.

37 And the ne’ot hashalom (peaceful folds) are laid waste because of the Charon Af Hashem.

38 He hath left His hiding place, as the lion; for their land is desolate because of the charon (anger) of the oppressor, and because of His charon af.

Yirmeyah 25 Commentary

Chapter 25

The Jews rebuked for not obeying calls to repentance. (1-7) Their captivity during seventy years is expressly foretold. (8-14) Desolations upon the nations shown by the emblem of a cup of wrath. (15-29) The judgments again declared. (30-38)

Verses 1-7 The call to turn from evil ways to the worship and service of God, and for sinners to trust in Christ, and partake of his salvation, concerns all men. God keeps an account how long we possess the means of grace; and the longer we have them, the heavier will our account be if we have not improved them. Rising early, points out the earnest desire that this people should turn and live. Personal and particular reformation must be insisted on as necessary to a national deliverance; and every one must turn from his own evil way. Yet all was to no purpose. They would not take the right and only method to turn away the wrath of God.

Verses 8-14 The fixing of the time during which the Jewish captivity should last, would not only confirm the prophecy, but also comfort the people of God, and encourage faith and prayer. The ruin of Babylon is foretold: the rod will be thrown into the fire when the correcting work is done. When the set time to favour Zion is come, Babylon shall be punished for their iniquity, as other nations have been punished for their sins. Every threatening of the Scripture will certainly be accomplished.

Verses 15-29 The evil and the good events of life are often represented in Scripture as cups. Under this figure is represented the desolation then coming upon that part of the world, of which Nebuchadnezzar, who had just began to reign and act, was to be the instrument; but this destroying sword would come from the hand of God. The desolations the sword should make in all these kingdoms, are represented by the consequences of excessive drinking. This may make us loathe the sin of drunkenness, that the consequences of it are used to set forth such a woful condition. Drunkenness deprives men of the use of their reason, makes men as mad. It takes from them the valuable blessing, health; and is a sin which is its own punishment. This may also make us dread the judgments of war. It soon fills a nation with confusion. They will refuse to take the cup at thy hand. They will not believe Jeremiah; but he must tell them it is the word of the Lord of hosts, and it is in vain for them to struggle against Almighty power. And if God's judgments begin with backsliding professors, let not the wicked expect to escape.

Verses 30-38 The Lord has just ground of controversy with every nation and every person; and he will execute judgment on all the wicked. Who can avoid trembling when God speaks in displeasure? The days are fully come; the time fixed in the Divine counsels, which will make the nations wholly desolate. The tender and delicate shall share the common calamity. Even those who used to live in peace, and did nothing to provoke, shall not escape. Blessed be God, there is a peaceable habitation above, for all the sons of peace. The Lord will preserve his church and all believers in all changes; for nothing can separate them from his love.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 25

This chapter contains a prophecy of the destruction of Judea by the king of Babylon; and also of Babylon itself, after the Jews' captivity of seventy years; and likewise of all the nations round about. The date of this prophecy is in Jer 25:1; when the prophet puts the Jews in mind of the prophecies that had been delivered unto them by himself and others, for some years past, without effect, Jer 25:2-7; wherefore they are threatened with the king of Babylon, that he should come against them, and strip them of all their desirable things; make their land desolate, and them captives for seventy years, Jer 25:8-11; at the expiration of which he in his turn shall be punished, and the land of Chaldea laid waste, and become subject to other nations and kings, Jer 25:12-14; and by a cup of wine given to all the nations round about, is signified the utter ruin of them, and who are particularly mentioned by name, Jer 25:15-26; which is confirmed by beginning with the city of Jerusalem, and the destruction of that, Jer 25:27-29; wherefore the prophet is bid to prophesy against them, and to declare the Lord's controversy with them, and that there should be a slaughter of them from one end of the earth to the other, Jer 25:30-33; upon which the shepherds, kings, and rulers of them, are called to lamentation and howling, Jer 25:34-38.