Jeremiah 5:13-23

13 prophetae fuerunt in ventum et responsum non fuit in eis haec ergo evenient illis

14 haec dicit Dominus Deus exercituum quia locuti estis verbum istud ecce ego do verba mea in ore tuo in ignem et populum istum ligna et vorabit eos

15 ecce ego adducam super vos gentem de longinquo domus Israhel ait Dominus gentem robustam gentem antiquam gentem cuius ignorabis linguam nec intelleges quid loquatur

16 faretra eius quasi sepulchrum patens universi fortes

17 et comedet segetes tuas et panem tuum devorabit filios tuos et filias tuas comedet gregem tuum et armenta tua comedet vineam tuam et ficum tuam et conteret urbes munitas tuas in quibus tu habes fiduciam gladio

18 verumtamen et diebus illis ait Dominus non faciam vos in consummationem

19 quod si dixeritis quare fecit Dominus Deus noster nobis haec omnia dices ad eos sicut dereliquistis me et servistis deo alieno in terra vestra sic servietis alienis in terra non vestra

20 adnuntiate hoc domui Iacob et auditum facite in Iuda dicentes

21 audi populus stulte qui non habes cor qui habentes oculos non videtis et aures et non auditis

22 me ergo non timebitis ait Dominus et a facie mea non dolebitis qui posui harenam terminum mari praeceptum sempiternum quod non praeteribit et commovebuntur et non poterunt et intumescent fluctus eius et non transibunt illud

23 populo autem huic factum est cor incredulum et exasperans recesserunt et abierunt

Jeremiah 5:13-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 5

This chapter contains a further account of the destruction of the Jews by the Chaldeans, and the causes of it, the sins of the people, as want of justice and truth; being so corrupt, that a just and faithful man was not to be found among them; could there, the city would have been pardoned for his sake, Jer 5:1, their swearing falsely by the name of the Lord, Jer 5:2, their incorrigibleness by chastisements, which was the case not only of the lower, but higher rank of people, Jer 5:3-5, wherefore the enemy, who for his cruelty is compared to a lion, a wolf, and a leopard, is threatened to be let in among them, Jer 5:6, then other sins are mentioned as the cause of it, as idolatry and adultery, Jer 5:7-9 hence the enemy has a commission to scale their walls, take away their battlements, though not to make a full end, the Lord disowning them for his, Jer 5:10, because of their perfidy against him, their belying of him, contradicting what he had said, and despising the word sent by his prophets, Jer 5:11-13, wherefore it is threatened, that his word like fire should devour them; and that a distant, mighty, and ancient nation, of a foreign speech, should invade them; who, like an open sepulchre, would devour them, and eat up the increase of their fields, vineyards, flocks, and herds, and impoverish their cities, yet not make a full end of them, Jer 5:14-18, and in just retaliation should they serve strangers in a foreign country, who had served strange gods in their own, Jer 5:19 then a declaration is published, and an expostulation is made with them, who are represented as foolish, ignorant, and blind, that they would fear the Lord; which is pressed by arguments taken from the power of God, in restraining the sea, which had no effect upon them; and from the goodness of God, in giving the former and latter rain, and the appointed weeks of the harvest, which their sins turned away and withheld from them, Jer 5:20-25, and then other sins are mentioned as the cause of God's visiting them in a way of vengeance, as the defrauding of men in trade, and the oppression of the fatherless and the poor in judgment; and false prophesying, to the advantage of the priests, and the king of the people, Jer 5:26-31.