Jeremías 12

1 JUSTO eres tú, oh Jehová, aunque yo contigo dispute: hablaré empero juicios contigo. ¿Por qué es prosperado el camino de los impíos, y tienen bien todos los que se portan deslealmente?

2 Plantástelos, y echaron raíces; progresaron, é hicieron fruto; cercano estás tú en sus bocas, mas lejos de sus riñones.

3 Tu empero, oh Jehová, me conoces; vísteme, y probaste mi corazón para contigo: arráncalos como á ovejas para el degolladero, y señálalos para el día de la matanza.

4 ¿Hasta cuándo estará desierta la tierra, y marchita la hierba de todo el campo? Por la maldad de los que en ella moran, faltaron los ganados, y las aves; porque dijeron: No verá él nuestras postrimerías.

5 Si corriste con los de á pié, y te cansaron, ¿cómo contenderás con los caballos? Y si en la tierra de paz estabas quieto, ¿cómo harás en la hinchazón del Jordán?

6 Porque aun tus hermanos y la casa de tu padre, aun ellos se levantaron contra ti, aun ellos dieron voces en pos de ti. No los creas, cuando bien te hablaren.

7 He dejado mi casa, desamparé mi heredad, entregado he lo que amaba mi alma en manos de sus enemigos.

8 Fué para mí mi heredad como león en breña: contra mí dió su voz; por tanto la aborrecí.

9 ¿Esme mi heredad ave de muchos colores? ¿no están contra ella aves en derredor? Venid, reuníos, vosotras todas las bestias del campo, venid á devorarla.

10 Muchos pastores han destruído mi viña, hollaron mi heredad, tornaron en desierto y soledad mi heredad preciosa.

11 Fué puesta en asolamiento, y lloró sobre mí, asolada: fué asolada toda la tierra, porque no hubo hombre que mirase.

12 Sobre todos los lugares altos del desierto vinieron disipadores: porque la espada de Jehová devorará desde el un extremo de la tierra hasta el otro extremo: no habrá paz para ninguna carne.

13 Sembraron trigo, y segarán espinas; tuvieron la heredad, mas no aprovecharon nada: se avergonzarán de vuestros frutos, á causa de la ardiente ira de Jehová.

14 Así dijo Jehová contra todos mis malos vecinos, que tocan la heredad que hice poseer á mi pueblo Israel: He aquí que yo los arrancaré de su tierra, y arrancaré de en medio de ellos la casa de Judá.

15 Y será que, después que los hubiere arrancado, tornaré y tendré misericordia de ellos, y harélos volver cada uno á su heredad, y cada cual á su tierra.

16 Y será que, si cuidadosamente aprendieren los caminos de mi pueblo, para jurar en mi nombre, diciendo, Vive Jehová, así como enseñaron á mi pueblo á jurar por Baal; ellos serán prosperados en medio de mi pueblo.

17 Mas si no oyeren, arrancaré á la tal gente, sacándola de raíz, y destruyendo, dice Jehová.

Jeremías 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

Jeremiah complains of the prosperity of the wicked. (1-6) The heavy judgments to come upon the nation. (7-13) Divine mercy to them, and even to the nations around. (14-17)

Verses 1-6 When we are most in the dark concerning God's dispensations, we must keep up right thoughts of God, believing that he never did the least wrong to any of his creatures. When we find it hard to understand any of his dealings with us, or others, we must look to general truths as our first principles, and abide by them: the Lord is righteous. The God with whom we have to do, knows how our hearts are toward him. He knows both the guile of the hypocrite and the sincerity of the upright. Divine judgments would pull the wicked out of their pasture as sheep for the slaughter. This fruitful land was turned into barrenness for the wickedness of those that dwelt therein. The Lord reproved the prophet. The opposition of the men of Anathoth was not so formidable as what he must expect from the rulers of Judah. Our grief that there should be so much evil is often mixed with peevishness on account of the trials it occasions us. And in this our favoured day, and under our trifling difficulties, let us consider how we should behave, if called to sufferings like those of saints in former ages.

Verses 7-13 God's people had been the dearly-beloved of his soul, precious in his sight, but they acted so, that he gave them up to their enemies. Many professing churches become like speckled birds, presenting a mixture of religion and the world, with its vain fashions, pursuits, and pollutions. God's people are as men wondered at, as a speckled bird; but this people had by their own folly made themselves so; and the beasts and birds are called to prey upon them. The whole land would be made desolate. But until the judgments were actually inflicted, none of the people would lay the warning to heart. When God's hand is lifted up, and men will not see, they shall be made to feel. Silver and gold shall not profit in the day of the Lord's anger. And the efforts of sinners to escape misery, without repentance and works answerable thereto, will end in confusion.

Verses 14-17 The Lord would plead the cause of his people against their evil neighbours. Yet he would afterwards show mercy to those nations, when they should learn true religion. This seems to look forward to the times when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in. Those who would have their lot with God's people, and a last end like theirs, must learn their ways, and walk in them.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 12

This chapter contains the prophets complaint of the prosperity of the wicked, and the Lord's answer to it; an account of the deplorable and miserable estate of the Jewish nation; and a threatening to the neighbouring nations that had used them ill; with a promise of deliverance of the Jews from them, and settlement among God's people in case of obedience. The prophet's complaint is in Jer 12:1,2 in which he asserts the justice of God, yet seems at a loss to reconcile it with the prosperity of the wicked; and the rather, because of their hypocrisy; and appeals to the Lord for his own sincerity and uprightness, Jer 12:3 and prays for the destruction of the wicked, and that the time might hasten, for whose wickedness the land was desolate, and herbs, beasts, and birds, consumed, Jer 12:3,4, the Lord's answer, in which he reproves him for his pusillanimity, seeing he had greater trials than those to encounter with, and instructs him how to behave towards his treacherous friends, is in Jer 12:5,6 the account of the miserable condition of the Jewish nation is from Jer 12:7-14, under the simile of a house and heritage left by the Lord, given up to enemies, and compared to a lion and a speckled bird, hateful to God, and hated by those about it, Jer 12:7-9 and of a vineyard destroyed and trodden down by shepherds, and made desolate, Jer 12:10,11 even as a wilderness through the ravage of the sword; so that what is sown upon it comes to nothing, Jer 12:12,13 then follows a threatening to those who had carried the people of Israel captive, with a promise to deliver the Jews out of their hands, and bring them into their own land, and settle them among the Lord's people, in case they use diligence to learn their ways, Jer 12:14-16, but in case of disobedience are threatened to be plucked up and utterly destroyed, Jer 12:17.