Jeremiah 32
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16. Jeremiah, not comprehending how God's threat of destroying Judah could be reconciled with God's commanding him to purchase land in it as if in a free country, has recourse to his grand remedy against perplexities, prayer.
17. hast made . . . heaven--Jeremiah extols God's creative power, as a ground of humility on his part as man: It is not my part to call Thee, the mighty God, to account for Thy ways (compare Jeremiah 12:1 ).
too hard--In Jeremiah 32:27 God's reply exactly accords with Jeremiah's prayer ( Genesis 18:14 , Zechariah 8:6 , Luke 1:37 ).
18. ( Exodus 34:7 , Isaiah 65:6 ). This is taken from the decalogue ( Exodus 20:5 Exodus 20:6 ). This is a second consideration to check hasty judgments as to God's ways: Thou art the gracious and righteous Judge of the world.
19. counsel . . . work--devising . . . executing ( Isaiah 28:29 ).
eyes . . . open upon all--( Job 34:21 , Proverbs 5:21 ).
to give . . . according to . . . ways--( Jeremiah 17:10 ).
20. even unto this day--Thou hast given "signs" of Thy power from the day when Thou didst deliver Israel out of Egypt by mighty miracles, down to the present time [MAURER]. CALVIN explains it, "memorable even unto this day."
among other men--not in Israel only, but among foreign peoples also. Compare for "other" understood, Psalms 73:5 .
made thee a name--( Exodus 9:16 , 1 Chronicles 17:21 , Isaiah 63:12 ).
as at this day--a name of power, such as Thou hast at this day.
21. ( Psalms 136:11 Psalms 136:12 ).
22. given . . . didst swear--God gave it by a gratuitous covenant, not for their deserts.
a land flowing with milk and
23. all . . . thou commandedst . . . all this evil--Their punishment was thus exactly commensurate with their sin. It was not fortuitous.
24. mounts--mounds of earth raised as breastworks by the besieging army, behind which they employed their engines, and which they gradually pushed forward to the walls of the city.
behold, thou seest it--connected with Jeremiah 32:25 . Thou seest all this with Thine own eyes, and yet (what seems inconsistent with it) Thou commandest me to buy a field.
25. for the city, &c.--rather, "though," &c.
27. Jehovah retorts Jeremiah's own words: I am indeed, as thou sayest ( Jeremiah 32: Jeremiah 32:17 ), the God and Creator of "all flesh," and "nothing is too hard for Me"; thine own words ought to have taught thee that, though Judea and Jerusalem are given up to the Chaldeans now for the sins of the Jews, yet it will not be hard to Me, when I please, to restore the state so that houses and lands therein shall be possessed in safety ( Jeremiah 32:36-44 ).
29. burn . . . houses upon whose roofs . . . incense unto Baal--retribution in kind. They burnt incense to Baal, on the houses, so the houses shall be burnt ( Jeremiah 19:13 ). The god of fire was the object of their worship; so fire shall be the instrument of their punishment.
to provoke me--indicating the design, not merely the event. They seemed to court God's "anger," and purposely to "provoke" Him.
30. have . . . done--literally, "have been doing"; implying continuous action.
only . . . evil . . . only provoked me--They have been doing nothing else but evil; their sole aim seems to have been to provoke Me.
their youth--the time when they were in the wilderness, having just before come into national existence.
31. provocation of mine anger--literally, "for mine anger." CALVIN, therefore, connects those words with those at the end of the verse, "this city has been to me an object for mine anger (namely, by reason of the provocations mentioned, Jeremiah 32:30 , &c.), that I should remove it," &c. Thus, there will not be the repetition of the sentiment, Jeremiah 32:30 , as in English Version; the Hebrew also favors this rendering. However, Jeremiah delights in repetitions. In English Version the words, "that I should remove it," &c., stand independently, as the result of what precedes. The time is ripe for taking vengeance on them ( 2 Kings 23:27 ).
from the day that they built it--Solomon completed the building of the city; and it was he who, first of the Jewish kings, turned to idolatry. It was originally built by the idolatrous Canaanites.
32. priests . . . prophets--( Nehemiah 9:32 Nehemiah 9:34 ). Hence, learn, though ministers of God apostatize, we must remain faithful.
33. ( Jeremiah 2:27 , 7:13 ).
34. ( Jeremiah 7:30 Jeremiah 7:31 , Ezekiel 8:5-17 ).
35. cause . . . pass through . . . fire--By way of purification, they passed through with bare feet ( Leviticus 18:21 ).
Molech--meaning "king"; the same as Milcom ( 1 Kings 11:33 ).
I commanded . . . not--This cuts off from the superstitious the plea of a good intention. All "will-worship" exposes to God's wrath ( Colossians 2:18 Colossians 2:23 ).
36. And now therefore--rather, "But now, nevertheless." Notwithstanding that their guilt deserves lasting vengeance, God, for the elect's sake and for His covenant's sake, will, contrary to all that might have been expected, restore them.
ye say, It shall be delivered into . . . king of Babylon--The reprobate pass from the extreme of self-confidence to that of despair of God's fulfilling His promise of restoring them.
38. ( Jeremiah 30:22 , 24:7 ).
39. one heart--all seeking the Lord with one accord, in contrast to their state when only scattered individuals sought Him ( Ezekiel 11:19 Ezekiel 11:20 , Zephaniah 3:9 ).
for . . . good of them--( Psalms 34:12-15 ).
40. ( Jeremiah 31:31 Jeremiah 31:33 , Isaiah 55:3 ).
not depart from me--never yet fully realized as to the Israelites.
I will not turn away from them . . . good--( Isaiah 30:21 ). Jehovah compares Himself to a sedulous preceptor following his pupils everywhere to direct their words, gestures.
put my fear in . . . hearts . . . not depart from me--Both the conversion and perseverance of the saints are the work of God alone, by the operation of the Holy Spirit.
41. rejoice over them--( Deuteronomy 30:9 , Isaiah 62:5 , 65:19 , Zephaniah 3:17 ).
plant . . . assuredly--rather, "in stability," that is, permanently, for ever ( Jeremiah 24:6 , Amos 9:15 ).
42. ( Jeremiah 31:28 ). The restoration from Babylon was only a slight foretaste of the grace to be expected by Israel at last through Christ.
43. ( Jeremiah 32:15 ).
whereof ye say, It is desolate--( Jeremiah 33:10 ).
44. Referring to the forms of contract ( Jeremiah 32:10-12 ):
Benjamin--specified as Anathoth; Jeremiah's place of residence where the field lay ( Jeremiah 32:8 ), was in it.