Jeremiah 12 Footnotes

12:1 The prosperity and success of evil and treacherous people has long been an impediment to faith in God. If God is just, it seems he would not permit that situation to continue. Other biblical writers have voiced the concern Jeremiah raises here (e.g., Ps 73:1-14; Ec 7:15; Hab 1:13). But Jeremiah applied a wider perspective, useful in apologetics: Because God is who he is, his righteousness is not measured by the complaints people bring against him out of their personal circumstances. We might not understand how God is righteous, and we can even “bring a case” or demand an explanation (Jb 13:3) from him. But since God is in charge of the universe, and not us, it is useless to suppose that any case we bring against him will prove him unjust.

12:8 How could the Lord say he hated his chosen people? The prophet used strong language to communicate that God’s attitude toward Judah had changed as a result of the Judeans’ disdain for him; they could expect his actions to reflect that change. It is typical of biblical writers to express emphasis with extremes, or polar opposites, leaving no “gray area” between them (Mal 1:2-3; Lk 14:26); such expressions are sometimes called “rhetorical Hebraisms.” Other passages, however, including Jr 12:15, make it clear that God continued to love his chosen people in spite of their unfaithfulness (e.g., 3:12; Ezr 3:11; Hs 11:7-9; Mt 23:37).